Grief lives in the body as much as it does in the heart. When someone significant in our life dies, we often feel it not just emotionally, but physically… in our posture, our breath, our energy. Gentle movement can be one small but powerful way to reconnect with ourselves, support our nervous system, and create space for healing.

We recently came across a beautiful article from Experience Life that highlights six mindful movements designed to support people experiencing grief. These simple practices don’t require any special equipment, and you don’t need to be a yoga expert or fitness enthusiast to try them. They’re about slowing down, breathing deeply, and allowing your body to move through the emotions.

Below, we’ve summarized the movements shared in the article, with full credit to Experience Life. We encourage you to explore the full piece for further guidance and a deeper understanding.

1. Sufi Grind

This is a gentle seated movement where you circle your torso slowly, loosening tension around your spine and hips. It can help release stagnant energy and ease the tightness that grief can create in the body.

2. Cannon Breath

A short, forceful exhale through the mouth paired with a slight bend at the knees. It’s a way to release emotional energy, reset your breath, and feel more grounded.

3. Figure-Eight Hips

This standing movement involves tracing figure eights with your hips. It’s not about precision — it’s about rhythm and letting go. This can be helpful when grief feels heavy or stuck.

4. Shaking

Standing up and gently shaking out your arms, legs, and shoulders can help move stress hormones out of the body. Shaking is a natural, instinctive response to intense emotion, and it’s deeply regulating.

5. Tapping the Body

Using your fingertips to tap gently on different parts of your body (especially the chest, arms, and legs) can stimulate circulation and bring awareness to areas where we hold emotional tension.

6. Sweeping

Sweeping motions across your body with your hands — as if you’re brushing away stress — can be calming and symbolic. It’s a way to create closure, even just for the moment.

A Gentle Reminder:

These movements aren’t about “fixing” your grief — they’re about creating small rituals of care that help you feel more present in your body.

If you’re part of our Actively Moving Forward® (AMF) community or exploring ways to support yourself or others, we invite you to try one or two of these when the moment feels right. You can do them alone or invite someone to join you.

Read the full article:

This post was inspired by “6 Gentle Movements to Help With Grief“ by Experience Life. We thank them for sharing such thoughtful tools.