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transforming grief and loss

AcceptanceGrief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Grounding Meditation for Uncertain Times

If you are like me, you have likely experienced a variety of emotions upon hearing news about the pandemic and directly experiencing the effects of closures, empty grocery store shelves, social isolation, etc. My emotions have run the gamut from shock, fear, grief, depression, to hope for the possibility of a radical awakening and the benefits of slowing down and orienting more fully to what is most important in my life. As an antidote to the roller coaster ride, here is an audio recording of a grounding guided visualization that I frequently do with my clients. I hope that it helps you find your ground and center in the midst of the chaos. I hope that it helps you remember that you are a Being of love and light who has the power to create positive change in your life and in the world. Click here to listen. If you need extra…
Karen
March 18, 2020
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Learning to Value Myself

Happy New Year! I love this time of year. The days are getting longer. The busyness of the holidays is behind us. I feel alive with new possibilities and am inspired to create anew. As part of my process in getting clear about what I intend to create in 2018, I took time out to review my growth over the past year. What did I learn in 2017? What did I appreciate about myself? How did I heal and transform? Instead of focusing on my outward accomplishments, I decided to focus on my inner journey. I feel inspired to share the highlights with you as this review process was fortifying and empowering. It helped me to anchor in the changes, and set intentions for continued growth. One of the greatest areas of growth for me this year was learning to value myself more. My nature is to be a peace…
Karen
January 12, 2018
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Coming Alive After Loss

After eating breakfast at the Aquarius restaurant at the Dream Inn, which overlooks the ocean, boardwalk and Wharf in Santa Cruz, my boyfriend Mark and I decided to stroll on the Wharf where “Woodies on the Wharf” was taking place, a car convention featuring more than 200 stylish, pre-1952 “wood-bodied” cars, known as “Woodies”. Walking hand-in-hand we admired these classic cars which have been restored by their caring passionate owners. Each car was unique with varying colors, designs, interior upholsteries and decorative ornaments. A few had the doll "Woody" from the movie Toy Story sitting on the dash or the hood of the car. Some had surf boards on roof racks. The varnished wood was gorgeous and the paint jobs exquisite.  The cars appeared shiny, polished impeccably. I wanted to rub my hands all over them to feel their smoothness on my skin. I barely touched them, though, so as…
Karen
June 30, 2015
Grief and LossLiving FullyPersonal growthTransformation

The Other Side of Grief: Awakening New Possibilities for Living

A lot has happened in my life since my last post, including the dissolution of my 18-year marriage, letting go of my home and most of my possessions, and moving eight times (I am still not settled). The grieving process of “emptying out” as my therapist called it was intense and at times unbearable. Sometimes it felt like the pain would never end. The article below, The Other Side of Grief, offers a brief glimpse into my process and some of the tools that helped me to transform my life. Star-shaped diamonds dance on the surface of the ocean, creating a path of light across the azure waves in front of me to the brilliant warm sun. On either side of the path white spray shoots up from the blow holes of Humpback whales. Sitting atop the cliffs at Eselan, in Big Sur, my eyes scan the ocean in anticipation…
Karen
February 1, 2015
AcceptanceGrief and LossLiving FullyTransformation

Reflections on Grief and Joy

A three-quarter moon glowed pinkish-peach from the rising sun’s reflection on its shadowy surface, as it made its decent towards the horizon. Alone, I stood on the beach taking in the luminescent beauty of the moon, and the glimmering platinum ocean. The early morning light created a symphony of colors as the blue from the sky peaked through the fog, creating a metallic bluish-silver color. The sand was smooth without foot prints, except for the occasional spiky claw print of a seagull. Bundled up with a scarf, hat and jacket on, I walked slowly from one length of the beach to the other, about half a mile, stopping occasionally to take in the quickly changing scenery and watching as the waves gently rolled and crashed. Their sound soothed my broken heart. It had been eight months since I had separated from John, after being married for 17-years. Despite the separation…
Karen
April 18, 2014
AcceptanceGrief and LossTransformation

The Courage to Let Go

“Enough is enough. It’s time to let go,” my body told to me. A month earlier, I had woken up with the flu. I was nauseous, tired, and had a fever. I was also in the midst of yet another early miscarriage with terrible cramps. Trying to have a baby was taking a huge toll on me. It was becoming clear to me I needed to stop. I had held onto hope for so long. Even though I was getting older and my window of fertility was closing, I had a dream several years ago that I would have a baby when I was forty-five. On both my mom’s side and my father’s side of the family, there were women who had babies well into their forties. Also, I frequently felt the baby’s spiritual presence with me, and assumed that it would come into life form and be a part…
Karen
April 15, 2013
Grief and LossSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Loss: Fertile Ground for Transformation and Awakening

Two days after New Years, I had an appointment with my massage therapist, Gypsy. Walking into his studio was like emerging into a safe cozy cocoon; candles were lit, the lights were turned down, and there was a warm glow emanating from the gas fireplace. In this quiet space, I began to relax. “What are we working on today?” Gypsy asked. “My heart…it needs healing,” I responded. On New Years day, I had found myself feeling depressed. Usually this holiday is my favorite, because I love celebrating my accomplishments from the previous year, and I look forward to all of the possibilities for the upcoming year. But instead, I felt sad and angry. I had invested a lot of time, energy and money into growing my business, and here I was, in the same financial place with my income, but now also further in debt. Weighing even more heavily on…
Karen
January 31, 2013
Grief and LossTransformation

Rainbow Moon – Hope in the Storm

It had rained all day and two more storms were expected. That evening we got a reprieve as the clouds parted and the full moon lit up the night sky. From our house, just blocks from the beach, we could hear the waves crash and the fog horn blare. They sounded like a train engine roaring. Excited to see the huge breakers, John and I walked arm in arm to the beach, while sharing about our days. The sand was unrecognizable. Half of it had disappeared under water. The waves rolled in fast, one stacked on top of the other four at a time. The remaining sand was re-shaped into different patterns. Where the beach once sloped gently towards the water, there were now large two foot drop offs. White froth from the tips of the waves skimmed over the sand like desert tumble weeds. Tangled bunches of salty smelling…
Karen
December 10, 2012
AcceptanceGrief and LossTransformation

Angel on the Other Side

Saying Goodbye to Bucky -  Part Two (Scroll down to previous post for Part One) I thought I would feel relieved after putting Bucky to sleep, but I felt awful. Had he still wanted to live? Did we let him go too soon? Why did this happen this way? I hadn’t been ready to let him go. Perhaps if we had waited, I would have been more prepared. I regretted making such a quick decision. For several mornings, I woke up sick to my stomach. Bucky wasn’t asleep on my meditation chair, but tufts of his fur and fragments of litter were still there. His food dishes and litter box were sitting out. I felt a huge void in our home and couldn’t believe he was actually gone. It was like experiencing a nightmare from which I couldn’t awaken. I was astonished by how deep the pain was. How could…
Karen
November 12, 2012
Grief and LossSpiritual AwakeningTransformation

Embrace Grief as an Ally

There are many prophecies about this year, 2012, as it relates to the end of the Mayan calendar. Some believe this is a time of great spiritual awakening and the expansion of human consciousness. Others believe we are coming to the end of the world. My experience so far is that of intensity. All that has gone unresolved in my life has surfaced to be healed and transformed during these past six months. In the process, I have opened more fully to embody more of my light. More of me has awakened to the truth of who I am as an infinite spiritual being of love and light. During this time of intensity, many feel an urgency to find and live their purpose. They want to feel that their losses have meaning. Some are choosing to transition and leave the planet. My 97-year-old Grammie died two weeks ago. I just…
Karen
August 14, 2012
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Karen Mehringer, MA, MFT - Grief support, counseling and life coaching in Santa Cruz area.