Last week we added movements to our class, that challenged the lung and large intestine meridians as well as created space in both lungs. The lung is associated with the emotion of grief and the large intestine associated with letting go.
While grief is commonly associated with the loss of a loved one, it can also be triggered by a variety of other life changes or events. Some examples of situations that may lead to grief include:
Divorce or the end of a significant relationship
Diagnosis of a serious illness
Moving to a new city or country
Retirement or job loss
Loss of a beloved pet
Miscarriage or infertility
Traumatic experiences such as physical or emotional abuse, natural disasters, or acts of violence
Ageing and changes in physical or cognitive abilities
Loss of a dream or a sense of purpose in life.
Our class will be focusing in on the ageing dimension. These are all things that we used to be able to do, that we can no longer do at this moment in time.
In my work as a physio I see many older people in my day to day work, where their world is getting smaller and smaller. We disconnect or perhaps feel we are being disconnected from the things we love to do. This invariably means a social disconnect too. So feeling we cannot go on a walk with friends as it would be too far, we would hold everyone up, or it would be too painful.
Of course as we get older it is natural for our worlds to shrink. We perhaps need to accept this and indeed plan for it. However, this process can often take place well before it needs to.
That feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The sense of loss of what we used to be able to do can be overwhelming.
The plan with the class is for us to look at what we used to be able to do, that we loved doing. What are the barriers that are preventing us from doing it, would it be realistic to think that if those barriers were removed or lowered/ adapted or modified in some way that we would be able to engage in those activities that at this moment in time we perceive to be too challenging.
So come to the class with that idea of what you used to be able to do and what, in one way or another you would like to engage with again.
The first step will be to use the lung/large intestine meridian in the movement part of the class to let go of what you were able to do.
So you breathe in, you bring to your minds eye an image of you taking part in that activity, then on the out breath you let go, and allow that image to dissolve.
When the Metal element is in balance then we have clarity. In the relaxation/meditation part of the class we will invite a plan to emerge/evolve of what possibilities still remain open to us. We can formulate a plan of action to navigate a path towards reengaging in one way or another that activity that we had loved doing, before we perceived it to be too much of a challenge.
Here is an examples of what is possible:-
Five years ago I stopped running. Why? It was too painful (achillies) and general body ache! To run was part of my stress relief mechanism.
Plan
Specific strengthening and stretching programme ( incorporated into yoga)
Graded introduction back to running..ie walking ..increasing distance etc
Cold showers in the morning
Reduced sugar in diet( apart from alcohol obviously). More protein/fat (oils) and less simple carbs. Eating early in the evening and later in the morning.
Within three months I was running again and within nine I was running up to 10km.
I am still running and loving it, but now I have a plan in place for when this does become too much of a challenge. I am a walker. I love to walk , it has reconnected me with so many old friends, the beauty and power of nature. I now have a plan in place to keep me walking for as long as possible.
My life has become so much richer from the experience of loss.
Finding where you are at this moment of time, accepting it, and then moving forward is a process that involves self-reflection, self-compassion, and goal setting.
Once you have a clear understanding of where you are at, it is important to be kind to yourself, practice self-compassion and acceptance.
From a place of self-awareness and self-compassion, you can then begin to set goals and take action towards moving forward.
Start by identifying small, achievable steps that you can take to make progress towards your goals. It is also helpful to create a plan and timeline for these steps, as well as to hold yourself accountable for following through on them.
Remember that this process is not linear, and setbacks or challenges may arise along the way. It is important to continue to practice self-compassion and acceptance throughout the journey, and to be flexible and open to adapting your goals and plans as needed.
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