As each grief story unfolds within the group session, the circle facilitator observes the pendular swing between a sense of gratitude when recalling cherished loving memories to a feeling of being stuck in the overwhelm of despair over their loss. The body has the capacity to experience both resilience and grief bursts on a visceral level. How do we describe the physical heart pain that resides in the body? Where do we find the words to describe the pain? What is the numbing silence within trying to tell us? How does unresolved grief trigger contraction of the chest and heart? How do we tap into our resilience to adapt our grief bursts into a healthy homeostasis of calm reflection? Answers to these questions reside in the uniqueness of each individual’s personal journey and are found through curious exploration. The somatic approach of compassionate inquiry supports exploration of the interwoven tapestry of the body’s somatic emotional connections.
How do we pendulate between grief and gratitude with grace?
The bereavement circle facilitator models an explorative, empathetic curiosity within the group dynamic. Their commitment to upholding a compassionate communication space is exhibited in a nonjudgmental nurturance. The circle agreement to suspend judgment supports silent, empathetic witnessing, which serves everyone’s need for trust. When the group’s intention is anchored in trust, a safe space is created for uninhibited vulnerabilities to be unleashed into the circle of grief companions.
Building trust is a preliminary step for the transformative mourning process to unfold safely. An open invitation to share a nurturing breath and a somatic grounding exercise cultivates mindfulness and presence within the group dynamic. Breathing deeply together nurtures the group’s intention to heal together. Practicing silent breath work in the group builds comfort in body and mind: Sitting in silence within the group offers space and time to magnify the body’s feeling experience. As we give ourselves permission to embrace grief in silence, we expand our capacity to access and tap into the emotional and physical responses reverberating in the cells of our soma. Engaging in a mindful presence expands one’s capacity for attuned observation of one's inner landscape.
Intentionally welcoming our grief requires courage to go where one has never gone before: to embrace the intelligent inner space where the answers reside—a space where people become their own explorative pioneers of their emotional-somatic presence.
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