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“After a great loss, there is only so much that we are
able to feel or process initially,” says Kent Lindemer, an
Ashtanga yoga instructor at Richard Freeman’s Yoga Workshop
in Boulder, Colorado. “Yoga can help us to feel more secure
and stable so that we are able to process the loss and move through
our grief sooner.”
When experiencing feelings of grief, Lindemer suggests
alternating between poses that open the body, such as bridge pose
and camel pose, and those that turn the body inward, including
plough pose and child’s pose. Gentle backbends such as bridge
pose open the heart and put pressure on the thyroid gland, which
helps to calm the nervous system by gently stimulating the
endocrine system and releasing beneficial chemicals into the
bloodstream, he says. Inversions such as plough pose put pressure
on the thyroid gland as well, but by turning the body inward, they
also help the heart to feel protected and allow for
introspection.
“The backbends help us to not become overwhelmed by the
grief and to stabilize the heart so we can see the light at the end
of the tunnel,” says Lindemer, who also teaches Anusara yoga
internationally. “Forward bends help us to feel secure as we
process our emotions.”
During times of grief, move slowly and feel the process,
Lindemer adds. And don’t forget to pay attention to your
breathing. “Deep, even breaths will help to stabilize the
emotions,” he advises.
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