With fall finally arriving in Colorado, the leaves drift to the ground, the sky darkens earlier and the chill in the air makes us bundle up and stay cozy inside. While it is a beautiful and magical time of year, it also marks a shift from the outward, social, busy summer time to a quiet, dark, internal, contemplative time.

For many, it also is a time for grieving. Whether you have lost someone dear to you or have undergone one of the changes life inevitably brings to our lives – yes, engagement and marriage can bring up grief – now is a time to honor, explore and release those feelings.

In Chinese medicine, fall is the season correlated to the lungs.  This is fitting, since lungs also relate to grief – for this reason sobbing is actually really healing for the lungs. If crying is not happening naturally for you now, you can get energy moving through your lungs by practicing deep breathing and the “breath of fire.”

This coming weekend is Halloween or what I now think of as All Hallow’s Eve. After the passing of my father, in 2013, I have changed how I celebrate this time of year.

Instead of focusing on costumes, candy and parties, I turn inward and honor my ancestors as the history of halloween suggests we do. They say this time of year is when the “veils are thin” and communicating with the dead is more possible. I don’t know about the scientific evidence of that, but I do know that it feels good to have one time of year dedicated to honoring my loved ones who have passed on and this time of year feelings fitting.

 

I once read, regarding grief, “the only way out is through.” It was 6 months after my dad had past. We’d had the memorial and I had declared “I’m done grieving.” Ha! That was a silly expectation. Now I know that grief, in a way, never ends. It simply cycles. So this fall, perhaps even this Halloween weekend, give yourself space to enter your grief. Allow it to wash over you, through you, cleansing you. I promise you’ll feel clearer on the other side.

Below are a few ideas that may help you process your grief. What else helps you move emotions?

Make Art – Painting, Collage                                                         Create an Alter

Play/listen to Music                                                                        Keep a Candle Lit

Dance                                                                                             Write in your journal

Read/Write Poetry                                                                         Talk with a friend

Have a good cry                                                                             Have a good laugh

Go for a walk                                                                                  Cook a delicious meal

Reiki Massage