Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
— 2 Corinthians 3:17

 This month, we’re talking about grief, breathwork, sacred space, and the gentle freedom of beginning again.

Hi Teresa,

July often brings words like freedom, independence, celebration, and new beginnings.

If you are grieving, those words may feel complicated. Because after loss, freedom does not always feel like fireworks and open skies.

Sometimes freedom looks like taking one full breath without your chest tightening.

Sometimes freedom looks like saying no without guilt.

Sometimes freedom looks like letting yourself cry without apologizing.

Sometimes freedom looks like admitting, I am not who I used to be, but maybe I am still becoming.

And sometimes freedom is not about leaving your grief behind.

It is about learning how to live without being imprisoned by guilt, fear, overwhelm, regret, or the pressure to “be okay.”

This month, I want to gently invite you into a different kind of freedom.

Not the kind that rushes you.

Not the kind that asks you to forget.

Not the kind that tells you to move on.

The kind that says:

You are allowed to breathe again.
You are allowed to laugh again.
You are allowed to rest again.
You are allowed to rebuild slowly.
You are allowed to carry love and still choose life.

A Different Kind of Freedom After Loss

One of the things I hear often in grief work is some version of:

“I feel stuck, but I don’t even know what I’m stuck in.”

And maybe you can relate.

• Sometimes grief keeps us stuck in the moment everything changed.
• Sometimes it keeps us stuck in responsibility.
• Sometimes it keeps us stuck in old roles, like being the strong one, the fixer, the caretaker, the one who holds everything together.
• Sometimes it keeps us stuck in the question, what should I have done differently?
• And sometimes, it is not grief itself that traps us.

It is the meaning we attach to moving forward and for many people, moving forward feels like betrayal. It can feel like saying their life no longer matters. It can feel like leaving them behind.

• What if moving forward is not leaving them?
• What if moving forward is learning to carry their love in a way that no longer requires you to abandon yourself?
• What if freedom after grief is not about being “over it,” but about no longer needing to prove your love through suffering?

That is a tender question and you do not have to answer it all at once. You can simply let it sit beside you.

And maybe, after loss, boldness looks different than it used to.

Maybe bold is getting out of bed on a hard morning.

Maybe bold is asking for help.

Maybe bold is walking into a support group for the first time.

Maybe bold is letting yourself rest.

Maybe bold is breathing deeply when your body has been bracing for so long.

Maybe bold is saying, I am still here, and God is not finished with me yet. 

Maybe You Need to Hear This Too

In sessions lately, I have heard different versions of the same ache.

One woman shared that the idea of “moving on” felt almost painful, as if the world wanted her to close a chapter her heart was still living inside of. What she really needed was permission to move forward without feeling like she was leaving her loved one behind.

Another client described how much she missed not just the person, but the partnership, the planning, the everyday companionship, the simple comfort of knowing someone was beside her in the ordinary moments.

Maybe your grief has sounded like that too.

• Maybe you miss the conversations.
• The routine.
• The chair they sat in.
• The way they made decisions with you.
• The sound of their voice.
• The future you thought you had.
• The version of yourself you were when they were here.

If so, I want you to know this:

You are not grieving wrong. You are grieving what was deeply woven into your life.

And healing does not mean pretending those threads were never there. It means learning how to live with love still woven through you.

Grief Is Not Just in the Mind

One of the reasons grief can feel so exhausting is because it does not only live in our thoughts.

It lives in the body.

It can show up as tightness in the chest.
A lump in the throat.
A heavy stomach.
Shallow breathing.
Restless sleep.
Fatigue that does not make sense.
Anxiety that rises before you can even explain why.

Your body remembers.

Your nervous system responds.

And sometimes, talking helps, but the body also needs a safe place to release what words cannot fully reach. This is one reason breathwork has become such a meaningful part of the healing spaces I offer.

Breathwork is not about forcing emotion.

It is not about performing healing. It is not about doing it “right.” It is about creating space for your body to soften, your nervous system to settle, and your heart to be held in a different way.

Sometimes the breath becomes the bridge back to yourself. Not all at once. But gently.

                                            Click to Listen

 Living After Grief Has a New Home

This new space is more than an office.

It is becoming a place to breathe, heal, gather, remember, release, and begin again. It will be a home for grief groups, breathwork, workshops, retreat days, healing conversations, and sacred moments of connection.

For a long time, Living After Grief has been a mission, a message, and a ministry of the heart.

Now it has a physical place where people can come and be reminded:

• You do not have to carry this alone.
• You do not have to have the right words.
• You do not have to be strong when you walk through the door.
• You can come as you are.

And together, we can create space for healing to happen.

A Gentle Practice for July: The Freedom Breath

This month, try this simple breath practice when you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or emotionally heavy.

Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.

Take a slow breath in and silently say: “I am here.”

Exhale gently and say: “God is with me.”

Breathe in again and say: “I can take this one breath.”

Exhale and say: “I do not have to carry it all at once.”

Repeat this for one to three minutes.

You do not have to feel peaceful right away. You are simply reminding your body that, in this moment, you are safe enough to breathe. And sometimes that is where healing begins.

Ways to Be Supported This Month

 Hope and Healing,

Teresa Reiniger

Grief Specialist with Living After Grief

 “My mission is to work with compassionate grieving women to navigate their path of grief, fostering resilience and finding clarity and understanding in their journey. My role as a Grief  Specialist is to support them in reclaiming their freedom to live fully and to cultivate a deeper sense of trust in themselves as they move through the healing process."

When you are ready, here are a few more ways I can empower you on your grief journey:

Book a Hope Exploration Session:

During this session we will:

• Assess Where You Are Currently:  Understand where you are right now and identify the emotional triggers that are holding you.
• Clarify Your Desires and Vision: Clarity and Understanding to live your life fully while honoring your loved one.
• Explore Collaboration: If I'm confident that I can help you, I’ll share how we can work together to achieve your goals.

Sound good? Click the link to schedule a time to talk.

Book A Call:

You can check out my podcast: Female Voice: Life & Loss. Our podcast is dedicated to women from all walks of life, providing a supportive and encouraging platform that addresses the various challenges they face. We aim to offer compassionate guidance, share diverse stories, and equip listeners with practical advice and resources to help them grow, heal, and thrive through every stage of their journey.

Podcast Click Here: