It is so easy to feel overwhelmed after the loss of a loved one. Routines have changed. Responsibilities have changed. Everything seems so different, and while it is true that nothing will ever be the same again, life does continue.

Working through grief teaches us great lessons and broadens our vision as we discover not only that life does not end, love does not end either. While it is true that the physical body does not last forever, the relationship we had is still there. The love continues.

In the meantime, there is much we can do to help ourselves move through this chapter of our life. It is particularly important at this fragile time to nourish ourselves on every level – physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes, spiritually. Healing from wounds like this doesn’t happen all at once, so take things a day at a time, and when that seems like too much, just get through this hour, this minute. To help you do that, here are just a few of the things that can help ease the stress and grief you are feeling.

* Take a walk or engage in some kind of exercise if you are able.
* Eat small amounts of food often, and lower your intake of sugar and caffeine.
* Drink a lot of water. Every cell in your body is dependent on water.
* Breathe deeply often, and laugh every chance you can.
* Get things off your chest by talking with someone or writing in a journal.
* Cry when you need to. Tears are cleansing. They help relieve the pressure.
* Put positive statements around the house where you can see them.
* Don’t be critical of yourself (or others). You (and they) are doing the best you can.
* Avoid hasty decisions. Put major decisions off until you feel ready to face them.
* Spend time with others, whether you feel like it or not.
* Let the dishes wait if you don’t feel like doing them.
* Do at least one thing you enjoy every day.
* Read something uplifting every day.
* Change what you need to change, and learn to accept what you cannot change.

And finally, be patient with yourself. Healing emotional wounds takes time. Let this be a nourishing, strengthening, growing time as much as you can. The days do get easier. It just takes time.

Donna Miesbach

I have been on a spiritual path all my life. I was first introduced to meditation when I was seventeen. I knew this was an important tool, but I wanted to go deeper than that particular method allowed, so my search began. I attended workshops and classes, read books and tried every form of meditation I could find, to no avail. Then in 1994, my life changed dramatically. My husband died very suddenly. Soon after that, I lost both parents, too. They say when the student is ready, the teacher appears. This student was certainly ready. About a year after my husband’s sudden death, I learned about Dr. Deepak Chopra and his teachings. It was like finding the light at the end of the tunnel. I took meditation training from Dr. Chopra and began attending his courses. They fed my deep roots and made such a difference in my life that I committed to being certified both in meditation and yoga so I could share these wonderful practices with others. I have studied with Deepak and also Roger Gabriel both here and in India. I also studied sound healing with Jonathan Goldman, and remote viewing with Dr. David Morehouse, having completed all five levels of his training. As my teaching became established, doors began opening that allowed me to teach meditation to at risk youth. Then another door opened and I found myself working with Playmakers Mentoring Foundation, a Sacramento-based outreach. Together with their Executive Director, we wrote a book and then opened a chapter here in Omaha. In addition to my work with Playmakers, I continue to teach meditation in the Omaha NE area, offering both private and group instruction. I also hold group meditations and programs five times a year, and speak to groups on various aspects of spirituality upon request.   It has been an amazing journey, one I never could have anticipated. I didn’t know it then, but I know now that it is possible to get to the other side of grief, and that is what my book, “From Grief to Joy, A Journey Back to Life & Living,” is all about.

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