Grief Meditation & Guided Imagery for Healing After the Loss Of A Loved One

Sometimes, in the heaviness of grief, we long for peacefulness.  A calming of the “monkey mind”, a relaxation of the physical body, a letting go of expectations.  Guided meditations can help because they are designed to take the focus off the self and onto the voice of the person speaking.    This type of meditation usually has calming background music and may also include guided imagery. 

What is a Meditation for Grief?

Meditation helps to keep you in the present moment, releasing you from the pain of the past or worry for the future.  The intention of meditation for one grieving is to guide you on your path towards healing, invite you to connect with your loss with self-compassion and kindness, and to simply focus on your breath so you can find a safe place when you are overwhelmed by emotion.  Meditation can allow one to find relief from grief emotions without dwelling or fixating on the story of the loss. 

If your loss is new, you may find comfort and relief from a breath meditation.  In these early days/months/years it may be difficult to concentrate, or you notice that your thoughts are easily disconnected and emotions are all over the place.  Try the following breath meditation to ease your body, mind, and spirit.

Ease Your Body, Mind and Spirit with a Breath Awareness Meditation

Breath Awareness Meditation for Grief  - Script

Sit in a comfortable position or lay down on your mat, bed, couch.  Find a comfortable and quiet space to relax.  Take a deep breath into your belly and your chest as you exhale and begin to relax your body.  Just breathe slowly in and out. 

Take a look around your room.  Notice the colors and textures.  Observe any objects.  Just be in this space.  Now, let's go a little bit deeper within.  I invite you to close your eyes, connect to what you are touching right now.  Feel your clothing on your skin.  Feel your feet. Feel what your body is resting on whether it’s a chair or a cushion or even if you’re lying down.  Feel the air on your face.

Notice your breath, inhale through your nose, exhale out the nose.  Connect to what you hear – my voice sounds around you.  Connect to taste, gently wet your lips with your tongue or rub your tongue around your teeth and swallow.  Connect to what you smell – deeply breath in and observe if you can smell anything exhale and let it go.

Inhale deeply all the way down into your hips, exhale fully and feel the earth beneath you.  Allow every muscle to relax.  Relax your feet, hips, legs, shoulders.  Observe your breath flowing  in and out of your diaphragm, stomach and chest.  Let your arms and hands just surrender.  Relax your neck and face.  Inhale.  Exhale.  Soften your thoughts and just observe your breath.  

You don’t have anywhere to be.  Just be here.  Right here.  Right now. 

Feel the sensation of the breath under your nose.  Relax your whole body.  Release anything that you have to do and just observe your breath  - inhaling, exhaling.  Inhale here, exhale now.  Here.  And now.  Allow your breath to relax every muscle.  Find ease in this moment.  When a thought comes in just notice it and let it pass by just like a cloud in the sky.  Come back to the thought “I am here now”.

 Surrender and let go.

Continue with a few more rounds of breath.  Inhaling and exhaling. 

Take one last deep inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.  AAAHHHH

Return to your natural breath.  Draw your awareness back to your space.  Noticing the temperature of the air on your skin.  Noticing sounds.  Letting your eyes flutter open.  Observing objects that you see.  Noticing how you feel.  And taking a moment of gratitude, thanking yourself for giving yourself this time for quiet and rest. 

Loving Kindness Meditation for Grief Healing

It is so important that as we grieve we find time to take care of ourselves. Emotions such as guilt, shame, blame, and anger can be overwhelming and take a toll on the body, mind and spirit. Finding ways to bring more self-compassion and self-love into the forefront can act as a balm or salve to the wounded heart. This meditation calls you to finding loving kindness for the person you lost, and also to your self.

Loving Kindness Meditation - Script

Find a comfortable seat.  You can sit on a chair or a cushion or blanket on the floor.  If you are seated in a chair, move away from the back and allow your feet to connect to the floor.  Let’s wiggle back and forth on our sitting bones, and then let the spine be tall. 

Inhale and bring your arms overhead, exhale and bring your arms down by your side.  Maybe allow your palms to face up on the inhale and face down on the exhale.  Keep it going, inhaling arms up and exhaling arms down.  Feel the chest opening.  Slowly release the arms by the side.  Close your eyes if you are comfortable and notice sensations in your chest, and in the space around your heart. 

Bring your fingertips to the boney area in the center of your chest and lightly tap.  You can tap up and down this area moving at a pace that feels good to you.  Release and shake out the hands, letting go of any negative energy.  Close your eyes if you are comfortable and notice sensations in your chest, and in the space around your heart.

I invite you to relax your hands in your lap and tune into your breath.  Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth with the sound “Ahhhh”.  Resting your hands on your knees or in your lap, close your eyes or have a soft gaze towards the floor.  Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose.  Inhale, exhale.  Inhale, exhale.  Notice how this breathing pattern helps to calm your body and your mind.  You may notice your shoulders relaxing and your thoughts beginning to soften. 

I invite you to now bring your hands to your heart.  You can have one hand over the other.  Tune into your heartbeat.  Feel it beating in your chest; maybe you notice the sound of your heart beating.  Draw your attention to your mind’s eye and bring into your vision a person whom you love.  Notice their facial features – eyes, mouth, nose.  See their smiles.  Notice how this makes you feel.  Envision your arms around them in a big hug.   Feel their warmth.  Feel their loving kindness.  Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose.

As this person leaves your field of vision, bring your awareness to someone with whom you may not have this same relationship.  Perhaps you’ve had an argument in the past.  See their facial features -eyes, mouth, nose, ears.  See their smile.  Envision your arms around them; feel their warmth.  Share loving kindness.  Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose.

I invite you now to envision yourself.  See your facial features.  See your smile.  And as you envision giving yourself a hug, perhaps bringing your arms around you and hugging yourself, right here, right now.  Feel warmth.  Feel loving kindness towards yourself.  Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose.

Release your arms by your side.  Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose.  Notice the space around your heart.  What do you feel?  Notice the beating of your heart. 

Become aware of the temperature in the room.  Notice sounds around you.  Gradually open your eyes if they are closed.  Inhale through the nose and lift your arms up over your head.  Exhale the arms by the side.  Make any movements with your body that feel good. 

Want more resources to help you navigate grief and loss? Download the Free Tips for Grief Relief Guide