ABSTRACT
This chapter contextualises bereavement in the UK today. It discusses how being bereaved of a significant attachment relationship can cause grief, which bereavements are likely to be the most distressing, and how dimensions of people’s lives may be affected. It is argued that attachment does not end with death; the formation of a social, psychological, spiritual “continuing bond” with the deceased can provide a source of safety and comfort. The chapter then considers the process of forming a continuing bond over time. It is proposed that grief is also a bodily experience, and that activities such as yoga can soothe the emotional and bodily experience of distress. The chapter concludes with how we can all help those who are bereaved and take care of ourselves.
