Written by Corie Chu
Read time: 5 minutes
When a tragedy happens, some of us have the tendency to try everything we can to avoid grieving instead of facing and embracing it.
But it is only when we start to grieve that we allow healing to happen. It is an oxymoron because to grieve is to feel pain, and to heal is to alleviate the pain. But yes, it might sound paradoxical, but grief has healing power.
Why do you feel grief?
Grief, itself, is a natural process.
It is a natural response to loss. Often, the emotional suffering we feel due to the loss of something or someone is overwhelming.
The pain of grief can affect us in many ways. We may experience profound sadness, guilt, and even anger.
Often, grief is associated with the death of a loved one, and this is perhaps the most intense kind of grief, but any loss can also cause grief, such as divorce, losing a job, a miscarriage, a serious illness, losing a cherished dream or a friend.
Despite grief being a natural feeling, many of us were told growing up that we should be strong enough to overcome our feelings and act like we are okay even if we are not.
Embrace your own grief
Many people are scared of grieving, so they shy away from it and find diversions to avoid actually feeling it.
Seeing someone grieve can be difficult as it can remind us of our own loss or the ones we will experience in the future.
But by embracing our own grief, it might be easier to empathize with someone who is going through a difficult time.
When we let ourselves experience the full impact of our grief, it can heal the deepest of wounds. Ignoring your pain or trying to contain it will only make it worse in the long run. Healing requires facing your grief and dealing with it actively.
Shock is typically the initial response to loss, or you might be in denial. It’s a protective transition into overwhelming emotions that range from anger and depression to acceptance and relief.
Sometimes we attempt to put ourselves prematurely out of our grief. We try to resist it, thinking how we are feeling is not normal. We are taught that it is important to be strong in the face of loss. But feeling frightened, sad, or lonely is a normal response to loss.
Crying is not a sign of weakness. You are not required to act brave in front of your family or friends to protect them. In fact, it is better to show vulnerability as it allows us to be more connected to people, and that can help you and them.
How do people deal with grief?
As they say, “Shared joy is double happiness; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” It is more important to show your true feelings than try to mask them.
We are so used to the habit of asking someone, “Are you feeling okay now?” That it seemed like we were all obliged to move on as soon as possible.
There is no need to be pressured. Grieving is a process. What we should actually ask people, and even ourselves, is if we have grieved enough. Everybody has their own timeline. One of our natures as human beings is to know how to grieve.
Crying, itself, is a natural way for us to release tension and purge our emotions. Positive expressions of grieving allow healing, while suppressing it can be destructive and prevent us from creating a real connection with others.
How grief can affect us
Grief also affects us physically. It can affect how we sleep, eat, and even think, but know that all these are normal reactions to loss, and the more significant the loss is, the more intense our grief will be.
Our bodies also go through a tough time when in grief. Some may experience insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, and other stress-related conditions. Grief depletes our bodies’ energy, and if we don’t do anything to replenish the energy we lose from grieving, we’ll feel more awful. Hence, when dealing with grief, we still need to take care of ourselves.
Grieving is important, but we still need to make sure that in the process of grieving we also attend to our physical well-being.
We, as humans, are made of energy, and when we are stressed, like when we are in grief, our energy paths are blocked or disrupted, causing weakness, feeling sick, and pain.
If you’re a sensitive and empathetic person, you may be absorbing other people’s grief on top of your own, which can be massively overwhelming.
Reiki for grief healing
One of the best ways to alleviate ourselves from grief effectively is through safe, channeled forms of energy healing such as Reiki or what I call Intuitive Energy Healing in my practice, which encompasses deep emotional energy healing, channeled crystal healing, emotional cord removals, and aura healing.
As the nature of energy healing works on a holistic level, during that 60-90 minute or even two-hour treatment, you will be healing on mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual levels, letting the weight from each area fall through so that your mind, body, and soul can finally take a much-needed breather.
You might still be in shock and not want to talk to anyone, but you still want to somehow find a way to mend your broken heart.
You might still be processing what happened over and over again to try to make sense of it and what you’re feeling, while mental and emotional fatigue have created a lot of heaviness in you. You might be exhausted from talking about the grief and just feel like you can’t go on like this any longer.
The good news is that you can be in any state and still reap the benefits of Reiki or Intuitive Energy Healing.
During that time, there’s no need to talk, think, or feel. Your body will be replenished by new, clean, positive energy from the Universe that can harmonize your body, thoughts, and emotions so that you can let go of the weight, feel lighter, clearer, and move forward at your own pace in a healthier way.
We all have different ways of coping with pain.
Some find it easy to express their emotions and find comfort in sharing their pain with people close to them, but there are also some who tend to withdraw themselves from people, and it’s okay if that means you need some time for yourself to process what’s happening.
What matters is that you let yourself grieve, and sometimes you might need to seek help. It is completely normal.
In fact, acknowledging your pain and seeking support from others is important in coming to terms with your grief.
A Reiki healing session
To look for a Reiki practitioner in your area, you might want to refer to my guide “Finding the ‘Right’ Reiki Practitioner For You.”
Alternatively, if you’re interested in working together, I can offer Distance Reiki Healing sessions remotely. It works just as perfectly, and I often facilitate sessions for clients who live in the US, UK, Australia, Argentina, and Abu Dhabi (from where I am, in Hong Kong).
If you’re in Hong Kong, we could explore in-person Reiki treatments or Intuitive Energy Healing sessions and see which one is more suitable for you. You can click on the below links to learn more.
Update as of 2021:
It is my pleasure to share that I am now offering Distance Intuitive Energy Healing sessions for anyone around the globe who wants to practice Reiki.
Since the pandemic began, many have lost their loved ones unexpectedly and weren’t able to see their loved ones off as travel restrictions have made it impossible for the majority of people to travel.
For others, they may have had to endure big moments in life with difficulty, such as having a baby while their partner is stuck abroad, or having left their beloved pet unattended while pet parents thought they were going on a short vacation back in early 2020, only to find that borders had closed off due to the pandemic and they were unable to return home for an extended period, or may still not be able to even now. And that uncertainty has caused much anxiety and grief over the situation.
Handling loss and grief during this time has been especially challenging. If you know anyone who is interested in a remote session to find emotional release from grief and unhealthy coping mechanisms, please feel free to schedule a session with a credible Reiki teacher to begin your healing process.
Distance Intuitive Healing Reiki sessions are effective for anyone and can be done anywhere of your choosing.
Most people like to rest in bed during their session, yet some people are equally comfortable with working or running around during the day while knowing that Distance healing is being facilitated simultaneously and touching base after the session.
And maybe even one day, you may even want to learn how to apply Reiki on yourself through a Reiki training.
