What do I do when grief makes me feel disconnected from my spiritual practice?

Mirabai knew what it was like to abandon the expected forms of devotion. When she grieved, she didn't show up to temple the way people wanted. She danced alone. She sang songs that didn't sound like prayers. She let herself fall apart in public and wouldn't apologize for it. When grief disconnects you from your practice, it's often because your old practice was built for a different version of you—one who hadn't yet carried this weight. That doesn't mean you've lost your faith. It means you need to find a form that fits who you are now. Don't force yourself back into the shape you used to be. Instead, ask: what do I need right now? Silence instead of chanting? Solitude instead of community? Anger instead of gratitude? Walking instead of sitting? Your practice might become smaller, quieter, messier—and that's still devotion. The examined heart is one that's willing to change. Give yourself permission to explore what connection looks like for you now. It might look nothing like before. It might feel strange at first. But when you find the form that holds your real grief, not the grief you think you should have—that's when practice becomes alive again.