Moving Through Grief

As many of you know my family and I went through a really tough time recently with the loss of our 10 year old Great Dane, Dexter. He was the first baby in the family for me and my husband, a constant companion and a big presence in our day-to-day lives (literally due to his big size in a NYC apartment!). The first full day without him was especially tough and when I wasn't crying I was moving through the day in a sort of zombie-like daze. With the kids at school and the apartment eerily quiet - not that Dexter made much noise as he was almost always sleeping - I had a strong urge to move my body. So although I felt kind of selfish, I turned to my go-to workout - the Tracy Anderson Method - and had a good sweat. An hour later after I was done, I felt immensely better. It did not take away my grief of course, but it gave me a much needed reprieve from the sadness, and it was as if my body intuitively knew that movement was what my brain required in that moment. Tracy Anderson also often talks about how we process our emotions physically through movement and connecting with our bodies which I definitely agree with. 

I didn't think much of this until a couple of days later I was listening to the Be Well by Kelly podcast with Kelly McGonigal on The Joy of Movement. In it they talk about movement, exercise and its effect on the brain. I was fascinated to learn that if you exercise often, you actually end up changing the structure and function of your brain by fine tuning the reward center.  It makes you more sensitive to the joys and pleasures in life which is why it's such a powerful anti-depressant for anyone dealing with chronic stress, grief or depression. Your brain learns that if you just get up and move, something good will happen (now I understand why I had that urge to move in the midst of immense sadness). Over time this results in increased happiness, more resilience and the ability to better handle stress and even recover from past traumas. I learned so many interesting nuggets on the benefits of exercise, beyond the obvious that we always hear, so I'm really looking forward to reading her book The Joy of Movement. 

For now, I'm slowly adjusting to life without Dexter. Each day gets a little bit better. So when you're going through your own tough times, remember that even if it doesn't feel like the right thing to do, try moving. It doesn't have to be a full workout to get the benefits. Just put on your favorite music and go for a walk, dance around your living room or do whatever feels good to you. You'll always feel better after.