Energy is our life force that is unseen, unheard and untouched. It is the vitality and spark within us that allows us to function on a physical level and process on an intuitive level. Our energy is affected by what we think, feel, hear, eat and do. It is also affected by others.

There are two types of energetic disturbances. Congestion is an accumulation of energy that doesn’t serve us well. And depletion is a deficiency of energy. These disturbances can be specific to a certain area of the body or on a systemic level. When they accumulate or go unnoticed, they can negatively start to impact the body in a physical way. Negative emotions or energy do not cause a problem themselves, but it is our resistance to feeling these emotions where physical manifestation begins. It is not so much our experiences, but our thoughts about them that cause suffering.

What happens to our body when we avoid working through difficult emotions, like grief?

Our muscles get tight and resist our nervous system response to relax.

We start to develop musculoskeletal weakness and injury.

We become dehydrated, lose our appetite, feel nauseous.
We start to create new realities that take energy and stamina, creating fatigue.
Our sleep starts to become affected.
Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts may occur.

Grief causes inflammation in the body. This means, when we experience grief, we are more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infection. Grief causes stress, which can increase blood pressure and put us at risks for blood clots. From an osteopathic perspective, it is no surprise that we are currently experiencing a pandemic that is centered around, and weakens, our lungs and blood vessels. This is exactly where grief lies.

Grief not only comes from loss of a loved one. We have been grieving our earth and destructive practices for years. For example, in 2019, we saw the beautiful Amazon rainforest, the “lungs” of our earth, suffer through extreme wild fires. We are grieving the loss of lived experiences and our past lives during this pandemic. We are watching hatred, anger, abuse of power and control be idolized in people who hold positions of power.

Grief is all around us, and the COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently experiencing has truly demonstrated our absolute urgency in needing to gather tools to help us process and move through grief. Here is a suggested list of ways to handle grief. These things should not take place of trauma therapy and loss counseling.

Exercise outdoors. Being in nature helps us breathe easier and vitamin D is essential.
Instead of trying to avoid the “negative”, simply add in more “positives”. For example, fill up on veggies to nourish your body.
Sleep is your main priority during times of grief. Do everything in your power to prioritize it.
Read about grief to connect with parts of yourself that are hard to express with words.
Be around others who don’t minimize your process and who support it fully.
Be gentle with your process. There is no timeline on grief, and waves can come years later. Ride the wave, move through what you are feeling and let it empower you.
Deep breathing helps us develop a calmness and control we may feel we have lost.
Seek out a therapist that works specifically with grief, trauma and loss.