yoga for a broken heart

Yin Yoga to Heal a Broken Heart

 

To listen to music with this video, try this playlist.

Whether it's a breakup, not being able to hold the ones you love as social distancing continues, feeling the effects of Venus retrograde or the grief of the state of the world, there are a lot of reasons to have a broken heart.

Grief, loss, anger...just turning on the news right now can stir a lot of emotions. If you're a sensitive, feeling being like me, it can sometimes feel like too much.

We can turn away from our feelings, numb out, and if that begins to happen, depression can set in.

How do we keep an open heart amidst it all?

The theme of this class is working with the heart and lung meridians. Clearing stagnant energy to keep our hearts open when they most want to close. Just this weekend I had a day of feeling depressed as the grief of what's happening in the world set in.

This particular yin sequence helped me move the energy, awaken stagnant chi, clear old pain and remain open-hearted amidst it all.

Some things you may like to have but are not necessary:

  • blanket

  • eye pillow

  • your favorite essential oil

  • pillow

  • yoga blocks and/or bolster (if you have them)

Let's take some time to relax the nervous system and give space to our yin nature. A time to embrace slowing down and deep rest.

Watch more videos like this right here.

To explore more ways to heal a broken heart, read my article, 30 Ways to Heal a Broken Heart.

 

How I recovered from total heartbreak (new video)

 
women praying-self-love-forgiveness-heartbreak-meditation

Four years ago I experienced a difficult break-up.  At the time, I was given a choice - to hold on to my resentment and anger, or to remember all is impermanent, learn how to let go, forgive and open myself to miracles and true love again.  There I was, alone in my room, tears streaming down my face.  I had just slammed the door on my love and my dear friend because I found out, "He wanted to be with her now."

I had been living in a house with my new friend Sara over the last month in Spain while my love was traveling to teach a retreat abroad.  Sara and I became very close over that time while I waited for my love to return.

I welcomed him, so excited to have him back in my arms.  I also introduced him to my new friend (we were all staying in the same house that week).

Then, over the course of the week, I began to notice Sara and my love spending more and more time together...

Finally, one day in the kitchen, I confronted him.

"What's going on between you and Sara?" I demanded.  There was a pause, and then the words came, the ones I suspected were true, but never wanted to hear..

"I'm not going to lie to you Meredith.  I always told you I was too free for most women.  In all honesty, my energy is moving towards her now." 

I spoke no words.

"NO," I screamed over in my mind.  I tightened my hands into fists, unsure of what to do with myself next, unsure of what to say back to him.

At that moment Sara walked into the room and immediately knew what we were talking about.

I looked at her with rage in my eyes, then left the kitchen, slammed the door behind me, and locked myself in my room.

For a moment, I let myself lose it.  Tears streamed down my face while loud sobs escaped from my broken heart.

But then.... something happened.  Something I had never experienced before in such an angry and distressed state... I began to notice my breath.  All the hours I had spent in meditation in the previous months traveling in India had become an innate part of me.  I was able to react in a completely new way I had never seen in myself before.

And with that breath, I began to notice my sensations, as pure sensations, rather than labeling them as anger, resentment, or heartbreak.

In just a minute, my whole body had changed and I was calm.  I no longer felt like an angry victim.

In that moment, I realized I could not control another being.  I remembered that all was impermanent.  I knew that even though I loved him so deeply, that it was true, he was free, and I couldn't control his needs or desires.

Sara knocked on my door, nervously awaiting my next move.

I turned back to my breath.  I knew I had a choice.  I could continue to breathe, and be the witness to all that was happening in my body and my situation, and I could forgive, or I could get lost, fuming in anger and resentment, and try to make the people who hurt me feel as bad as possible.

Today, I want to share this video with you from my training, #LiveYourVISION because this is one of the most important lessons I have learned and it is a valuable tool I want you to have.

You can hear the rest of the story, and learn the meditation that helped me get through one of the most difficult moments of my life below.