How Grief Movement Supports all Therapy Modalities

Grief impacts every part of us, including our bodies.  It might show up as exhaustion, brain fog or pain and include an uptick in autoimmune symptoms. Whether the loss is the death of a loved one or animal companion, a loss of identity, a loss of mobility, or the loss of an imagined future, grief can be greatly relieved in talk therapy.

A simple 20-minute grief movement practice, using breath, sound and movement, can complement almost any therapeutic approach by helping us engage with grief physically as well as emotionally.

Using Motion to Learn to Sit with Emotion

Many people think sitting with emotion means remaining completely still, but for those carrying grief, stillness can sometimes feel overwhelming. Gentle, self-paced movement provides a way to stay present with difficult feelings without becoming flooded by them.

Small upper-body movements, stretching, swaying, or repetitive motions can create a sense of safety while allowing emotions to be acknowledged rather than avoided. In this way, motion becomes a bridge that helps us learn to sit with emotion instead of pushing it away.

Using Gentle Sound to Express Pain and Exhaustion

Grief often leaves people carrying feelings that are difficult to put into words. Gentle sounds such as humming and sighing are simple expressions that can offer a safe way to express pain and exhaustion. Sometimes the brain fog is so dense that articulating how we’re feeling is impossible. But an exhausted sigh says more than a paragraph ever could.

Using Breath to Regulate the Nervous System

Loss can place the nervous system under significant strain. Typically, we experience a down regulation where our state feels a bit like “dead inside” or a freeze state.  You might forget to eat or wonder, “what’s the point”, of regular activities of living. 

On the other hand, you might also experience a sense of hypervigilance and jumpiness where your anxiety is acute. You might feel stuck in fight or flight.  It could show up as extreme irritation, “People shopping and jogging, like we aren’t all going to die anyway”. Everything is startling and everyone is annoying. You might be experiencing a mix of the two. This is not weird. It is expected.

Whether grief is recent or historic, many people notice symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, sleep disruption, difficulty concentrating, or even autoimmune flare-ups. Intentional breathing practices help regulate the nervous system by creating moments of calm and connection within the body. Breath does not remove grief, but it can help create enough steadiness to be with grief without becoming overwhelmed by it. The nervous system regulation will feel much like being a living person in the world, at least for a while.

Is this Exercise?

A grief movement practice is not an exercise class. It is an opportunity to listen to the body, honour what has been lost, and find small moments of comfort and connection. Used alongside counselling, support groups, medical care, or other therapeutic approaches, a Grief Movement practice can help people carry grief with greater awareness and compassion, whatever form that loss may take.

Eleanor McAlpine, RCC, CCC, Certified Grief Movement Coach