The Gift of Grief

There is no ache quite as poignant as grief.
It opens and expands the heart to new depths and capacities. Deeper than one could imagine is possible.
It’s a regular Tuesday evening and I’m out in the garden. I look up to the sky: I admire the pink sunset hues outlining the clouds - the vast canvas of the universe.

Emotion wells up in my being in this moment of solitude, where the only sounds around me are flowing trees and I feel the tender, poignant peace and pain of impermanance. The loss of a parent is irreversible. The reality of grief can feel insurmountable. But grief, nonetheless, is holy, precious, sacred. My heart is both heavy and surrendered.

I open my journal and write.
8/19/20215

The grief is exhausting today. I’ve cried 3 times and I feel wiped. I’d hoped that by crying and honoring the emotions, I’d feel relief and lighter. But grief cannot be rushed. To rush its sacred process would be a dishonor to the love that once filled what is now a piercing, aching void. So I stay here, in the ache and feel the weight of sadness run down my arms and legs like sinking sand.

The loss of a parent is all encompassing: it’s childhood, it’s memories, it’s formative, it’s new depths of emotion. It’s oceanic. The memories and emotion come crashing hard, sometimes it feels out of nowhere…and while the intensity eventually dissipates…it’s never fully gone. The grief is a part of me now.

In this quiet, tender surrender, I realize:
this ache, this longing, is the imprint of love. I wouldn’t ever want to let it go.

I long to hear his fingertips dance across the piano on an early Sunday morning. I see dad smile, knowing I still feel his presence when I hear a beautiful piano piece. His music still lives in me, like a rhythmic heartbeat. A connection that will forever keep him close. The beautiful truth is that the imprint of love can be drawn close through remembering. Through memories. Through the birds soaring in the sky. Or the quiet, gentle sway of trees in the wind. Through music. Through everything he loved - that is now mine to cherish.

Perhaps impermanence is what makes life so beautiful, because through its fragile uncertainty we experience what’s most poignant in life: the chance to feel it all. It is both achey and full of hope. It’s the sunrise and the sunset. The inhale and exhale.

Impermanence is the poignancy of life.
The poignancy of a moment.
The poignancy of love.

It’s the fact that nothing remains the same which is what makes everything matter.

It reminds us to love now. To show up. To receive. To savor. All while the moment lasts. To feel, live and love deeper - the gift of a lifetime. This is what life is about.

The loss is not something we are ever meant to fully heal from. The scar tissue reminds us of the love we carried, the love that still remains inside, and the importance of loving those we have now. Life is too precious not to. Somehow, in this way, grief becomes a gateway to hope and to living more deeply. It’s the surrender to life’s depth and richness and poignancy. This is the impermanence that breeds peace, despite the ache and pain.

It is beautiful, tender, and raw all at once. It’s what gives life so much meaning. While the memories and moments do not last forever, they live on in the sanctuary of the heart. In this way, impermanence is a sacred invitation to live.


I close my journal and thank the grief for visiting me. A peace that transcends the pain settles inside me. I surrender softly to the impermanence of life and breathe a little deeper.

Almost one month later: 9/14/2025

Dear dad,
One year ago today you took your last breath. Yet by a grace that is deeper than I’ve ever known, I feel closer to you than ever before.

Thank you for the gift of grief - the gift of remembering you and holding you close in my heart. Our final weeks together were some of the most tender, poignant and healing moments of my life - a love that is forever deepened. I will hold that close to my heart for the rest of my life.

Your zest and spark for life lives on in me and I will do everything I can to live the life you’d want me to. I know you are watching over me, guiding me, every step of the way.

I love you. I miss you. May you radiate in the stars until we meet again.

The Light Within

I’m super excited to share today’s reflection because I’ve recently become a Certified Somatic Mind-Body Practioner and in today’s topic we’ll be combining one of the ancient principles of yoga, with a somatic meditation to put into daily practice.

