At some point in every person’s life, there will be an experience of loss…followed by grief. The most important factors to remember are:

• There is no “right” way to grieve; there is just your way.
• Be gentle with yourself and allow others to be gentle with you.
• Normal is gone and change enters in its place…it is up to you to create your “new” normal.

Where are you in the midst of your own grief? Are you having difficulty in learning how to live this “new” normal, or have you arrived at a richer, deeper place of understanding? With grief we have so many choices that we do not even know we are making…we may linger in a space of emotional withdrawal reluctant to cope with the changes, or we may move toward a place of greater meaning and deeper wisdom.

Death changes everyone who is touched by it. It is a part of the natural process of life yet it is not normally discussed. It is often pushed down, shrouded in mystery, fear, denial and illusion. Many view birth as a miracle and death as a tragedy…the truth is both are miracles and we cannot have one without the other. The difference is just one breath.

Escaping grief is a myth…no matter how hard we try to push grief away, it comes back and forces us to face it. There is nowhere to hide because grief resides within us. Death occurs in every moment of life…nothing remains the same. Grief happens to all of us…how we deal with it happens to each of us individually. ~ Marti Soler 

Photo by Allan Emery

The reason for this series is to give support, comfort and compassionate care to grieving individuals. It was created with deep compassion and a strong desire to assist others on their grief journey by offering gentle reminders that in the midst of loss, there was a shared life and love from which comfort and support can still be drawn.

The series is a set of four CD’s; the first track of each shares thoughts based upon a personal grieving experience, while the second track is a guided meditation offering a wonderfully peaceful interlude from the grieving process. The narration and relaxing meditations are woven with music composed and performed by Michael Hoppe and Tim Wheater, both Grammy award nominees. The combined experience invites listeners to step into the stillness designed to offer a peaceful and restorative interlude from the pain of loss.

The first in the series, “Amidst the Tears” is designed for those who have recently lost a loved one. The second CD, “Walking the Labyrinth of Grief” has been created for those who have been grieving for a few months and are dealing with the stark reality of their loss each day. “At the Edge of Midnight Lies a New Dawn” brings the message that at some point in grieving, a new day of hope awaits. The last CD, “Blessed”, offers the perspective that only those who have traveled the path of grief for some time can know–a feeling of being blessed by having experienced love and shared history.

As you travel your own grief path we encourage you to use the set however you choose. While the CD’s were created to coincide with various intervals, you may find that some resonate more with you than others– you will know when you are ready to move to the next meditation.