Loss is a part of the human experience. Loss and the resulting grief process have an impact on your energy system. In my personal growth and in my work with clients and students, I have identified three common ways that people are affected energetically by grief.
I find it most effective to start by addressing heart chakra depletion. When your heart needs are met, it is easier to want to be here, in your body, in the present moment.
The heart chakra, or energy center, brings in energy to support the organ of the heart, the lungs, arms, hands, breasts, thymus gland and immune system. Depletion in heart chakra energy may impact the health of these body organs, structures and functions. Perhaps you have noticed chest tension, or difficulty taking a full breath, or an increase in catching colds, when you are in a grieving process.
The heart chakra is also related to caring, warmth, and emotional balance. A depletion in heart chakra energy contributes to your feeling heartbroken, heart sore, or sick at heart. It is possible for a person to feel chest pain without having physical heart problems. Do check it out with a physician, but know that it can be a symptom of grief related to heart energy center depletion.
Consider the posture of someone in grief: chest caved in with rounded shoulders. This is the posture of someone protecting their depleted heart energy center.
You can replenish your heart chakra. How?
- Give yourself down time, rest, and sleep. Grieving is a big project, requiring significant energy.
- Be with people who nurture you.
- Ask someone to rub your back. Even if someone just places their hand lovingly between your shoulder blades, you might notice instant relief and deeper breathing. This hand placement is a direct link to the back of your heart chakra.
- Place your own hand on the middle of your chest. Close your eyes. Say a prayer for all who have experienced the same type of loss as yours. You might notice warmth, a lighter feeling in your chest, and/or a deepening of your breath.
More posts about grief and self-care of your energy system will be coming this month. To find them, click the red Grief link in the list of categories in the sidebar to the right of this post.
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Also, remember that I am available for healing sessions via telephone and email. A 15-minute phone call may be all you need to shift your life into an easier mode.
Janet the information that you shared is so wonderfully said and helpful for anyone that is grieving or going through a sad or difficult time in their life. It seems when someone is grieving the first thing we have a tendency to do is lay our hand on their shoulder or between the shoulder blades. And surrounding ourselves with people who nurture us, so important. I helped myself to your social media buttons so I could share. Great article.
Suzanne, Thank you for your feedback and for sharing this information with others. You are an empathetic, generous soul!
Janet, what a wonderful article. I love reading all the great tips that can help someone that is grieving or sad. They are such simple ones that can help make a big difference to help replenish the heart chakra. Thank you for sharing it with us. I have borrowed your social media buttons to share. 😉
I found this thru the woman above who commented, a friend of mine. Thank you for this. Im going through an immense loss right now.. My fiance died 6 months ago. I left everything behind when he passed, job, city, all of it.. To move in with his family for a while. We have surrounded each other in deep spiritual love and wrapped each other in our hearts. It has changed my life to be a part of such love, and is helping us all to heal so much. Your post made me realize that choosing to be surrounded by this love daily was my way of filling up that heart chakra in my fiance’s absence in the physical realm.
I look forward to more of your posts on grief, its such an important topic. We do not approach it enough. Thank you!
Sarah, Oh, I am so sorry for your loss. How wise of you to be enveloped in this community of love at this time. I wish you all that you need.
These are really great tips! I really love the one about being with people who nurture you. I’m looking forward to the next two posts in the series!
Michele, There’s never a bad time to be surrounded by people who nurture us, don’t you think?
Janet,
A very thoughtful post with real life tips in caring for yourself. thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Sue.
Really interesting post. As a clinical social worker who works specifically in grief and beareavement, I feel like the physical aspects are often lumped into, “eat, sleep, and exercise” without deeper exploration. This is something I have just started giving more thought to, and was very grateful for the more thoughtful discussion of the physical considerations here. Thanks!!
Litsa, I am glad you stopped by and gave me feedback. Grief is such an important process, and one we often don’t know how to handle–for ourselves or for those around us. I’m going to check out your site! I hope you find your way to parts 2 and 3 on this topic here on my blog.