In Episode 3, we turn toward the body because long after words fall short and timelines blur, the body remembers what the heart has lost. In this episode, grief is not treated as something to get over but as something lived and experienced deeply through muscles, breath, the nervous system, and the rhythms of everyday life.

Drawing on research as testimony, we explore how grief manifests through physical symptoms. These may include lingering fatigue, anxiety that settles in the chest, disrupted sleep, chronic aches or bodily tension, and moments when the body seems to speak before we can make sense of what we are feeling. We also reflect on how the body carries grief as a form of memory, protection, and survival.

Together, we take time to collectively pause, notice what grief feels like in the body, attend to what grief asks of the body, to better understand how honoring these responses can be an act of care and compassion rather than pathology.

We name how systemic stress, isolation, and oppression affect how grief is carried in the body, particularly for those who are expected to continue functioning, remain resilient, or hold their suffering quietly.

This episode invites you to slow down and listen closely to how grief lives in the body: What changes have you noticed in your body during times of loss? What might your body be asking for that you have not yet had words for?

_______________________________

Want to go deeper? Explore the public-health research links below for a closer look at how grief shows up in the body.

How grief affects the body: “Reactions, Consequences, & Care,” Nation Institute of Medicine.

Grief: Insights into the Brain and Behavior

Understanding Grief: The Journey, - Hilda R. Glazer, Myra D. Clark-Foster

How Grief Affects Hormones, Stress, and the Body.