Do You Feel Like Yourself?

After the attacks in Southern Israel on October 7, weeks of war, and the loss of civilians and soldiers alike- -

Know that if you feel a powerful and overwhelming sense of grief, you are not alone.

There are millions of people around the world who are grieving alongside you.

Often when we are overwhelmed by a powerful feeling, we might not feel like ourselves.

There can be a heaviness that settles in our bodies, minds, and souls, and we may feel disjointed. Our emotions live inside our bodies and can manifest in all sorts of ways. It can be helpful to note where they live and how they are making us feel so that we can develop an awareness of what we carry.

Here is an exercise that can begin to help you come back to yourself:

(You can choose to read the description below or listen to this guided audio)

Take a few moments and close your eyes.

Turn your attention inward to your body. Scan yourself from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet.

Reflect on the emotion that is living in your body.

Is it grief? Shock? Rage? Frustration? Exhaustion? Give that feeling a name.

Is there a heaviness? Is there pain? Numbness? Identify what it feels like.

Where is it located? Have you noticed that discomfort before?

Note the sensation and the emotion without judgment.

Stay with the sensation and make room for it. Allow yourself to feel your feelings.

What comes up for you? What thoughts enter your mind?

At this time, you may open your eyes and begin to write whatever has come into your mind.

Write what emotions you feel, what you sense in your body, and what thoughts flow from there.

When you have finished your writing exercise, here is another short meditation to ground yourself back in this moment:

Settle back down comfortably and close your eyes one more time.

Revisit the spaces you noted earlier, in your body scan and in your writing.

Slowly, take in a deep breath and imagine that the healing oxygen that you are bringing into your lungs is being breathed into those areas of your body.

With every inhale, you are loosening and softening the tension, heaviness, or pain in those places.

With every exhale, release the emotions, sensations, or thoughts back into the universe.