Guided Meditation for Grief During the Holidays

Hi.

I'm glad you're here.

Come sit for a while.

You don't have to breathe any special way.

Let it be however it is.

Short, or a little shaky.

All of it is welcome here.

Let your hands rest wherever they land.

Let your shoulders be heavy.

Listen to the rain for a bit.

Soft and steady.

It doesn't need anything from you.

We'll take six minutes together.

Nothing to fix.

Just a quiet place to miss someone.

The holidays are close And now.

someone won't be at the table.

Maybe it's your mom.

Or your best friend.

Maybe a grandparent who hosted every year.

Maybe it was this year.

Maybe it was a long time and ago...

it still catches you in Let November.

them come to mind Their now.

face.

Their voice.

The way they said your name.

It's okay if that hurts.

It's supposed to.

It hurts because you loved them.

Notice where the grief sits in you.

Maybe a heaviness in your chest.

Maybe a lump in your throat.

You don't have to push it away.

Let it stay.

Right here, with you.

The holidays can make it louder.

The songs in the store.

The recipe card in their handwriting.

Everyone else seems so cheerful.

And you're carrying this.

Maybe someone told you to stay busy.

Or to focus on the good times.

They meant well.

But you're allowed to just be sad.

Right in the middle of the There's season.

no right way to do No this.

timeline.

No date by which you should be fine.

Breathe in, gently...

And let it out.

Now let's find one warm moment with them.

Just one.

It doesn't have to be a big day.

Small ones are often the best.

Maybe them laughing in the kitchen.

Flour on their shirt.

Maybe a car ride.

The radio on.

Nobody talking.

Just easy.

they Maybe the way carved the turkey.

Too slow.

Always telling a story.

Let that moment come into focus.

Where were you?

What did the air smell like?

Now picture holding it in one hand.

The warm memory.

And in your other hand...

the sadness.

The missing them.

You to don't have choose.

You can hold both at once.

The love didn't leave when they did.

It's still here.

It's right there in your hand.

Maybe you can feel them nearby.

In the way you hum when you cook.

In a joke only you two got.

They shaped you.

That part stays.

Breathe in...

And out...

Rest here now.

With both of them.

The love and the loss.

Let the rain keep you company.

If tears come, let them.

If they don't, that's okay too.

Grief comes in waves.

Some days it's quiet.

Some days it knocks you flat.

Both kinds of days are normal.

You're not doing it wrong.

And please remember...

you don't have to carry this alone.

If it feels too heavy...

talk to someone you trust.

Or a counselor who knows grief.

In the US, call or text 988.

Any time.

Day or night.

For now, just breathe.

Okay.

Take your time coming back.

Feel your feet on the floor.

Feel the air on your face.

One slow breath in...

And out.

Here's one small thing you can do.

Find a candle this week.

Any candle.

On the holiday, light it at the table.

Near where they used to sit.

You don't have to explain it.

you can say their name out loud.

Let others say it too.

It's a way of saying...

you're still part of this.

Go softly this week.

Go find that candle.