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Why Grief Hurts More When We Try Not to Feel It
Grief moves through the body as well as the mind, and trying not to feel it often makes the ache linger. Victoria Duarte, somatic and mindfulness coach at Healing Arts Center in Virginia Beach, explains why letting grief move helps life return. The post closes with a gentle reflection for noticing what grief feels like in your own body.
Alt Text: Why Grief Hurts More When We Try Not to Feel It, a blog post on grief in the body by Victoria Duarte at Healing Arts Center in Virginia Beach
Why Grief Shows Up in Your Body
Grief does not always look like sadness. Sometimes it settles as irritation, numbness, or a fatigue that sleep does not touch.
Alt Text: Withered rose bending on its stem, illustrating grief and loss in somatic coaching at Healing Arts Center in Virginia Beach
Why "everything happens for a reason" doesn't help, and what to say instead
You have heard it in the worst moments of your life. Here is why it lands the way it does, and four things you can say instead when you don't know what to say.
Alt text:
Two people in dark coats walking side by side down an open road that climbs toward distant mountains
What I See From This Chair as a Reiki Practitioner
On grief, fear, gratitude, and the people who come back to Reiki after a difficult experience elsewhere.
Alt Text:
Reiki practitioner's hands resting at the head of a client lying on a treatment table at Healing Arts Center in Virginia Beach
When a Chapter Closes: Reflecting With Compassion
Things end in our lives whether we're ready or not. Your marriage ends after years of trying. The friend group that got you through your twenties drifts apart. You're moving to a new city where you don't know anyone. Your body has changed in ways that shift how you move through the world. These closings rarely arrive with clear endings. Learn compassionate ways to process what's ending through creative reflection.
Alt text of image:
Person writing in a notebook as a way of reflecting on an ending or transition.
Clients Matter
I was standing in a meeting with a foundation when they mentioned a client's passing. They thought I already knew. I didn't. The shock hit me like a physical force. We weren't even halfway through our meeting, and I couldn't break down there. So I focused on my business partner's button-down shirt, counting each button methodically as I took deep breaths. After the meeting ended, one of the members took me aside. 'Your response showed us you genuinely care,' he said quietly. Only then did I let the tears come.
Close-up photograph of ocean water flowing around a rock formation at Virginia Beach. The silky, smooth water texture created with long exposure photography shows the gentle yet persistent movement as it navigates natural barriers.
Mindfulness Grief Writing
When I lost two compassionate clients, poetry became my sanctuary. Discover how mindful writing helped me process grief while continuing to provide somatic mindfulness support to grieving families.
Image Description:A close-up of a hand holding a black pen, writing in an open notebook on a wooden table. A red journal sits nearby, with soft natural light and potted plants visible in the background, creating a peaceful writing environment.