The gentle art of conscious grieving

Every one of us will experience loss at some time in our lives and in turn, we will all experience grief. The emotions of grief arrive unbidden and often catch us off guard. Therefore, grief is usually judged as a negative experience;  an experience to be toughed out. And yet, grief is a natural and healthy response to loss. So how do we actively grieve the many expected and unexpected losses we encounter throughout our lifetimes?  The principles and practices offered in this paper relate to grieving any loss encountered over a life time. That said however, the timing of this paper relates particularly to the lived experience of the covid-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, societies across the globe have been thrust into a strange and somewhat disorientating time, without warning or time to prepare. Humanity has endured many changes in relation to the covid-19 pandemic. With change comes a sense of loss . . . and grief.