Take Your Time

I posted about this on my social media not long ago, about the essence of time in relation to grief or heartbreak. We live in a culture that really doesn’t value the time it takes to fully process the depths of grief and life’s difficult situations. And as individuals, we don’t know how to honor the time we need because of the fear of being judged by others that we are taking “too long”. Grief is so uniquely felt and expressed through each of us and there is no need to put a timeline on something so sacred.

Time is the most loving and precious thing we can give ourselves when moving through life’s challenging emotions. There is a different way that allows us to not feel stuck in our sadness or grief but rather the space to BE WITH  it, to honor it. The shift for me to not get stuck in the emotions but also not bypass them, because there is a fine line there, is to weave in deep self-awareness and intentionality. 

I have spoken about this before, but this is what yoga looks like for me off the mat. It is weaving in the moment-to-moment presence of self-awareness and being intentional with your time, your words, and your actions. If we are having a challenging day, grief may feel like a weight on our chests and all day we are on the verge of tears. These are the days when we need to tune in and ask ourselves what we need. How can we honor what is present and gift ourselves the time to let it move through us. Maybe we ask if we can leave work an hour early. Maybe that time looks like going for a walk alone, or getting on your mat for 5-10 minutes to move, breathe, cry, to just FEEL. 

Time and space to be where you are, right here, right now, without trying to change anything is one of the most loving acts you can give yourself within your grief. You are showing your tender loving heart that you care and that you won’t abandon yourself. In those moments when we slow down and honor our emotions with our time, we open ourselves up to more liberation and the deeper capacity to love. 

If you are moving through grief, I invite you to let go of the timeline. Release the need to be better for your friends and family and bring your attention back to your heart, your center. Don’t deny or bypass your true experience. The time it takes to FEEL our way through the grief, is unique and will look different for each one of us. Trust the timing and the waves of your grief. For each time one washes over you, it is there to reveal another layer of its wisdom - awakening you to the greater presence of what it means to be human, to be alive.

And as always, Shar(e)on Lightly.