Healing Through Movement: A Support Center for Bereaved Parents

Abstract

My personal experience on loss inspired me to consider how parents who lose children to cancer, accidents, or other terrible things are able to deal with the loss. Where did they go for support? How did they learn to cope with the loss for a lifetime? As I dealt with my loss, I went to therapy and opted for a prescription free treatment. I dove deeper into yoga and meditation and I recognized that therapy was helping but was not enough. The only thing that truly made me feel better was physically moving my body. I felt some satisfaction from recognizing this, yet I felt alone on my journey. Time passed and one afternoon during my weekly practice of yoga, I had a pivotal Matsyasana (fish pose) with the crown of my head submerged in the shoreline of St. Augustine Beach. It became clear to me that the I needed to use my thesis to create a healing place to unify bereaved parents. I desired it, and knew that others around me did as well. That sunny afternoon the idea of a holistic support center was conceived.