The Meaning of Death For Those Still Alive

For those of you who may read my blog, I apologize for the delay in updating. It has been a challenging few weeks, and the theme seems to be ‘death’. I recognize that this may be an uncomfortable subject for some of you, but please trust me and reserve judgment until you’ve read the post.

Two people close to me have died in the past couple of weeks; suddenly and far too young. Both people were a joy to be around and were recognized by those who knew them as having exceptional talents. Both deaths feel like a tragedy.

These deaths were accompanied by two more. A close friend of mine lost a sibling and the singer, Amy Winehouse, also died during the same period of time. Again, both far too young, sudden and tragic.

So what meaning can we find in such events? Is there a meaning behind it at all?

For me (and I’m just working this out as I type), death is a potent reminder to connect to your heart. We spend a LOT of time in our heads or our guts; and by this I mean we are either thinking and trying to be rational and orderly, or we are feeling and reacting to what’s going on around us without much thought whatsoever. Our heart is where we find balance. It is literally the middle ground between our basic emotional responses and needs (chakras 1, 2, 3) and our higher cognitive functioning (chakras 5, 6, 7). These meet in the middle, in our hearts (4th chakra), to give us a true and balanced message. The message guides us on what to say, do, feel and how to be in any given moment.

When people strive for ‘balance’ or to be ‘centred’, this is what they are seeking. (Note: the heart centre is not “better” than the other chakras, in fact, it needs the information/energy from the other chakras in order to function at all.) Grief is the emotional trigger and challenge for the heart centre. When we grieve we are drawn into our heart centres and more of our responses come from here.

Think about it, when someone passes away, old injuries tend to be forgotten, petty arguments cease to mean anything, and (for a time) people come together in mutual support and comfort. I believe that this is a strong reminder that, even when no one has died, this is simply the way we are meant to treat each other. Be compassionate (lower chakras) and act with respect (upper chakras). These meet in our hearts, where those who have departed now reside and help to guide us from the higher place they have now returned to.

Rest in Peace William and Chris.