Autumn, Grief, and the Celebration of Life | Reiki Reflections on Love, Loss, and Healing

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Explore how Reiki, ritual, and remembrance can bring peace and meaning to grief. A heartfelt reflection on autumn, child loss, and the love that continues beyond time.

Autumn has always felt like a season of transition to me — the air turns crisp, the trees let go of their leaves, and the world seems to whisper that it’s time to slow down. It’s a season that asks us to release what no longer serves us and prepare for the stillness of winter.

But for me, autumn is also deeply personal. It’s the season when I honor a baby who left too soon. His “death birthday” falls during this time of year. So I cannot think of autumn without feeling the ache of grief.

Because of my Asian roots, this is also the season when my family traditionally remembers and honors those who came before us — lighting incense, offering food, and sending love to those on the other side. Autumn invites me to connect with them all, to remember not only their passing but their presence, their stories, their laughter.

Grief as a Celebration

One of my Reiki teachers, Pam Allen-LeBlanc, once reminded me of a way to hold my grief differently — as something sacred rather than something to push away.

It was a reminder of something I had already lived — a truth I learned when I was grieving one baby while carrying another.

She helped me reconnect with that understanding: that grief can also be a celebration of love. It can be a time to remember the joyful moments, the sweetness, and the light — not only the pain of absence.

Every autumn, I take time to sit quietly, breathe, and let myself smile through tears as I remember the happy moments with those who have passed. It’s my way of saying: your life mattered, and I carry your love forward.

Reiki as Gentle Support

When grief rises up like a wave, I turn to Reiki. I place my hands over my heart and breathe deeply.

With each inhale, I invite in peace.

With each exhale, I release the heaviness — just a little.

Sometimes I imagine a warm golden light surrounding me, holding me. Other times, I send that light to my baby, to my loved ones, to my ancestors, to anyone I am remembering. Reiki reminds me that love doesn’t end — it simply shifts form.

I also seek support from other practitioners, in Reiki and non-Reiki modalities alike. Sharing those tender memories — both sad and joyful — with someone outside my family brings another layer of healing.

It reminds me of the beauty of their existence, even when their time here felt far too short.

A Seasonal Ritual

If this season feels tender for you too, you might try this simple ritual:

• Light a candle in honor of the one you’re remembering.

• Place your hands on your heart and breathe slowly.

• Say their name out loud or whisper a memory that makes you smile.

• Close your practice with gratitude — for their life, for your own, and for the love that connects you still.

Celebrating the Living

As the days grow shorter, autumn also reminds me to celebrate my own living — to be present with my family, to savor warm meals, to laugh loudly, to cherish the small things.

Grief and joy can coexist. In fact, they often deepen one another.

So this autumn, I honor my grief.

I celebrate my loved ones who have passed.

And I choose to fully live this life — with love, gratitude, and presence.

A Meditation in Remembrance

Each year on October 15, the world lights up in pink and blue for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

This year, I am sharing a gentle guided meditation to honor and remember — the children who left too soon, and all the parents who carry their love quietly.

Though October 15 honors Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, my heart extends to all parents who grieve the loss of a child — at any age, in any form.

Love connects us all.

This meditation is available in the Meditation Library of Dragonfly Reiki Marketplace and on YouTube, so it can be accessed by anyone, anywhere — whether you are at home, in the hospital, or simply finding a quiet moment for yourself.

If you feel called, take a few breaths with us that day — or any other day — to remember, to honor, and to let love flow where words often cannot.

Closing Reflection

As the leaves continue to fall, I’m reminded that every ending carries its own kind of beginning.

In grief, I’ve learned to find beauty — not by erasing pain, but by allowing love to keep flowing in new forms.

May this season hold space for both your sorrow and your joy, and may you remember that love never leaves — it stays, quietly, in every breath and heartbeat.

Update — October 15, 2025

You can now listen to the Remembrance Guided Meditation in both English and French:

🕯️ English • 15-minute version • 30-minute version

🌸 Français • version 15 minutes • version 30 minutes

Each version is also available in the Meditation Library on Dragonfly Reiki Marketplace.

May these meditations bring you peace, connection, and tenderness — whenever you need them most.