Yoga and Grief
a compassionate journey toward healing
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Grief is a space, a void, unknown territory. The journey can be complicated and disorienting, and it can rob us of our health and well-being. At times when we think we are doing okay, grief can surge up like a great wave from within, knocking us down, making us stumble and fall. Those who grieve know all too well the burden of a heavy heart. Time slows and we wonder how much sadness a heart can really take. Can you trust that you won’t grieve forever? Can you let yourself believe that the light within you is greater than the darkness that now surrounds you? There may be the moments when your inner voice, your soul, directs you. Listen. Allow yourself to be guided, to feel a connection to life. Maybe even allow yourself to feel gratitude. You may be led to work in the garden or, perhaps, to sit in a park and listen to the birds. The sadness may very well return, but you have given yourself a moment of respite and you will trust that it can happen again.
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About the Book
After a great loss, the journey toward healing can be a tempestuous one, a fragile balance of light and dark, hope and despair. For many people the practices of yoga can provide a focus on the present moment and a way to restore the balance and energy which we need so urgently in times of stress and sadness. This book teaches gentle yoga techniques and suggestions about breathing, meditation and ritual, all designed to promote calm and comfort. These techniques are appropriate for those of any age and physical ability, and make sense for those already adept as much as for those completely new to yoga practice. The authors share valuable insights drawn from their own life experience as well as from Gloria’s “Yoga and Grief” workshops, which have helped many participants to get in touch with their own inner strength and spiritual resources. For those on the dark pathway between grieving and healing, this book can shed light and ease the burden.
About the Author
GLORIA DRAYER is known for the intuition, empathy and compassion she brings to Yoga Simple and Sacred, her life-affirming approach to yoga retreats, workshops and classes. A certified yoga instructor, she teaches international yoga retreats, as well as weekly classes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has lived and taught at Kripalu, the country’s largest yoga and holistic health center located in Massachusetts, and holds a 500-hour certification with Kripalu and Yoga Alliance. Find out more about Gloria at yogasimpleandsacred.com.
KATHLEEN DOHERTY is a former hospice nurse, clinical research manager, and student of Gloria’s since 2005. Along the way she has learned that a grief observed is not the same as a grief experienced. She has relied on the concepts of this book – yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques to appreciate days, dark and light. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.