Moving Through Grief: How Mindful Movement Can Support Healing

Introduction: Grief Lives in the Body
Grief is often overwhelming. It touches everything—our thoughts, our emotions, even how we move through the world. While we might think of grief as something purely emotional, it also lives in the body: in tight shoulders, shallow breaths, and the heaviness that makes even simple movements feel hard.

Surviving means giving grief space to be felt and honored—without rushing it away. Mindful movement offers a gentle, compassionate way to process grief, reconnect with your body, and invite small moments of release and relief.

Why Movement Matters in Times of Grief
When grief comes, the body often responds by freezing, holding tension, or shutting down. It’s an ancient survival response—one that protects us when emotions feel too big to bear. But over time, stuck energy and unprocessed tension can leave us feeling disconnected and weighed down.

Mindful movement helps shift this:

• It brings awareness to where grief lives in the body.

• It gently supports the release of physical and emotional tension.

• It creates space to feel, breathe, and soften—at your own pace.

You don’t need to move perfectly or even “feel better” right away. The goal of mindful movement is simply to be present with yourself as you are in this moment. Go as slow as you need: grief has its own rhythm.

Simple Mindful Movements to Explore During Grief

1. Grounding Through Gentle Swaying

When grief feels heavy, swaying can help bring comfort and calm to the nervous system.

Try this:

• Stand or sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor.

• Begin to gently sway side to side, as if you’re being rocked.

• Let the movement be soft and rhythmic—there’s no rush.

• Notice how the movement feels in your hips, shoulders, or spine.

Swaying can feel like being held—by yourself, by the ground, or by something bigger. It’s a movement of safety and self-compassion.

2. Breathing With the Arms

When grief makes breathing feel tight or shallow, pairing breath with movement can help open space in the body.

Try this:

• Inhale slowly as you raise your arms overhead.

• Exhale as you gently lower them back down.

• Repeat 5–10 times, letting the breath guide the movement.

• If it feels right, imagine you’re gathering something soft on the inhale and letting go of tension on the exhale.

This simple practice invites deeper breaths and reminds the body that it’s safe to soften, even for a moment.

3. Walking Slowly With Awareness

Grief can make the world feel blurry or far away. Slow, mindful walking helps bring you back to your body and the present moment.

Try this:

• Find a quiet space where you can walk without distraction.

• Begin walking slowly, paying attention to each step.

• Notice how your feet meet the ground.

• Feel the weight shift as you move.

• Take a deep breath and let it move through your body as you walk.

• If emotions arise, let them come. Keep moving gently.

Walking reminds us that we can keep going—one small step at a time.

4. Shaking to Release Stuck Energy

Grief can make us feel stuck, holding tension we don’t even realize. Shaking is a simple, natural way to let the body release what it’s holding.

Try this:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Start by shaking out your hands, then your arms, shoulders, and legs.

• Let the movement grow bigger if it feels right—bounce on your heels, let your body wiggle.

• Breathe deeply as you shake, then pause and notice how you feel.

Shaking helps release physical tension, offering moments of lightness in the heaviness.

5. Restorative Stillness With Gentle Touch

Sometimes the most mindful movement is stillness paired with awareness.

Try this:

• Sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.

• Breathe gently, feeling the rise and fall of your body with each breath.

• Notice the warmth or pressure of your hands as they make contact.

• Imagine your breath as a wave moving through you, soothing and steady.

This practice invites a sense of calm and connection, even when grief feels overwhelming.

Grief Has Its Own Pace—And That’s Okay
Mindful movement isn’t about “fixing” grief. It’s about creating space to feel, to breathe, and to move through it in your own time. Some days, movement might feel too hard—and that’s okay. Other days, a simple breath or gentle sway can offer surprising comfort.

By honoring what your body needs, you give grief permission to flow, shift, and soften—one small moment at a time.

Conclusion: Moving With Compassion
Grief is a journey, and movement can be one of its most gentle companions. Through swaying, walking, or simply breathing with intention, you remind yourself that you are here: alive, feeling, and healing in your own way.

I’m here to support you—through mindful movement, somatic practices, and care that honors the complexity of your grief and the wisdom of your body.

Ready for support that meets you where you are?
Read more about how I think about support.