Growth from Grief
Grief is something we all experience; it's the natural reaction to loss. Grief is individual, and can be different for each loss you have.
Grieving is also something most people don't want to talk about! Well, we talk all about it here - the hard stuff but also the light stuff too.
We'll explore tools and techniques like yoga, meditation, ritual, journaling and more so you can begin to move from grief pain, heal, discover joy again and grow from your grief.
Growth from Grief
Remembering Our Loved Ones – A Day of Remembrance
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Summary
In this episode, Susan Andersen discusses the importance of creating personal rituals for remembrance and how these practices can help in the grieving process. She emphasizes that remembrance can happen at any time, not just on traditional dates, and shares various ways to honor loved ones, including lighting candles, creating altars, and writing letters. These acts serve as a means to express grief and keep the memory of those who have passed alive.
Takeaways
- To remember is to love again.
- Lighting a candle can be a meaningful act of remembrance.
- Creating a sacred space can help in the grieving process.
- Sharing memories helps keep the spirit of loved ones alive.
- Grief can be expressed in various personal and meaningful ways.
Thank you for listening! Visit www.sueandersenyoga.com for Yoga for Grief classes and additional resources.
Susan Andersen (00:03.382)
Hello, I'm Sue Andersen, grief guide and yoga teacher dedicated to helping individuals navigate the challenging journey of loss. Welcome to Growth from Grief, where I aim to offer strategies to transition from the depths of grief to the path of healing. Whatever loss you are grappling with, here you'll discover support to ease both the physical and emotional burdens of grief. Together, let's embark on a journey towards strength, peace, and healing. I'm so glad you are here.
Susan Andersen (00:51.16)
Hi, welcome to this episode of Growth From Grief. Today I'm talking about remembering our loved ones, maybe creating a day or celebrating a day of remembrance taking time to honor those who are no longer with us yet they remain deeply woven into our hearts.
This time of year invites us to remember. Across cultures and faiths, people have long marked these days as sacred. In the Christian tradition, November 1st and 2nd are known as All Saints Day and All Souls Day. All Saints Day honors those who have lived with great faith and goodness, the saints known and unknown. All Souls Day, which is on November 2nd, is dedicated to remembering all who have died, loved ones, ancestors, friends and remembering them with prayers, maybe visits to the grave site.
Susan Andersen (02:15.362)
Around the same time in Mexico and parts of Latin America, families celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. This day is rooted in ancient indigenous traditions, influenced by Catholicism, but it's really a joyful welcome for the spirits of loved ones who return briefly. Families create altars. The altars would have food and candles, maybe photos, marigolds. It's a day about telling stories, maybe laughing and singing. It's about connection, gratitude, and love that never dies.
Susan Andersen (03:13.186)
These traditions are very different, but they share one thing in common: to remember is to love again.
Right? We're not forgetting those folks that have gone before us.
You can create your own day of remembrance, right? I mean, it doesn't have to be on November 1st or 2nd. It could be any date that you want, any time that you want to do this. And there's a few ways to do it, right? You can light a candle. And when you light the candle, maybe you whisper your loved one's name.
You can create a small altar or a sacred space - that altar can have a photo, maybe flowers, maybe something meaningful to this person who's gone.
Susan Andersen (04:21.3)
One of the favorite things that I like to do is write a letter or write in my journal and just share what I miss. What I miss about this person, about my dad, my uncle, my son, my friend from college, just different people and how their spirit continues to guide me.
Sometimes we like to cook a favorite meal and share it with others. This can be very tender, you know, but if you're with other people that care about you and cared about your loved one, then it can be a time to tell stories. Yes, there might be tears, but there also might be laughter. And it's just a great way to be in community, sharing those memories, hearing their names.
Susan Andersen (05:36.662)
You know, maybe your loved one liked to be out in nature. Maybe they went hiking. Maybe they liked to ski. Maybe they were an outdoors person and you connect with them in nature. You can really be present and be mindful and be aware. Notice the breeze. Notice signs or sensations. Anything that reminds you of this person or persons.
Susan Andersen (06:21.206)
There's really no right way or wrong way to remember. It's the intention. It's the presence that we bring in the act of remembering.
Susan Andersen (06:38.048)
I'd like to offer you a guided reflection. So if you're listening in your car, you may want to pause and listen to this episode when you are in a comfy chair or maybe even walking. But if it feels comfortable... Let your eyes be soft or close your eyes if you're seated or lying down.
Begin to breathe in through the nose, out through the nose and the mouth, slow steady breaths and bring into your mind's eye someone you love who is no longer here in body.
Maybe in your mind's eye you see their face or you sense their presence. You can feel their energy around you.
What would you like to say in this moment?
As you breathe in, receive their love. And as you exhale, offer your gratitude for them, for the love you shared.
Take a nice inhale through the nose. Exhale slowly out the mouth.
Notice how it feels to remember. Maybe it's tender, bittersweet - but also full of meaning.
Love does not end. It just changes form.
Take a nice inhale through the nose, another exhale through the mouth. If your eyes are closed, just let them gently open. Let your body move.
Susan Andersen (09:48.499)
Remembrance allows us to hold our loved one close. It's an active connection and it's a way to honor the threads that continue to weave through our lives. We keep love alive when we remember, whether that's through prayers, stories, quiet reflection, lighting candles.
I hope this episode gives you some ideas of what you can do for your day of remembrance. Thank you for listening to this episode of Growth from Grief. I'll see you next time.