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When Tragedy Hits: Returning to Ourselves, Each Other, and the Breath

When something devastating happens close to home, our sense of safety and steadiness can be shaken in an instant. A tragic event — like the recent local shooting — ripples through a community in ways that are emotional, physical, and deeply personal. Even if we weren’t directly involved, it is completely natural to feel sadness, fear, confusion, anger, or numbness. Our bodies absorb shock. Our minds search for understanding. Our hearts ache for those affected.

In times like these, yoga does not offer quick fixes or spiritual bypassing — it offers gentle pathways back to ourselves, back to connection, and back to the very real human experience of moving through difficult moments with compassion.

Below are ways we can support ourselves and one another when tragedy hits.


  1. Acknowledge What You’re Feeling


There is no “right” reaction to trauma or tragedy. You might feel overwhelmed, or oddly calm. You might cry or go quiet. You may feel it immediately or much later.


Yoga teaches us to notice without judgement. To pause long enough to say: This is what’s here right now.Letting feelings surface — even briefly — is often the first step toward healing.


  1. Stay Connected


Tragedy can make us want to retreat entirely. While solitude is sometimes soothing, complete isolation can deepen fear and anxiety.

Reach out to someone you trust.Listen to each other. Be in the presence of people who make you feel grounded.


Human nervous systems regulate each other. We are not meant to carry heavy moments alone.


  1. Come Back to the Breath


When our world feels unpredictable, the breath becomes an anchor.A simple practice:

  • Inhale for 4 counts

  • Exhale for 6 counts

  • Repeat for 1–3 minutes

Longer exhales soothe the nervous system, soften adrenaline, and help the body feel safe again.


  1. Limit Overexposure


It’s natural to seek information during frightening times. But constant news updates or social media scrolling can keep the nervous system in a heightened state.


It’s okay — even healthy — to step back. Give yourself permission to disconnect when you need to.


  1. Ground Through Your Senses


When shock or tension takes hold, grounding practices help bring us back into the body:

  • Feel your feet on the floor

  • Hold a warm cup of tea

  • Sit in nature or touch the earth

  • Place a hand on your heart or belly

  • Notice 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear…


Small steps can help restore a sense of steadiness.


  1. Offer Compassion, Not Solutions


When tragedy affects people we love or people in our community, we often feel helpless. The truth is: we don’t need perfect words.

A simple meal delivered, a quiet moment of presence— these acts matter deeply.


Compassion is a form of yoga. It’s a form of community care.


  1. Seek Support if You Need It


If emotions feel overwhelming or persistent, reaching out to a professional is an act of strength, not weakness.


Yoga reminds us that we are beautifully interdependent — we heal more fully when we allow others to support us.


  1. Create One Moment of Peace Each Day


In times of crisis, small rituals become powerful:

  • A slow walk

  • A gentle Yin pose

  • Meditation

  • Journalling

  • Candlelight

  • Gratitude for simple things


These moments don’t erase tragedy, but they help us integrate our experience with more softness and resilience.


We navigate this together


As a community, may we hold space for one another — for the grief, the fear, the confusion, and also the strength that emerges when humans support humans.


Yoga does not promise that life will be free from pain. It offers something quieter and more enduring: the capacity to stay present, compassionate, and connected as we walk through the hard chapters together.

My heart is with everyone affected.May we move gently.May we breathe deeply.May we take care of one another.

 
 
 

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