The Journey Beyond Grief: Energy Medicine Tools for Letting Go

Journeying Through Grief: Energy Medicine Tools for Letting Go

Andrea Torrey Bulsara

For those of us who have experienced deep trauma, inner peace is elusive. The aftereffects of trauma leave us feeling small and alone, trapped in sadness, anger, and despair. I grew up with undiagnosed PTSD, where the trauma was deeply rooted, and only remembered being sexually abused by a trusted family friend at age 5 when I was in my early 20s. I had all the hallmarks of sexual abuse: violent nightmares, bizarre behavior, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders, but back in the 70s, no one understood what these symptoms meant. I sought solace through spirituality, writing, and illustration, and discovered energy medicine about 5 years ago. It’s been a decades-long journey of learning how to release deep grief from my body.

When we lose something important, whether it’s a loved one or, in my case, the innocence of childhood, it’s hard to let go. Grief coats every part of us with dust, smothering the joy, light and color, turning life into a bleak and gray place.

How do we release it?

First, we want In order to release grief, sadness, like any emotion, can become part of our identity, and sometimes being comfortable with it can feel safer than facing the unknown of healing. But once you’re ready to muster the courage to take that first step, there are some things you can do to make it easier. Here’s an exercise I do:

Neurovascular Hold: When sadness weighs on my mind, the first thing I do is Let yourself feel it. But to help the energy pass through, I place one hand on my forehead and the other on the top of my head. These areas access the neurovascular points that store emotions. Pressing lightly on these areas while breathing deeply helps the energy to flow.

When a wave of sadness comes over you, hold your hands together and breathe into them. Gradually, the intensity will subside and the energy will shift. At this point, I often feel an intense heat, which, although uncomfortable, means stagnant energy is being released. When it subsides, feel the energy pulsating between your hands like a spinning disk. It’s okay if you don’t feel this. There are many other signs that the energy has moved on. Some people yawn, others sigh. Look for your body’s unique way of releasing. In energy medicine, sadness is thought to be stored in the lungs, so as the sadness moves on, you may find yourself breathing deeper than you’ve probably done in a long time. Hold your hands for a moment longer and feel your lungs expand and inhale beautiful, healing air.

“Langhag:” Another technique I use is to cross my arms in front of my chest. Place your fingers under your armpits and your thumbs on the “arm crease” where your arm meets your chest. Using firm pressure, massage along your armpits and arm creases. These areas surround the beginning of the Lung meridian and the end of the Spleen meridian. The Spleen meridian is the meridian that is all about self-care. These points often hurt because of blocked energy. Rub these areas as deeply as you can while breathing, trying not to bruise (if there is another reason for the pain, such as an injury, or if this doesn’t feel right for you, listen to your body. Just consciously holding the area without pressure can do wonders). You can then sit in this position, called the “lung hug,” and meditate, watch TV, or do nothing. Having a cross pattern (in this case crossing your arms) on your chest helps to move energy.

Visualization of the Heart: In addition to the lungs, the heart also carries sadness. As most of us know all too well, the heart can hurt. But we often forget that the heart can also heal. When I feel heavy with sadness, I place my hands over my chest and breathe in. With each inhale, I visualize taking in light and feeling my heart lift and lighten. And with each exhale, I visualize my heart shining light out into the world. Inhale light and exhale light.

Activate Joy: The simplest exercise I use to activate joy is smiling. When sadness hits me, I take a deep breath and smile. Smile from the bottom of my heart and visualize the smile spreading throughout my whole body. If the sadness is too deep to smile at first, I write down what I am grateful for. Breathing, finding the smile, writing it down helps to remove the heavy feelings. A genuine smile activates the radiant circuit, an energy system related to joy, connection, and healing. To increase your smiles even more, draw a heart over your heart with both hands, from your sternum to your navel, as many times as you need. Drawing a heart on your heart, on your face, or around your surroundings as a giant heart activates the bridge flow, a specific radiant circuit that reconnects us to our true selves and to others.

Put down roots and touch heaven: Walking barefoot outside can be a quick way to clear the fog of sadness. Stand on grass or sand and wiggle your toes to feel the earth beneath your feet. (If walking barefoot isn’t an option, use an inexpensive metal spoon (not silver) to vigorously rub the soles of your feet.) To further connect, rub your hands together and place them on your thighs, imagining energy flowing through your feet and down into the earth. As you inhale, raise your arms above your head to form a “V.” This pose is called “heaven rushing in” and draws replenishment energy into your body. When you feel full, place your hands over your heart.

Finding the gift in sadness: To find inner peace, we must recognize that we are more than our grief and past experiences. We are conscious beings on the brink of a new way of living. I believe there is a hidden gift in every wound that can lead us to our higher selves. What gifts does grief give us? Among them are greater compassion for ourselves and others, the ability to feel deep joy, and the desire to live with purpose. Grief has much to give us if we allow it. And then let it go. Though difficult days will still come, enduring joy can be our companion on the journey through sadness.

Bio:

Children’s author and illustrator Andrea Torrey Bulsara (writing for young adults as A.T. Bulsara) is set to release the second edition of her award-winning YA novel. The Great and the Smallwill be published in September 2024. Available for pre-order, the edition depicts her personal journey from darkness to light through the eyes of her protagonist. Besides writing and illustrating, Andrea also works on school presentations and motivational speeches. She is currently working towards qualification as an Eden Energy Medicine practitioner and aims to become a Reiki Master. Her energy medicine work spans both humans and animals and she volunteers at a donkey sanctuary helping to rehabilitate sick and abused donkeys. For more information on Andrea’s books, talks and energy medicine resources, home pageConnect with her on Instagram (@andreatorreybalsara), X (@torreybalsara), LinkedIn (AndreaTorreyBalsara), and Facebook (Andrea Torrey Balsara, Author & Illustrator).