Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Strengthening Your Inner Dialogue: A Path to Healing and Growth

When we think about improving our health, the focus tends to be on physical health - building strength, or simply feeling better in daily life. However, improving our emotional and mental well-being is just as important—if not more so—especially for those navigating grief and loss. Learning a practice that can profoundly impact your emotional health - strengthening your inner dialogue - can help build mental resilience by shifting how we talk to ourselves.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

The Path to a New Year: Finding Courage and Possibility in Grief

The transition into a new year often comes with mixed emotions. For many, it feels like a time for fresh beginnings, resolutions, and forward momentum. But for those navigating grief, the shift can also carry a deep sense of sadness, apprehension, and even guilt.

As we step into this new chapter, it’s important to approach the new year with self-compassion and intentionality. In this post, I’ll share reflections on the metaphor of a walking path, practical tools for navigating grief, and truths to carry with you as you journey forward.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Healing Through the Holidays – Self-Care for Navigating Tough Times

As the holiday season approaches, it can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. For those of us navigating grief or going through challenging times, the holidays can amplify our feelings—both of joy and sorrow. To help ease some of this burden, I’ve created a new series called Healing Through the Holidays, where we’ll explore different self-care tools for this season. And we’re starting with a theme that is at the heart of moving through tough times: hope.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Creating Grief Rituals for Healing and Letting Go: Practical Steps for Self-Love

As the seasons change, especially during the transition into fall, we are reminded of nature’s cycle of letting go. The fall season serves as a perfect metaphor for releasing what no longer serves us—whether that’s stress, past expectations, or deep grief. This is especially true for those navigating grief, not just for the loss of a person but also for unmet dreams, health struggles, or personal changes.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Can Grief Cause Anxiety? Exploring the Connection and Coping Strategies

Anxiety can be a tough emotion to navigate, especially when you're already dealing with the overwhelming feelings that come with grief. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. When you're grieving, anxiety often amplifies.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

10 Proven Ways Yoga Can Help You with Grief

While we each navigate our grief journey differently, finding tools and practices that provide comfort and healing can be essential. For me, yoga has been one of those tools, and I want to share with you 10 proven ways that yoga can help you in your grief journey.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Grief Journaling Prompts: Finding Solace Through Writing

Grief is a complex and often overwhelming emotion. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, many find solace in expressing their feelings through writing. Journaling can be a powerful tool for processing emotions, gaining perspective, and honoring the memory of a loved one.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

How to Cope With Grief and Guilt

Grief is a complex emotion often intertwined with feelings of guilt. Whether you survived when others didn’t, witnessed someone’s suffering, or believe you could have done more, these feelings can be overwhelming. It’s essential to understand that guilt is a normal, yet often unhelpful, response to loss.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

7 Ways to Release Grief Pain Right Now

Feeling overwhelmed by grief? Discover seven powerful techniques to release grief pain, including practical, actionable steps to help you navigate the complexities of loss.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Understanding Grief with the "Grief Blob": Move Through Your Emotions with Yoga

Ever wondered what grief would look like if you could take it out of your body? Let’s explore the concept of the "Grief Blob," a constantly shifting shape that embodies the many emotions we experience after loss. Learn how the Grief Blob can change in intensity and texture, and how acknowledging the emotions within it can help us move through our grief journey.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Exploring the Stages and Theories of Grief

My experience as a yoga teacher (and one who has grieved a lot of loss) has shown me how grief impacts us physically, cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually. Over the past few years I’ve been interested to learn more about the clinical study of grief and how it validates (or doesn’t) what I’ve experienced.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Is There A Proper Way to Grieve?

Grief is a universal experience, yet it's often shrouded in misconceptions and unrealistic expectations. Maybe you have pondered: "Is there a proper or correct way to grieve?" This question often arises from cultural, societal, and personal pressures that shape our perceptions of grief.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Understanding the Hardest Part of Your Grief Journey

Grief is a complex and deeply personal experience, and its hardest aspects can vary widely depending on individual circumstances and the nature of the loss. Explore some of the different challenges people face in their grief journeys and consider ways to navigate these difficult emotions.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Five Key Lessons I Learned During the Grieving Process

Grieving is a profound and deeply personal journey. Throughout my own experience with loss, I've encountered numerous lessons, but five particular insights stand out. These lessons have shaped my understanding of grief and provided guidance during the most challenging times.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

Understanding How Grief Affects Us Physically

Grief is a complex experience that affects us emotionally and physically. Recognizing the physical symptoms of grief and using techniques to alleviate them can significantly aid in the healing process. Whether through breath work, gentle movements, walking in nature, or expressing your feelings, there are many ways to address the physical manifestations of grief.

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Susan Andersen Susan Andersen

A Love Letter to Mothers Grieving Child Loss

First, I’d like to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your child.  I too lost my child.  I know the screaming pain, the unbearable days, the overwhelming struggle, wanting to die too.  But I also know the little joys, smiles, and desire to live.

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