April 18 2022

When we talk about “Grounded Grieving,” I’m reminded of the time I spent seven hours in solitude in the woods at a mountain retreat in North Carolina. I was by myself in one area of the woods simply being present and noticing what was going on around me and within me. I watched a squirrel as it studied me, followed two flies with my eyes as they explored the space, watched the sun change positions in the sky, touched the trees, sat on the ground and allowed thoughts and feelings to rise in me. At one point, I felt called to lie on the ground and I started to weep. I don’t even know what I was grieving, but my body wanted to release some of what was inside. I started on my stomach. After that felt completed, I rolled to one side and cried some more. Then I did the same thing on my back and finally the other side. I felt the ground nourishing me with its embrace while also taking and absorbing my grief. When I was done, I felt lighter and grounded in a new way. Grounded grieving is real.