Honor your grief.

I live just east of portions of Tennessee and North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene just a few days ago.

And the truth is, there is no shortage of things to grieve in our own lives and the world at large.

If you are grieving, I offer this practice in witness and support:

Imagine you are in a place that feels safe and comfortable.

Tune into your senses as you visualize this space. Notice the sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes.

Notice where you feel the grief in your body.

Notice the sensations that accompany grief for you. Heaviness? Aching? Something else?

Maybe place your hands on your body where you feel it.

Of course you are grieving. Of course you are.

Breathe into the sensations you feel in your body. No need to judge or change them.

If you are feeling more than one emotion (sensory experience), notice your body’s capacity to hold complexity.

Allow your body to soften. In any amount.

Allow your sensations to shift, move, soften or release as they are ready.

Move your body gently.

Drink some water.

Just as the clouds keep passing through the sky, so do our emotions if we give ourselves permission to notice, honor, allow and release them in their own timing.

Love,

Booth