In addition to connecting with community, I teach my students and clients to use ritual and ceremony as much as possible. Public memorial displays are a perfect example of this. They move the energy of sadness and pain from within our bodies out into the external world, where it can be seen and shared. Ceremonies like this can also be done privately, by simply lighting a candle, or more elaborate. For some people, prayer and religious ritual is helpful, but rituals like these don't necessarily have to be part of a religious tradition.
Grief is a natural response to loss, and when we feel it, we should honor it. But we can also allow it to expand and educate us. Rather than focusing only on external events, the gift of grief can lead us to inner transformation.