Nama: Invoking and Naming What's Lost

The bhakti practice of nama involves invoking the divine by name, understanding that the name itself holds presence and power. Mirabai's poems invoke Krishna repeatedly; the utterance of the name creates connection across separation. For those processing grief, nama suggests the practice of explicit naming: saying aloud the name of who or what was lost, telling the specific story, recounting particular memories. This naming is itself a creative act. Rather than speaking abstractly about 'loss,' we say the person's name, describe their particular gesture or laugh, recount the specific day. This specificity has transformative power: it moves grief from vague ache to concrete presence. The creative work of naming—through writing, speaking, recording, or ritual—honors what was particular and irreplaceable about the loss. Nama teaches that our grief-making gains potency when we refuse euphemism and instead persistently, lovingly invoke the specific names and stories of what we loved and lost.