October 10 2022

As we continue our discussion of “Harvesting Your Thoughts,” we will talk about strategies to helps us believe that we can handle the difficult emotions of grief. One is the practice of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of being fully present and releasing any thoughts, emotions and/or sensations when you catch yourself attaching to them. I appreciate a surrender form of meditation from the Christian tradition entitled Centering Prayer. For this form of meditation, you begin by repeating a “sacred word” you choose until it drops off and you’re resting in a contemplative space. When you notice that you are thinking or feeling thoughts, emotions and/or sensations, you “ever so gently” return to your sacred word. As author and Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault says, “Resist no thought, retain no thought, react to no thought, return to the sacred word.” This type of mindfulness meditation and others can help you when you’re experiencing the difficult thoughts and emotions of grief.