How Bio Water Urns Can Ease Your Pain
What are the five stages of grief?
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed the five stages of grief in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying.
Grief is typically conceptualized as a reaction to death, though it can occur anytime reality is not what we wanted, hoped for, or expected. Shortly before she died in 2004, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, her collaborators, completed the manuscript for her final book, On Grief and Grieving.
In 2022, David Kessler published his Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, a journey beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning.
Therefore, the correct question is:
What are the six stages of grief?
After experiencing a loss, people often seek “closure”. According to Kessler, it is essential to find meaning beyond the commonly known stages of grief, such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This can help transform the grieving process into a more peaceful and hopeful experience.
DENIAL
In the first stage of grief, denial helps us to cope with the loss. It makes it easier for us to survive by regulating our emotions. This stage can be overwhelming, and we may feel that life has lost all meaning. We may feel numb and wonder how to continue, if we should continue, or why to continue. Denial and shock help us to manage these feelings and make it possible for us to keep moving forward. Denial also protects us by controlling how much we can handle. As we start to come to terms with the loss and begin to ask ourselves questions, we begin to heal. However, as we progress, the feelings we deny may resurface.
ANGER
Anger is essential for healing. Embrace it willingly; even if it seems endless, it will help you heal. Although there are underlying emotions under the anger, and you will get to them in time, it is the emotion we are most used to managing. Anger is a powerful and overwhelming emotion that may also make you question the presence of God. Beneath anger lies your pain. Society fears anger, but it’s a strength that anchors you during loss.
At first, grieving can feel like being lost at sea, with no direction or sense of control. You may start feeling angry towards specific individuals as time passes. This could be directed towards someone who didn’t attend the funeral or is no longer around to support you. It’s also possible to feel anger towards a person who seems different now that your loved one has passed away.
Suddenly, you have a structure: your anger towards them. This provides a connection from you to them, something to hold onto. Usually, anger is suppressed, but it indicates the intensity of your love.
BARGAINING
Before a loss, people would do anything to save the lives of their loved ones. They may find themselves bargaining things like, “Please, God, I promise never to get angry at my husband again if you just let him live.”
Following a loss, people may bargain by attempting to make temporary deals with themselves. For instance, they may ask themselves, ‘What if I commit the rest of my life to volunteering and aiding others? Could that make all this a bad dream?”. This often leads to a spiral of “if only” or “what if” statements, where they want to go back in time and prevent the tragedy from happening. Guilt is often a companion to bargaining. The “if onlys” can lead people to blame themselves for what they “think” they could have done differently. Sometimes, they even try to bargain with the pain itself, doing anything to avoid feeling the hurt. They get stuck in the past and try to negotiate their way out of the pain.
Many people think of the stages of grief as lasting for weeks or months, but they forget that these stages are simply responses to our emotions. We can flip in and out of each stage multiple times, sometimes within minutes or hours. We don’t linearly enter each stage and leave them behind. Instead, we may feel one stage, then another, and then return to the first stage again.
DEPRESSION
After bargaining, we become fully present. Emptiness arises, and we experience grief on a deeper level than we ever have. Although it may feel like this depressive stage will last forever, it’s essential to understand that depression does not indicate mental illness. When we experience a significant loss, it’s normal to feel a sense of withdrawal from daily life. We might feel overwhelmed with sadness and wonder if there’s any point in continuing alone. Unfortunately, society often considers depression after a loss as an abnormal condition that requires immediate fixing. This attitude ignores that these feelings are a natural part of the grieving process. Firstly, ask yourself if it is the situation you are in to make you feel depressed. Losing a loved one is a very sad situation, and it’s okay to feel depressed in response. It’s pretty normal and appropriate. It would be unusual not to experience depression after the death of a loved one. When you lose a loved one, it’s normal to feel deep sadness and come to terms with the fact that they won’t be coming back. This can lead to depression, but it’s a necessary part of grieving. Just like physical wounds require healing, emotional pain also takes time to process and work through.
ACCEPTANCE
Losing a loved one is never easy, and it’s okay not to feel “alright” or “okay” about what has happened. Acceptance is not about trying to forget or move on from the past; instead, it’s about recognizing the new reality that our loved ones are no longer with us. It’s about acknowledging your fight, validating your desire to resist, and re-orienting yourself to the present. Mindfulness and a nonjudgmental attitude help you move through the stages.
Feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to move forward is normal, and it may be challenging. Acceptance may take time, and having more bad days than good is okay. Consider making new connections and meaningful relationships, listen to your needs, and take the time to move, change, grow, and evolve. It’s essential to invest in your friendships and relationships with yourself. It’s okay to begin to live again, but we must allow ourselves to grieve and heal at our own pace.
FINDING MEANING
As mentioned above, David Kessler has recently documented a sixth stage: finding meaning in grieving a person’s death. Many people talk about finding “closure” after a loss, but Kessler discusses learning to remember those who have died with more love than pain and learning to move forward in a way that honours our loved ones.
CONCLUSION
During grief, to get to the 6th stage, it’s essential to take care of yourself, surround yourself with loved ones, have faith, and take a break from everyday responsibilities. It’s also an opportunity to re-evaluate your values and priorities, especially if you move towards acceptance and finding meaning.
