Sadness, anger, guilt and anxiety are four of the main symptoms of grief, although there are many other expressions of this universal human experience. Grief is not a pathology; it is the natural response to loss. Some say that grief is the second most prevalent emotion in the human heart, exceeded only by love. In a world governed by impermanence we all must reconcile the fact that we will lose everything we love. Although it may be more accurate to say that grief is a consequence of attachment, not of love itself, we all must grapple with the reality of grief even as we progress on the path of non-attachment, unconditional love and liberation. 

Many people find that the holiday season amplifies their experience of grief, so this 4-week series can become a place of solace and shelter helping you navigate what can often be a difficult season. We will use time-tested yoga techniques to address some of the manifestations of grief (like insomnia, anxiety, feelings of despair and overwhelm, ex). Using breathwork, yin and gentle yoga, visualization and meditation we begin to realize that grief is a largely untapped source of profound self-discovery revealing timeless truths. Rather than working with the ‘stages of grief’ model which implies a linear path, we will consider the ‘tasks of grieving’ which occur in any order and may be revisited over and over again. Ultimately we realize the grief must be integrated into who we are becoming as we increase our capacity to hold it, which then increases our capacity to live life and possibly even experience joy.