Words are bereft to describe how it feels to lose someone permanently. And once grief strikes, it can make us utterly vulnerable — we’ll deny it, feel angry about how things turned out, try to bargain and become overwhelmingly sad — before we can finally accept the situation and be able to cope. The poignancy in it lies in the fact that grief can be a taxing cycle that can happen until we ourselves will succumb to death.
This is how important it is to know how to deal with such an experience. Apart from honoring the deceased’s life through sympathy ornaments like memorial wind chimes, many have attested how meditation has helped them. But just a caveat: Meditation won’t make your grief fade — it will only help you have a new perspective, a heightened ability to be mentally and emotionally stable.
How Meditation Helps
Meditation has been practiced since ancient times. It’s a way for people to manage stress and increase their mindfulness and concentration.
Here are some ways meditation helps whenever a person is grieving for the loss of someone in his or her family:
It helps you rest and get a peaceful sleep. When you’re grieving, you’ll be overwhelmed with a lot of things — from handling your own emotions down to dealing with the logistics of holding funerals and paying bills. And with this, it can be hard to sleep peacefully. With meditation, you can attain just that and in the long run, even boost your immune system.
It gives emotional and mental resilience. While ornaments like memorial wind chimes help keep the presence and memory of the deceased alive, meditation is a way to help you face reality with a more resilient mind. By training your attention and awareness, you can better process your emotions and acknowledge your situation.
It deepens your connection with yourself and with others. Meditation improves your intra- and interpersonal relationships. And with a stronger bond with others, you can better build a support system you can get help from whenever you need it.
How To Meditate When Grieving
Like how hearing natural sounds coming from memorial wind chimes can provide moments of respite, medication can help you feel relaxed when faced with surges of emotions due to grief.
While there are different ways to meditate, here’s the most common step-by-step procedure you can try:
Sit upright in a quiet and comfortable place. Set your timer to 20 minutes. Make sure that no one can disturb you during this period.
Breathe slowly and deeply — and concentrate on its effects on your body.
Once you’re relaxed, begin to acknowledge and process your emotions. Are you sad? Angry? In denial?
Then picture out the face of your loved one who has passed away. Converse with them and say what your heart wants to say — but in a gentle and compassionate way. Resolve lingering resentments, ask for forgiveness, and ask to be forgiven.
After this heartfelt talk, relive and indulge in the happy memories you shared with the deceased.
End your mediation process by taking deep and slow breaths.