Happiness Break: A Meditation to Help You Sit with Grief

This guided meditation with end-of-life doula Andrea Sexton-Dumas offers a gentle way to make space for grief by imagining sharing your heartache with a plant, releasing it into the soil, and nurturing the earth that holds it.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Take a few deep breaths: Find a comfortable position, gently lower your gaze or close your eyes, and breathe slowly as you settle into the present moment.
2. Imagine a plant friend: Picture a plant in your mind, noticing its leaves, flowers, scent, and texture. Ask whether it is willing to share in your heartache today.
3. Connect with the earth: Imagine holding a handful of soil. Notice its color, texture, and moisture, and observe any feelings that arise without judgment.
4. Share your grief: Imagine digging a small hole in the soil and sharing who or what you're grieving. Speak aloud or silently, expressing whatever you need to have witnessed.
5. Let the earth hold your grief: Imagine the soil receiving your heartache with care. When you're ready, gently refill the hole, smooth the earth, and sprinkle fresh water over the spot as an act of nurturing.
6. Express gratitude and return to the present: Take a deep breath and offer a quiet thank-you to the plant and earth for holding your grief. When you're ready, gently open your eyes.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guide:

ANDREA SEXTON-DUMAS is a death and grief doula based in Oakland, California.

https://www.andreasextondumas.com/

Related Happiness Break Episodes:

A Meditation on Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/3jsjvxtv

A Guided Meditation on Embodied Love: https://tinyurl.com/5brfa93x

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/bd6cmeym

Related Science of Happiness Episodes:

What If Thinking About Death Could Make Us Feel More Alive?: https://tinyurl.com/292whwh4

How Rituals Keep Us Connected: https://tinyurl.com/4unkssnd

How Thinking About Your Ancestors Can Help You Thrive: https://tinyurl.com/3wzx44ux

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3bxsvs5a