Wow! The holidays pose extra hardships on grieving hearts. I decided to create a pet loss guided meditation to help those hurting this time of year due to the loss of their beloved pets. It's less than 10 minutes long, and I hope it helps ease the heartbreak. I plan to create more of these in the future, but this is a start. This post explains the structure of the meditation. Scroll to the bottom for the video / audio you can use to ground yourself in love.
Pet Loss Guided Meditation - Why Now?
It's the time of year when many people face new or renewed grief upon the loss of a beloved pet. The holiday season can make the pain of grief worse. It's hard not to feel resentment and even anger when everyone else is jolly, rushing around to parties and events, and expressing good cheer when your own heart is broken.
Especially if your pet loss is recent, the holidays loom ahead and feel trivial or oppressive for your current state of mind and heart. To give your self-care a point of focus, perhaps this guided meditation will help.
Please know I wish you strength and peace for the road ahead.
Pet Loss Guided Meditation - What It Includes
4-7-8 Breathing
The guided meditation for pet loss starts with a breathing pattern my therapist taught me after the dog attack in late 2021. It's 4-7-8 breathing recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil. Basically, you:
- Breathe in for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Breath out for 8 seconds.
Remembering First Time You Met
Then, the pet loss guided meditation gives you time to imagine the first time you met your beloved pet. Really picture it. Really feel it. Remember how you felt. Focus on your heart. Remember your smile. Sit with those feelings and memories for a minute.
Remembering What Made You Laugh
Next the pet loss guided meditation gives you another minute to think about something your beloved pet did that made you laugh. Any silly thing will do — whether it happened only once or all the time. Take a deep breath and let it out, then sit with the joy and silliness.
Pet Loss Guided Meditation - Safe Place
Finally, the guided meditation for grieving pet lovers encourages you to imagine your favorite place to be with your pet and go there in your mind. Really focus on what you can see and hear and smell and feel. Imagine your pet leaning against you wherever on your body they preferred to cuddle. Focus on that sensation of where your bodies connected and the weight and warmth of being so close.
What Would You Say?
Imagine you could say anything to them about their life or how you feel now or what you'll always remember and then carry on that conversation in your mind.
When Your Mind Spirals
If your mind slips into pain, regret, or blame return to thoughts of love and take a deep breath before letting it out slowly. If your brain won't cooperate then repeat to yourself over and over this phrase:
I remember the love most of all.
I remember the love most of all.
I remember the love most of all.
Pet Loss Guided Meditation - Energizing Breaths to End
As you bring your awareness back to where you are in the present while still imagining your beloved pet in your heart and at your side… always. Take another deep breath this time faster on the inhale and a quick blowout on the exhale. Again, quick inhale and blow out to exhale.
As you venture back into daily life, especially with the holidays ahead, know that you can quickly recreate these touchstones at any time. All of those things and many more existed then and continue to exist now.
I know it's difficult. You're going to be OK.
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