The physical practice of mutual support during mourning—embracing, rocking, and touching that convey 'you are not alone' in the most direct, embodied way.
Devotion, for Mirabai, was embodied—expressed through dance, through the movement of her whole being in prayer. In African grief traditions, the held body is paramount: mourners are supported not only through words but through physical presence. A griever is held by others during funeral rites, rocked and embraced, their body supported when grief threatens to collapse them. This holding communicates what language cannot: complete acceptance, unconditional presence, and the truth that the community will literally bear some of the griever's weight. The practice of holding is not sentimental but practical and necessary—grief is an embodied experience, and the body needs to be held. Through this practice, isolation ends and integration begins. The held body experiences directly that they have not been abandoned, that their pain matters enough for others to remain present in it, and that community is not abstract but physical, warm, and real.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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