Satya is one of the ten tenets of yoga and it stands for “compassionate truthfulness.” The practice of satya is about diving deeper into our inner selves so that we can live from the truth of who we are. Satya teaches us that our inner truths aren’t something to be afraid of or to run away from. They are the guiding arrows to our healing, freedom, and the inner light.

Somatic work allows us to tap into the wisdom of the body and enter a healing state of presence by regulating the nervous system. Through the lens of somatic work, truth isn’t just words or actions; It’s a felt sense. It’s alignment. In this way, we embody truth. By combining the principles of satya with somatic work, we connect with our own inner compass and find our true path.

Below I will share the different components of cultivating satya and how to implement it with a daily 7 minute practice.

Let’s start with an acronym:

Safety
Attunement
Togetherness
Yielding
Acceptance

Safety
Safety is the key and foundation for our inner truths to rise up. We create internal safety through the practice of compassion. Compassion is the attitude through which we approach and turn toward ourselves. It’s a deep presence within. A sacred with-ness.

Compassion says, “hello dear one, I’m here. Let’s be together. Whatever you have to tell me, I’m here to listen and be with you. If you don’t have words, that’s ok. We can sit here in the silence together.”

When we turn towards our pain in this way there’s a sacred shift that takes place. You disarm your own walls. The real you can finally come forward. You break open. You find the deepest truth of who you are beneath all of the layers. Through compassion, your true self will bravely arise.

Attunement
Attunement is what allows you to interpret your inner wisdom. Your body is the medium through which your nervous system, emotions and subconscious speak to you. It is crucial to learn to interpret its cues. Attunement brings presence of mind to what is going on inside in order to understand what your body is telling you. Perhaps you notice a shift in your mood or energy; you may feel tired or sad and don’t know why. This is your invitation to tune in and get curious. Attunement asks: What is my inner wisdom trying to communicate to me?

Check in with your neck, throat, shoulders, chest, and belly. Is there tension? Stiffness? Restriction to your breathing? What sensations do you notice inside you?
When you notice these physical sensations, ask yourself: What thoughts or emotions am I having right now? Is there an emotion attached to the sensation? Create space for the feeling. Just notice what is without needing to problem solve or change it. As you practice this, you will learn to interpret what your body is communicating with you. Creating internal presence allows your nervous system to settle into safety.

Notice the times when you habitually dismiss yourself, your needs, your desires, or your preferences. Instead of dismissing these internal cues, turn your attention deeper inward. Get curious. These inklings are how your inner self is trying to communicate with you. Attune.

Togetherness
Togetherness is about building a relationship with all parts of yourself. Nurturing and caring for these parts allows you to fully integrate them. Togetherness says: Hi dear one, I know you’ve had to navigate scary things on your own before. But this time you don’t have to. You’re not alone. I am here.

As you practice presence, you will come to learn that none of these parts of you were ever anything to be ashamed of; they only ever needed to be held with loving safety.

The next time you notice unkind dialogue in your mind, pause and ask yourself: What does this part need? Is she scared? Ashamed? Lonely? Hold the togetherness. You don’t need fixing. Your emotions don’t need problem solving. They need your presence.

Yield:
Yielding allows us to surrender. It’s exhaling into the experience, rather than suppressing or resisting it. The pain cannot release until it is met fully, so yield to the process. This means letting go of trying to control the pain, trying to change it, fix it, or lesson its intensity.

In the beginning these experiences might feel like a tsunami; your emotions might roar. The longer they’ve been suppressed, the stronger they will feel at first. This is how you know you’re on the right path. It may feel like everything is falling apart. But in reality, you are breaking open.

It will be helpful to have a list of things that help you to process and access safety when the storm does come. Nature, creativity, and connection can be very helpful during these moments. By exploring these inner truths, you discover the wisdom within that will lead you out of the shadows, like a lantern lighting the way. You aren’t losing yourself; you are returning to wholeness.

