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The Anatomy of Sadness (and Grief)

“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance.” ― Osho Rajneesh

Sadness results from the loss of someone or something important. What causes sadness varies greatly based on personal and cultural notions of loss. Sadness can be experienced along with other emotions.


The Cambridge Dictionary defines sadness as the feeling of being unhappy, especially because something bad has happened. It is derived from the Old English word "sæd "sated, full, having had one's fill (of food, drink, fighting, etc.), weary of," from Proto-Germanic *sathaz (source also of Old Norse saðr, Middle Dutch sat, Dutch zad, Old High German sat, German satt, Gothic saþs "satiated, sated, full"), from PIE *seto-, from root *sa- "to satisfy."


Gift

Sadness serves an important role in signaling a need to receive help or comfort. This can be a signal to others saying that we need comforting, or to ourselves to take some time and recoup from our loss.


Moods and disorders The key difference between mood and emotion is duration, or how long it lasts. Sadness is one of the longer-lasting emotions and often cycles through periods of protest, resignation, and helplessness.


Grief is a the natural reaction to loss and is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion and individual experiences can vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. The Elisabeth Kubler-Ross theory suggests that people undergo a series of emotions that occur in stages, which may not be linear or always occur for some individuals. These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.


It’s important to note, however, that sadness is different from depression, a psychological disorder, described by recurrent, persistent, and intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness that interfere with daily living.


Traditional Chinese Medicine

Feelings of sadness are associated with the lungs and the ability of the lungs to accept and relinquish, impeding their function of “taking in” and “letting go”. Sadness/Grief that remains unresolved can become chronic and create disharmony in the lungs, weakening the lung’s function of circulating oxygen around the body, and dis-ease in the body. Sadness and grief usually aggravates the kidneys, stresses the nervous system, and collapses the energy of the heart. Sadness affects the 4th, 6th and 7th chakras


Physical

Common sensations include tightness of the chest, heaviness of the limbs, stinging in the throat, and/or watery eyes. There is often a loss of muscle tone, a lowered or hunched posture, and looking away and/or downwards.

A few ways of handling sadness:

“Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,

Tears from the depths of some devine despair

Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,

In looking on the happy autumn fields,

And thinking of the days that are no more.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson


Here are some things you can do to help manage sadness:

  • Crying. Research has substantiated the age-old theory that crying releases harmful toxins by showing that tears of sadness have a different chemical composition than tears of joy or those caused by irritants. Cardiologists have also found that crying can reduce stress and the harmful physiological reactions associated with it. Psychologists explain that the simple recognition of being sad, or depressed, already changes chemistry and begins the restoration.

  • Mourn. Mourning is a normal part of grief. Everyone grieves in their own way, so do what feels right to you. It might help to talk about the pain you’re in, but it also might help to simply sit with your feelings for a while or express them creatively.

  • Do something meaningful. Doing something to help others can help you feel more connected to other people.

  • Reach out for support. This can be easier said than done. Try to remember the people in your life who care for you and likely want to help you.

“Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”

William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Journaling and Reflection

  • How is sadness impacting your life?

  • When was the last time you experienced sadness in the last month?

  • What does sadness look like when it's happening to you?

  • When you are in a state of sadness, how do you react?Do you cry, shut down, cover it up, etc.?

  • Does this same type of situation or experience keep happening over and over again? What's the pattern? What’s the cause?

  • How did that experience make you feel on a physical and emotional/mental level?

  • How would moving past feelings of sadness change your life?

Then,

  1. Notice the feeling you are having without judgment, any story, or justification.

  2. With an open heart allow the feeling. (“I feel ______ right now.”)

  3. Touch a place on your body (i.e. heart) that will emphasize this choice. With your hand on your body deliberately choose the new feeling.

  4. Ask yourself the next best thing to do (now that you have created the new feeling.)

  5. Go peacefully back into your day.

Nature has provided us with a variety of plant and herbs to help and support us.

  • Lung Support™ helps to support the release of emotional grief to enhance breath and life energy.

  • Small Intestine Support™ nourishes and supports a sense of harmony and belonging.

  • Large Intestine Support™ assists in releasing past hurts and stuck or hidden negative emotions.

  • Uplift™ promotes feelings of strength, courage, and protection.

  • Parasympathetic™ helps to melt away stress, elevate mood, boost energy, improve digestion, and to regain focus.

  • Rose™ helps io bring a feeling of love, create a sense of well-being and release past hurts, like grief.

  • Heart™ balances the heart to support, integrate and reset all the systems of the body, including mental clarity, physical health and emotional balance.

  • Crab Apple: the cleansing remedy, also for not liking something about ourselves

  • Elm: overwhelmed by responsibility

  • Gentian: discouragement after a setback

  • Gorse: hopelessness and despair

  • Larch: lack of confidence

  • Mustard: deep gloom for no reason

  • Oak: the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion

  • Pine: guilt and self-reproach

  • Star of Bethlehem: shock and trauma

  • Sweet Chestnut: extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left

  • Willow: elf-pity and resentment

  • Rescue Remedy: sudden stress or upset to relax, get focused and remain calm


Crystals: Amazonite, Angelite, Apache Tear, Carnelian, Citrine, Lapis Lazuli, Pink Opal, Pyrite, Rainbow Obsidian, Rose Quartz, Lapis Lazuli



During this free experiential hour, you’ll:

  • Discover your electric body and biofield, and how the vibration of sound can “tune” your electromagnetic energy to promote optimal wellbeing

  • Discover how a tuning fork can help address adrenal fatigue, digestive issues, autoimmune disorders, and anxiety to bring your body into “harmonic resonance”

  • Learn how to raise your “electric” vibration for better emotional and physical health

  • Understand how emotional issues, such as depression and bipolar disorder, can be viewed as a resonance imbalance instead of a chemical imbalance

  • Experience a whole-body “tuning” that can transform the electromagnetic energy in your body from dissonance or “noise” to resonance or a soothing “symphony”

It’s free, but you must register here to receive access details.

 

Source:

Atlas of Emotions

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