Six Needs of Grief

Two of the most loving things you can say to another human being is "what do you need?" and "How can I help?" ♥️ For many people, it is quite often easier to do this for others than for one-self.

If we were to look at the nature of grief with the perspective that it is truly a living organism within us, we would recognize that it has needs too. Yes, it definitely has needs. No matter how much we avoid them, bypass them, or choose numbness, the consequences of how we treat grief will make themselves known.

So, as we do our best to embrace and be with all the ebbs and flows of our grief, let's ask the questions, "Grief, what do you need?" and "How can I support you, dear one?"

This is a positive first step that we can continually come back to when we feel stuck, lost, or unsure of where we are at in.....'the grief dance as the dancer' (a.k.a. self-healer)

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SIX NEEDS OF GRIEF

🦉 The need to have your pain/grief witnessed

There is an intrinsic sense of relief and ease when something we bearing is acknowledged and fully seen! The witness can be ourselves and/or others. A quickening in our healing process can happen when we do this together.

🦉 The need to express our feelings

We are built to epress our inner emotions and feelings. It helps us to be healthy and have a strong immune system. Sometimes our personal conditioning changes how free we allow ourselves to be. Dr. Edith Edgar, said, "Depression is the opposite of expression."

🦉 The need to release the burden of guilt

People often say guilt is like a 'weight on one's conscience'.Guilt weighs us down, literally! Studies from Princeton University's Psychology 'embodied cognition' department show how guilt can be embodied as a sensation of weight. Not to mention the loop tape and stories we can carry in our mind with an underlying message that we are; "at fault, forever indebted, sinned, or committed a crime."

🦉 The need to integrate the pain and love

Integration is a process of joining and unifying something together. For example, children learn through play. It's the way of uniting a part to find the whole. Grief and gratitude are two sides of the same mandala called 'love'.

🦉 The need to be free of old wounds

Living in the present moment and feeling the joys in life is much more difficult if we are hanging onto old wounds. The natural lifecycle encourages us to 'compost' what no longer contains life force in order to create new and improved life force energy with a strong healthy foundation.

🦉 The need to find meaning and purpose after loss

When we lose somebody we love, it can strip us of ;meaning, hope, dreams, companionship, plans, and so much more. It doesn't usually make logical sense. So, we seek! In this seeking, we are aspiring to find personal meaning, agency, and belonging. This realigns us and helps us to 'Re:Member'.

🦉 I'm sure once you start looking, you will find more grief needs to be met, so you can rise once

again.

After identifying your grief's needs, the next question is..... "How do I meet them?"

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If you need support on your journey and are curious about creative grief support and grief doula guidance, check out 'The Grief Page' on Sacred Dwelling's website. You can book a free discovery call here.

May all your needs be met,