Acceptance:
Acceptance is built upon trust and surrender. It mends all of our parts together and allows us to be who we are without striving or earning. Acceptance says: Dear one, you do not need to be perfect to be loved. You are loved just as you are.

To truly know this is to experience it as a felt sense. This is a process. Every time you soften when you’re inclined to grip, or slow down when you notice yourself caught up in urgency, or you speak compassionately to yourself instead of criticizing, is a step towards embodying this truth.

Acceptance isn’t just about embracing imperfection. Perhaps even more challenging, it’s about accepting that we are already whole. There was nothing wrong with you to begin with. You were nothing to be fixed. This is often much harder for us to accept. When we see ourselves through the lens of wholeness, we see it in others, too. By doing so, we treat ourselves and others with more reverence. Like an emanating light, it’s a grace that starts within, and permeates outward to those around you.

The practice of satya is a profoundly courageous one. It is beautifully raw and tender. As you deepen your practice your heart softens; you find ease and strength of spirit; you live with the peace of knowing that you are loved just for being you.

Below is a daily practice to start implementing these techniques.

Daily 7 minute practice:
Read through the practice, then begin.

Close your eyes. Place one hand on your belly, one hand on your heart. Sway side to side, like a tree flowing in the wind. This signals inward safety, comfort and connection.
Invite in compassion.
Turn your attention to the centerline of your body: your throat, shoulders, upper chest, belly. Notice any sensations in these areas. Tension in your jaw. Raised shoulders. Restricted breathing. As you exhale, bring the intention of relaxing your body. Take a few moments to feel into the centerline.
This centerline is your core, like the trunk of a tree.
Bring your awareness to your entire body now, the felt sense. What sensations do you notice? Where do you feel them? What emotions or thoughts are connected to these sensations?
Ask yourself:
What do I need in this moment to feel safe?
Attune. Let your inner knowing speak. Continue to notice any sensory feedback, perhaps emerging memories, images, or thoughts.
Spend a few breaths here, holding the togetherness.
Soften your shoulders and your jaw.
Remind yourself you are here to fully accept and embrace whatever comes up.
Gently yield to the process of presence.
It is safe to just be.
Is there anything your body is trying to say to you?
Stay a few moments, with a sense of ease and receptivity.
When your practice feels complete, finish with one full breath, extending your exhale all the way out. Feel free to jot down any notes.

Remember, this is a practice, not a performance. You are not searching for answers, you are creating space for presence. Perhaps nothing will reveal itself in the moment, but by bringing presence to your body this gives your inner wisdom a voice. She will reveal herself when she is ready. Set the intention to stay attuned throughout the day.

May you live in truth. May you lead with compassion. May you return to wholeness. May you know how loved you are.

I choose peace

I choose peace..
in the sacred unknowing
in the sacred resistance
in the sacred change
in the sacred fear
in the sacred joy
in the sacred gratitude
in the sacred impermanence
in the sacred beautiful
in the sacred gift that is
to be alive

I cultivate peace
Where there is resistance, I lean into discomfort and soften
Where there is uncertainty, I trust the unfolding and believe
Where there is discomfort, I welcome her in, like an old wise friend
Where there is doubt, I turn toward fear - curiously, tenderly, bravely
Where there is urgency, I let go and choose presence - this moment, this breath
Where there is anxiety, I release gripping and let all be

I embrace peace
as I listen to the wind, swaying softly among the trees
as I feel the sun, tingling my skin with energy and warmth
as I see the setting sun, changing colors striking and soft
as I touch the earth with my own bare feet
as I smell the air fresh and anew
as I savor the simplicity of this moment - here and now
as I connect to the cadence of this breath
The rhythm of life

What is peace?
Peace is all of those things -
But most of all
She is the quiet, gentle embrace of every ripple and wave and each moment surrendered

May you soften
May you release
May you embrace
May you abide in peace