How Do You Feel About Crying?

I believe crying isn’t a weakness. It’s often about releasing what words can’t, and finding a way to re-balance.

Yesterday, I was coaching someone who shared something I hear often: life was going really well—work, business, goals achieved—and yet she was also in the middle of deep grief. Several people close to her had died this year, and she didn’t know how to hold the weight of both realities.

She told me, “Things are so good. I’ve worked so hard, and it’s all coming together. But I can’t keep my mind positive because I’m so sad.”

As she spoke, I could feel the emotion rising. I waited. I gave her space. And then she cried.

Crying is simply the nervous system’s way of releasing energy. It’s a reset, a very natural process. Yet many of us resist it. We feel guilty for crying when “things are going well.” In truth, tears can be a powerful part of balance.

I was grateful she felt safe enough to let her emotions out. That’s one of the most important parts of coaching—or any supportive space—creating safety. At the end, she said, “I just want to find balance. To sit with the good and the bad.”

Yes. Exactly.

Balance is one of the greatest gifts of mindfulness practice. It’s not about erasing grief or forcing joy. It’s about holding both, often at the same time. As the Buddha put it: “No mud, no lotus.” Without the mud, the lotus cannot bloom. Without sadness, we cannot truly appreciate joy.

This month in my classes, I’ve been teaching around the theme of balance—both mental and physical. The mind and body constantly influence one another. The vestibular system, which helps us physically balance, is directly tied to our mental state. As a yoga teacher, I see it all the time: someone anxious or upset wobbles in tree pose, while someone grounded and calm can stand steady.

Life itself is like that pose: always shifting, moving toward balance, drifting away, then returning. There is no perfect “work-life balance.” There is only the ongoing cycle of imbalance and rebalancing.

The key is patience with yourself. When sadness comes, know that it will pass. When joy arrives, receive it fully. And through it all, remember—you are bigger than any one feeling.

Grief, joy, fear, relief… they all move through us if we let them. If we allow the body to cry, to feel, to release, then they don’t stay stuck.

That is the secret of mindfulness. That is the practice of balance. And, in my opinion, that is the doorway to greater contentment in daily life.

Want to find yours? Contact me to learn more about coaching.