Understanding And Coping with Grief & Loss

Whether It Feels Good or Not… Grieving Process Is Part of Life

Hi beautiful souls,

This is something that’s been on my heart lately, and I want to share it with you. Whether we like it or not, grief is an inevitable part of life. It’s an overwhelming feeling we have all experience in different ways and at different times. And while it might not feel good (at all), grief is a powerful teacher and can be an invitation to deepen our love for life, ourselves and others..

So today, I’m sharing three simple truths about grief that might help you come to terms with or offer you a new perspective—one that helps you flow with it rather than getting stuck in it.

1. Mindfulness & Grieve

This is one of the hardest truths to sit with…..Everything—yes, EVERYTHING that happens in life—is a gift, and NONE of it is forever.

The beautiful moments. The heartbreaking ones. The quiet mornings, the belly laughs, mourning the loss of a loved one, pain of an illness…. They are all part of this wild, precious life. And as much as we might try to hold on, nothing lasts forever.  

Once you accept this truth, you begin living in reality, in the present moment and coping with grief takes less effort. Always being aware that although symptoms of grief are complicated and overwhelming, you still have a choice…

You can close your heart. You can protect yourself from the pain of loss by avoiding deep connection. You can keep yourself safe. 
Or, you can open your heart wide and grieve and love fully, knowing that change and endings are part of the deal. Yes, you will feel pain. But you will also experience the richness, joy, and connection that make life so worth living.

I often ask myself—and I invite you to ask yourself, too—at the end of my life, what will matter more? That I stayed safe and avoided heartbreak? Or that I was brave enough to love deeply, even knowing it will end?

I work with so many clients who, after a painful breakup or a string of difficult relationships, struggle to open their hearts again. Honestly? Same here. I’ve been working through my own walls around this. Constantly reminding myself that I have a choice.  

Will you choose love? Or will you choose fear?
Will you dare to live fully, even though it’s uncertain?
Or will you shut yourself off in an effort to avoid hurt?

None of these are right or wrong-it’s a chosen practice. 

Only you can decide. But I’ll say this—choosing love, even when it’s scary, has brought me the most beautiful moments of my life and new meaning in life.

2. Cultural Perspectives on Grief

As humans, it’s completely natural to want to avoid what feels uncomfortable. We’re wired for survival, and our nervous systems are designed to protect us from pain. Add to that a culture that tells us life should be easy, happy, and Instagram-perfect, and it’s no wonder we get so rattled when grief shows up.

Here’s the truth: grief isn’t just about losing someone we love.
There are many types of grief and loss - It can be:

• Moving to a new place
• Becoming a mom (yes, it’s beautiful… and there’s loss there, too)
• Job Loss
• Ending a friendship
• Going through an illness
• Shifting identities as we grow

And yet, every time grief comes, it feels like a shock. Like, why is this happening again?!
We resist. We numb. We distract ourselves.
Because experiencing grief—those feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, and despair—grief can feel like being sucked into a black hole. And the black hole becomes bigger and bigger when we try to avoid it or judge it as bad or unpleasant.  

What makes it harder?
The people around us often struggle to hold space for our grief. Not because they don’t care, but because they haven’t learned how to be with their own pain, either.
What many of us really need is someone who can sit with us, hold us, and say:
“I’m right here. It’s okay to feel everything. You’re not too much. You don’t need to rush. I’ve got you.”

That kind of presence is rare. But it’s powerful. And it’s how real healing happens.
The truth is, grief isn’t bad. It’s not a sign that something’s gone wrong. It’s just part of being alive. The most healthy way to cope is allowing yourself to be with it—without judgment or rushing—you create space for healing, wisdom, and deep aliveness.

3. Leaning Into Grief and Grieving

I want to share a story with just in case you want to support someone cope with grief and loss.
When my daughter was in high school, she went through her first big heartbreak. She and her boyfriend had been inseparable, but when she was getting ready to go away to college, she made the painful decision to break things off so she could fully embrace the next chapter of her life.

Not long after, her best friend started dating him. You can imagine how traumatic that was.
She was devastated. And I’ll be honest… I struggled to hold space for her pain. It was too hard for me to see her suffering, and I kept trying to steer her toward the positive:
“College will be amazing! You’ll meet new people! Things will get better!”

One day she looked at me and said,
“Mom, can you please just let me be? I feel like I have to hurry up and feel different so you’ll be okay.”

That moment cracked me wide open.
My well-intentioned actions to paint a bright future and push her out of her misery, which was a natural response to a major loss, was actually sending her the message that her feelings weren’t okay. That she needed to move on quickly. That she wasn’t equipped to handle her pain. 
And that created even more anxiety for her and lead to prolonged grief during her college years.  
What she needed was for me to sit beside her, without fixing or rushing. To show her that her grief and depression were safe to feel. That she was safe, her grief was natural and that she was strong enough to feel it and be a stronger healthier person from it. .

When we allow ourselves (or someone we love) to fully feel grief—without judgment, without shame, and without a timeline—we open the door to wisdom and deep healing occurs.
Grief has the power to deepen us, to soften us, to grow us into someone even more loving and whole.
It invites us to embrace all the parts of ourselves, even the ones we might have tried to push away unknowingly.  This is the most powerful coping strategy. 
And on the other side of that process?
More love. More presence. More capacity to ride the waves of life with grace. And More room in your mind/body to feel alive in the now. 

Ready to Be Supported in a Loving Community?

If you’re longing for a space where you can be seen and loved exactly as you are (whether you’re feeling joy, grief, or anything in between), I’ve got two special invitations for you…

Women’s Group - Starting March 26th!

My partner and I are holding a women’s support group that meets every 4th Wednesday of the month for 90 minutes on Zoom.

The first three months are free, and we’re starting with the theme of grief—because so many of us are holding grief in ways we don’t even realize. Whether you’ve lost someone, moved, become a mother, or just felt disconnected lately… this space is for you.

Why we’re doing this:

…Community Heals - After leading a week-long ceremony, one thing became crystal clear: people came for healing, but they left feeling blown away by the deep, soul-level connections they made. We need each other more than ever.
…Breaking Old Patterns - We all carry old stories and wounds. Together, we’ll use powerful healing practices (breathwork, somatic tools, reflection) to help you move through what’s keeping you stuck, learn great coping mechanism so you can feel lighter, freer, and more you.

Quarterly Retreats - First One: June 5-8!

For men and women…
We’re hosting small, intimate retreats designed to help you drop back into your body, heart, and soul. The first one is June 5-8!

What’s Included:

• Movement and yoga
• Breathwork and somatic practices
• Creative expression and art
• Deep connection and community

We’ll be gathering in a safe, nourishing space to hold each other through both the light and the heavy. If you want to be on the list for info about upcoming retreats, reply to this email or reach out at [email protected].

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being here.
For walking this human journey, with all its beauty and heartbreak.
You are not alone.

With so much love,
Linda