Sometimes we lose someone with whom we had a complicated, or confusing, or challenging relationship. Perhaps an estranged alcoholic parent, or a former spouse who dies decades after your separation. In some ways, it's like losing that person twice. Recently, my father died. Someone I had not been in relationship with for many years, but about whom I have some treasured memories. I dedicate this episode to him. 

Today, on the 10th anniversary of my son's suicide, I expected to devote this episode to him, but there is so much grief in the United States (and the world at large) at this very moment, it felt more appropriate to shine a light on that instead. We are ALL grieving and mourning these days: the pandemic, the legitimate protests turned violent in multiple cities throughout the United States, the total lack of national leadership...it's a lot. How do we walk THIS grief journey?  

Even though it may not feel like a priority, eating well while grieving is really important. In this episode I discuss why. 

Sitting in resistance to your loss vs. arriving at acceptance of your loss: this is the struggle that often defines grief. What do I mean by "acceptance"? How can a griever even begin to think in those terms after a heart-breaking loss? This episode suggests how. For those of you who have experienced a very recent loss, you may find that "acceptance" is not even on your radar yet, so make a note and come back to this episode at some point in the future. You'll know when the time is right. For the rest of you, here's what it does and doesn't mean to accept your loss. 

We survived Mother's Day! And by "we" I mean those of us who have experienced loss related to BEING a mother or HAVING a mother. In this episode I acknowledge all the women - not just the ones who have children of their own - who have experienced loss related to motherhood and deserve to be thought of on this day. 

Grief does not have "stages." It is not experienced in neat, predictable linear steps. You are not "done" with grief once you've checked off each step. 

There are, however, a multitude of aspects of grief. If your experience of the aspects of grief feels messy and unpredictable, then rest assured you are having a very normal grief experience and you are not alone. 

Grief is something that stays with us. We learn to carry it differently than we did when our loss first occurred, but we are never "done" with grief.  

In this episode I share some of my own personal experiences with the aspects of grief. 

Sorry I wasn't around last week. I lost my equanimity. But it's back! And in this episode I share the tale of losing "it" and getting "it" back.

This episode addresses the anxiety we are all experiencing because of the coronavirus. Although anxiety serves to warn us about "threats" in our environment, too much of it can be harmful (especially to our immune system - which is the last thing we need at the moment!). So having a few tools readily available to address it can be very helpful. I offer some "quick fixes", including the "5-4-3-2-1 Method," the Body Scan, and the written exercise called "What If...?" 

This episode contains an interview conducted by Caitlin Terry of ME! She wanted to have a conversation about grief, the coronavirus and how to cope, and I was only too happy to oblige. Caitlin is the owner of "CabaYoga" in Florida (https://www.cabayoga.org/),  a practice that "blends traditional yoga with the mastery of horses." But during this period of staying at home while we attempt to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic, she has been interviewing those of us practicing healing arts. Her series is called, "Back To Earth," and I'm honored to have been a part of it! 

In times of suffering and crisis, creative expression can be a very effective coping mechanism. In this era of the coronavirus, when many of us are now having to stay in our homes, having to slow down, and having quite a bit of time on our hands, it is the perfect time to let our Inner Creative Geniuses come out to play. What will YOU create?