LIFESTYLE/HEALTH
Grief is not only emotional, it’s also physical. How we feel directly affects our physiology in ways that can leave us stressed and numb. Now, a new non-profit organisation, the Colorado-based LIGHT Movement, is on a mission to help people better deal with both grief and burnout through community support and somatic-based practices. It is showing people how to grow through grief by taking direct control over the nervous system, using insights from Polyvagal Theory developed by neuroscientist Dr Stephen Porges.
Polyvagal Theory explains how grief can trigger physiological responses in the nervous system, leading to states of anxiety, disconnection, or numbness.
“Grief can significantly alter our physiological state, making it crucial to address both emotional and physical aspects,” says Amy Pickett-Williams founder and co-executive director of the LIGHT Movement. “By understanding these responses, we empower individuals with techniques to grow with their grief, leading to re-engagement with life.”
The word somatic refers to one-half of the division of the human nervous system, the other half being the autonomic nervous system. The somatic is those aspects of the nervous system we can control and it plays a key role in how grief unfolds across our physiology.
LIGHT Movement promotes and uses somatic techniques such as breath control. Inhaling slowly through the nose, but critically, extending the exhale, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system — ‘rest and digest’ as opposed to the ‘fight or flight’ response of the sympathetic nervous system. The practice promotes calm and present-moment awareness.
Mindful movements that mirror emotional states — practising the oscillation between expanding outward into vulnerability and contracting inward when the pain is deep—this pendulation, as it is called, fosters growth from grief, says Pickett-Williams, who founded the LIGHT Movement after the loss of her father followed by a stomach cancer diagnosis and long recovery.
In today’s fast-paced world, the LIGHT Movement also addresses burnout, recognising it often comes with its own form of grief — the loss of passion and motivation. The group’s programs provide tools to alleviate burnout symptoms and promote overall wellbeing. Many of them focus on another somatic method called bilateral stimulation, which involves rhythmic stimulation of both sides of the body, such as alternating taps, walking, swimming, art, baking, cooking, or gardening. These activities help support integration between the brain’s hemispheres, aiding growth and resilience.
LIGHT Movement offers classes, retreats, and workshops. It is planning a global event in December to help alleviate the burden of grief.
“This December 21st [from 7pm US Mountain time], we hope to quadruple the in-person and virtual attendance — nationally and globally — with the goals of reminding people they are not alone, to teach somatic-based tools to support integration and finding meaning/purpose, and stand in solidarity with all people and all types of loss,” Pickett-Williams says. “Our world is grieving and we must support each other.”
Grief can significantly alter our physiological state, making it crucial to address both emotional and physical aspects. By understanding these responses, we empower individuals with techniques to grow with their grief, leading to re-engagement with life.
Amy Pickett-Williams
More about LIGHT Movement
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