Move Your Body to Release Grief Symptoms

Grief can be debilitating.  It can sap your energy.  When we suffer a loss, we feel a swirl of emotions – sadness, depression, anger, anxiety, guilt, and others – and physical symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue, digestive issues, and aches and pain.  To ease these symptoms, it’s helpful to move the body in ways that this pain can be released.

 When we move the body with intention, we can target actions to help open those areas that are filled with grief pain.  Opening these areas of the body allows a release of this pain and fills the body and the brain with oxygen.

 Taking a short walk or working in the garden will fill you with fresh air, release negative energy, and perhaps even give you a bit of a reprieve.  Yoga can help release grief symptoms as well, clearing out and moving negative energy, releasing tension making you feel lighter and perhaps even finding happiness.

 You can also try this sequence intended to connect the movements of the body with the breath, letting go of the heaviness that can come with grief.  It’s accessible from a chair, you can stand or even sit on the floor if that’s comfortable for you.   Added bonus:  you will be stretching and strengthening the spine in 6 different directions and expanding the chest and improving the lungs so you can breathe deeper.     

 Continue reading below for the sequence or follow along with this video

  1.  Start seated in a chair or on your mat on the floor.  You can also do these movements standing up.

  2. Inhale and stretch your arms over head, exhale, and twist over to the right. If you are seated, let your right-hand rest on the side of your chair and your left-hand rest on your right thigh. Breathe.  Repeat, twisting to the left.   Come back to center. 

  3. Inhale and bring the left arm up and exhale bend over to the right side. Breathe.  Repeat this side bend over to the left.  Return to center and relax your hands in your lap or by your side. 

  4. Bring your hands to your thighs.  Inhale and puff out your chest and your belly.  Exhale and round your shoulders, bring your belly button back towards your spine and look at your knees.  Feel your back round.  Continue these movements for 2 more rounds.

  5. Return to center and relax your hands.

  6. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose.  Notice how you feel.     

Get the free guide Five Tips for Grief Relief 

Susan Andersen