Navigating Grief Through Yoga: Finding Stillness in Pain with Laura Walton

We Woke Up Like This

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Grief transforms us in ways we can never anticipate. When Laura experienced two devastating losses in her twenties—her father at 21 and her boyfriend at 26—she discovered an unexpected anchor in her yoga practice. What began as physical release evolved into a profound philosophical framework for navigating life's most painful terrain.
Drawing from her 20+ years of yoga experience and professional work as a therapist, Laura shares how yoga—defined in ancient texts as "the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind"—creates a pathway through grief that honors both our pain and our capacity for healing. She explains how our racing, scattered thoughts during grief can be gently contained through mindfulness practices, allowing us to observe our thought patterns without being consumed by them.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Laura and Rev Joya explore the somatic dimensions of grief. Our bodies physically respond to emotional distress by tensing and clenching around our pain. Through embodied practices, we learn to "soften around the edges" of discomfort—a skill first developed in challenging yoga postures that eventually extends to all difficult life circumstances. This physical release creates more capacity to be present with grief without being overwhelmed by it.
Perhaps most profound is their discussion of the ongoing relationships many maintain with loved ones who have died. Both women share personal experiences of feeling vibrational connections with those who have passed, noting that these experiences are only accessible through present-moment awareness—the very state that mindfulness practices help cultivate. Laura reveals that in her research interviews, nearly everyone reports some form of continued connection with deceased loved ones, challenging our cultural narratives about death as an endpoint.
Laura's forthcoming book "The Yoga of Grief" aims to broaden our understanding of yoga beyond physical postures and demonstrate how its philosophical principles can support grieving hearts. Rather than viewing grief as something to overcome within a specific timeframe, she encourages integrating it as part of our life story—not a burden we carry, but an aspect of who we've become. This gentle reframing offers a more sustainable approach to living with loss.
Connect with Laura through her website griefonpurpose.com or on Instagram @grief.on.purpose, especially if you're interested in contributing your grief story to her book project.
You can find Joya at Vibologie.com

Chapters

1. Introduction to We Woke Up Like This (00:00:00)

2. The Yoga of Grief Explained (00:00:51)

3. Stilling the Mind During Grief (00:04:28)

4. Softening into Painful Emotions (00:09:02)

5. Maintaining Spiritual Connections After Death (00:12:37)

6. Moving Forward Without Getting "Unstuck" (00:21:44)

7. Book Project and Final Thoughts (00:26:42)