Moving Through Grief
Several years ago, in a time of compounding stressors and grief in my life, I found myself in a Baltimore hotel, where I had traveled with my husband so that he could receive treatment for a rare neurological condition. I vividly remember going to the little workout room in the evenings, trying to force myself to exercise. The only movement that felt good was stretching my locked-up body, slowly releasing built-up tension. As I tried to relax and stretch my muscles, tears would roll from my eyes, as if they had been held back by the tension in my body. I felt like I could stretch for days and never release it all.
Few human experiences are as all-consuming as profound grief. A significant loss can cause grief to move into every realm of our being - mind, body, heart, and soul. Grief is often unpredictable, inconvenient, lurking on the edge of our lives ready to pounce, and painful in ways that are hard to express in words. Grief may show up in the body in a variety ways. It can impact our sleep - sometimes robbing us of rest, and other times causing us profound fatigue that makes it hard to wake up. Grief can weigh down our limbs and weaken our muscles. Grief can take up residence in our joints, causing tightness in hips, necks, shoulders, and backs. Grief can weigh down our posture, disrupt our appetites, and make it difficult to focus our minds. Over time, grief is capable of reshaping our physical health in damaging ways.
We never “get over” a truly profound loss. What we hope to do is metabolize that grief and integrate it into our lives as we learn how to live again. Movement can be a powerful tool of healing when grief comes into our lives.
As a movement specialist who is also a hospice chaplain, I bring a unique perspective to moving through grief. I come alongside people as they attune to what their grieving body needs. In seasons of loss, people often discover new sources of strength and resilience. This can begin in the body, when movement becomes the catalyst for growth and healing.
If you are experiencing grief and want the support of a personal trainer who understands how this season is effecting you physically, I would love the opportunity to work with you! Reach out for a free consultation to learn more about how trauma-informed personal training can support your journey in the midst of grief.