Embracing Grief: This Week's Shabach Yoga Reflection

Grief is often associated with the loss of a loved one. And yes, that is one of the deepest forms of grief we can experience. But grief is not limited to death. It can emerge in many forms—through endings, transitions, disappointments, and even in the quiet realization that life has not unfolded the way we once imagined.

Grief can live in the body as heaviness, fatigue, tension, or even restlessness. It can show up unexpectedly. And often, we move through our days carrying it silently.

Right now, I find myself in a season of grief. And what I know to be true is this: grief does not ask us to rush. It asks us to witness.

I had my first real breakthrough with recognizing grief almost 20 years ago, in 2007, when I took my first yoga class. I remember lying on my mat in Savasana and unexpectedly bursting into tears. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening. I just knew something in me had been touched—something that had been waiting to be felt.

Thirteen years ago, I began my yoga teacher training during another season of grief in my life. By then, I understood a little more. I knew I needed space—to breathe, to process, to stay present in my body when everything felt heavy.

Yoga became that space. Through my practice, I learned how to release grief through my breath and my tears. I learned how to embrace the lessons of grief.

That practice prepared me for this moment that I am experiencing now.

This week, I invite you to take a few quiet moments to reflect on this week's journal prompt:

What grief are you being invited to embrace in this season—and what might it feel like to gently release it by first allowing yourself to fully feel it?

Notice what arises without judgment. And if you feel called, join us on the mat—where you can move, breathe, and simply be.