You wouldn’t necessarily think that yoga could help with something like grief. You will know it for aiding flexibility and strength, breathing and maybe meditation. And you’d be right, but there is also a whole lot more to it. Since I have started talking about this aspect of my practise I have found that I am not the only with whom yoga has helped in the various stages of grief. I think that often everyone forgets about the spiritual aspect of yoga, they get caught up with what poses they are able to do and how flexible they are. This is of course wonderful, but what I have learnt in my practise (and it has taken me a very long time) is that however amazing it is that I can do ‘Devaduuta Panna Asana’ (‘fallen angel’) it’s almost more amazing how I have dealt with various things that have happened in my life. I have yoga to thank for not turning to a crutch but allowing me to deal with things in a natural way.

 

 

It took me a while to realise that I felt better. That I had cried a lot and was able to let go and I wasn’t scared anymore. And it took me even longer to realise that yoga had helped me with this. Massively. Finally I was able to deal with something that had happened six years previous. I was able to look back on that person with fondness and good memories and the pain had lessened. How do I know that yoga helped me with this? That it wouldn’t have happened anyway? Well I don’t but what I do know is that yoga helped me open up my body, release blockages, both physical and emotional and allowed my mind to be still, well to slow down at least and allow things to come to me that had been buried through my constant mental chatter and the fact that I was what one would call a ‘doer’. Being still and slowing down were the two most important things that yoga gave me and in turn allowed me to deal with my grief in a wonderful way, not being afraid, but being able to let go and heal.