We understand that dealing with grief is never easy, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed during such a tough time. Please know that you don’t have to go through this alone. If you’re finding it hard to cope, we highly recommend seeking professional help.
However, if you’re looking to pay tribute to your loved one with a sea burial or a ground burial ceremony using one of our Bio Urns, we would be honoured to assist you in any way we can. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at Soul Trees Bio Urns.
We’re here for you.
Bio Water Urns: how they can help overcome the pain.
It is said that the origin of the word “soul” travels through the idea of “coming from or belonging to the sea” because the sea was considered the stopping place of the soul before birth and after death. It inspires us to believe in the infinite possibilities of life.
Sea and water burial
The spreading of ashes in the sea symbolises the physical and emotional aspects of letting go of a loved one. It can help those who are grieving better let go of their sorrow. It can be challenging but, at the same time, liberating to know that when ashes are spread above and into moving waters, they are said to flow forever.
This represents an eternal journey, as the water moves in an infinite cycle.
Scattering ashes into the water symbolises identifying your loved one with that never-ending, endless cycle. This symbolism works exceptionally well when the scattering occurs at a flowing river or into the ocean.
If you have ever lost a loved one, you understand how draining a funeral can be. While that is the traditional route many families choose, the face of burial is changing. Scattering ashes at sea is now a widely accepted tradition that allows loved ones to rest and be at one with the ocean. More and more people are turning to scatter ashes at sea using an Eco Water Urn as their preference to honour their loved ones.
If you want a peaceful and affordable way to bid a special farewell to your loved ones, you may consider arranging a beautiful ceremony using a Bio Water Urn. This memorial service can be held on the sea and attended by family and friends, providing a caring and healing way of returning your loved ones to nature. It’s a great way to say your final goodbyes and honour their memory.
Bio Water Urns: what you need to know
Choosing a Bio Water Urn instead of a traditional burial offers a beautiful connection to water as a rich source of spiritual nourishment. Water symbolizes freedom back to nature, a cleansing of the soul, and the natural flow of life. Our Urns are also suitable for those of the Sikh and Hindu faiths.
Furthermore, they provide significant environmental benefits, making them an ideal choice for those who care about the environment.
Unlike scattering ashes on a windy day, Bio Water Urns provide a stress-free, serene, and meaningful experience, regardless of the weather conditions.
In our shop, we have a wide variety of urns available. Riviera allows you to write a message with an eco marker and watch them float in the waves. Others dissolve between 5 and 10 minutes, usually surrounded by petals and flowers. Romana has a case you can keep with you to treasure a memento. If you need any help, our team is always ready to assist you.
Families boarding Princess Cruises’ Emotional Ashes Ceremony at Sea also use our Bio Water Urns. Contact us if you’d like to know more.
Stand-out features of our Bio Water Urns you should know
Manufactured in-house at Limbo Europe.
Limbo has produced its urns through a unique process and constant development in its facilities over the last 15 years. The aim is to deliver top-of-the-range biodegradable urns featuring exclusive designs and performance.
Natural raw materials
Limbo’s certified biodegradable Bio Urns are made from natural sources such as sand, soil, salt, or plant fibres and are easily assimilated by the environment. They are perfect for ground and water burials at sea, river, or lake. Once they have served their purpose, they will return to nature.
Craftsmanship
At Limbo, selected artisans carefully make all Bio Urns by hand with love and dedication. They pay great attention to every detail to produce unique creations.
Scope
Your loved one’s ashes will return to nature in a way that celebrates the circle of life. Bio Urns are crafted meticulously to ensure the highest standards for a memorable and dignified final goodbye to your loved ones.
Are Bio Water Urns a good alternative to burial?
Can you be buried without a coffin? The answer is Yes.
However, upon examining the data, it is revealed that the conventional practice of interring corpses in caskets and embalming is highly harmful to the environment. The burial and embalming processes release toxic chemicals into the air and soil, posing potential risks to funeral workers. Formaldehyde, commonly used in traditional embalming techniques, is known to be hazardous by many, including the World Health Organization. Once in the ground, it has the potential to seep into the earth, contaminating the ground and water.
Conversely, Bio Urns are made of materials that can break down naturally, preserving the ecosystem. They are an excellent option for those who wish to protect nature without harming the environment. Using a biodegradable urn for burial can provide an eco-friendly memorial service with no energy consumption or waste.
Our Bio Urns are a budget-friendly and sustainable option for those interested in a ground or water burial. This allows our loved ones to return to nature dignified and respectfully, completing the cycle of life.
What is the difference between a Bio Water Urn and a Bio Urn?
Bio Water Urns are salt and sand urns that are hard and resistant if kept in a dry place. When placed in water, they will gently float and then gracefully sink, allowing our loved one’s ashes to be returned to the biosphere.
Bio Urns, specifically the Bios Urn and all Sand Urns, are cremation tree urns suitable for ground burial. They allow your loved ones to return to life after life in the form of a tree. Once the ashes are placed inside the urn, they can be planted with an indigenous seedling of choice both in your backyard and in a planter.
You can learn more about the difference between the Urns in our article Urn or Bios Urn? What is the Difference Between Them?