GREENFIELD — Healing after the death of a loved one is a challenge, but local hospital officials say easy exercises can help people move forward from the emotional and physical pain grief can cause on the body.
Hancock Regional Hospital’s hospice unit is offering a beginner-level Yoga and Grief Relief program for county residents looking for help dealing with a recent loss.
The class will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday in Classroom 3, on the lower level of Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield.
Here are three things to know about the program:
1. There are physical signs of grief.
In addition to emotional symptoms, grieving can have a physical effect on a person’s body, organizers said. Physical signs of grief include aches and pains, insomnia, confusion and lack of energy.
2. Simple exercises can make a difference.
Simple stretches performed in yoga can help to release the tension that grief can cause in muscles and joints. The exercises practiced at Yoga and Grief Relief will be gentle, and participants may choose to do their stretches while sitting in a chair if floor stretches are too difficult, organizers said.
3. More help is available.
Yoga and Grief Relief is hosted by Katherine Murray, a hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor with the hospital. Murry is a longtime yoga student, organizers said, and she hosts additional grief support groups at the hospital.
For more information, and to RSVP for Yoga and Grief Relief, call Murray at 317-468-4124.