Grief can feel chaotic, exhausting, and unpredictable. Many people receive support after a loss, but still feel unsure what to do when emotions surge or the nervous system feels overwhelmed.

In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Heather Stang and cohost Amanda Palermo explore why having a system matters when you are grieving. Not stages. Not fixing. A compassionate framework you can return to when you do not know what to do next.

This episode introduces the Mindfulness & Grief System and explains how structure can help reduce suffering, restore a sense of choice, and support you in living alongside grief without denying your pain.

This is the first episode in an 8 part series that will walk through the Mindfulness & Grief System step by step.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why grief often feels overwhelming and disorganizing

• Why support alone is not always enough

• How a system helps when your nervous system is dysregulated

• What makes the Mindfulness & Grief System different

• How structure can create safety without rigidity

00:00 Why grief needs more than support
00:45 Welcome and episode overview
01:40 Why grief feels chaotic and exhausting
03:10 What people mean when they say "just get through it"
05:05 Why a system helps when emotions surge
07:20 The difference between stages and systems
09:10 How structure reduces suffering
11:05 Mindfulness as a practical skill, not a mindset
13:40 Choice, agency, and the nervous system
16:15 What the Mindfulness & Grief System offers
18:50 Who this system is for
21:30 What to expect in the 8 episode series
23:10 Closing reflections

Heather Stang: https://HeatherStang.com

Amanda Palermo: AmandaPalermo108 on Instagram

If you are a parent navigating grief, you may find these podcasts supportive:

Grieving Out Loud with Angela Kennecke
https://emilyshope.charity/podcast/

Widowed Parent Podcast with Jenny Lisk
https://jennylisk.com/

💜 Try Awaken Grief Support Free for 14 Days
Live support, guided practices, and community for people living with grief.
https://heatherstang.com/grief-group/

🎥 Free Living With Grief Workshop and Live Q&A With Heather
A gentle introduction to mindfulness based grief support with time for questions.
https://heatherstang.com/living-with-grief-workshop/

🎓 Mindfulness & Grief Coach Certification
Professional training for helpers who want to support others through grief while caring for themselves.
https://heatherstang.com/mindfulness-grief-coach-certification/

The holiday season can be especially tender when you are grieving. Familiar traditions, gatherings, and quiet moments can intensify the ache of missing someone you love. Even well meaning silence from others can make the loss feel heavier and more isolating.

In this episode of the Mindfulness and Grief Podcast, thanatologist, yoga therapist, and author Heather Stang talks honestly about why the holidays can be so painful, the social awkwardness many grieving people experience, and how meditation can offer a quiet place of connection when your heart feels full. Heather introduces the concept of continuing bonds and shares the Life Imprint practice, originally developed by C. J. Vickio and taught by Robert Neimeyer, as a way to honor love without forcing cheer or closure.

This episode points you to a gentle guided meditation that can be practiced during the holidays or anytime you are missing your person. The reflection can also be used as a journaling practice and is suitable for both simple and complicated relationships.

🎁 Download your free Grief Sensitive Holiday Planner:
HeatherStang.com/holiday-planner
Includes mindful prompts and reflection exercises to help you plan the holiday season with care and compassion.

You will learn:

• Why missing your loved one can feel sharper during the holidays
• How silence and avoidance from others can add to grief, even when intentions are good
• What continuing bonds means and why many people find it comforting
• How the Life Imprint practice supports connection, even in complicated relationships
• Why meditation can help you sit with longing without becoming overwhelmed
• How this practice fits into the Mindfulness and Grief System, Step Six, Continuing Bonds
• Ways to use this reflection as a meditation or journaling practice

If you find this episode helpful, please follow the podcast and consider leaving a review so others can find support when they need it most.

Thanksgiving can be an emotionally complex day when you are grieving. Even simple traditions or familiar gatherings can feel overwhelming when your heart is carrying loss. Whether this is your first Thanksgiving without your person or one of many, it is normal to feel tender, unsure, or stretched thin by expectations and family dynamics.

In this episode of the Mindfulness and Grief Podcast, thanatologist, yoga therapist, and author Heather Stang shares seven mindful tips to help you navigate Thanksgiving before the day arrives, during the gathering itself, and afterward when everything settles again. Through personal stories, trauma sensitive guidance, and practical mindfulness tools, Heather offers a grounded way to care for your heart and reduce unnecessary suffering on this meaningful holiday.

🎁 Download your free Grief Sensitive Winter Holiday Planner:
heatherstang.com/holiday-help
Includes mindful prompts and reflection exercises to help you plan for the holidays with clarity and compassion.

You will learn:

• How emotional tension builds before Thanksgiving and how mindfulness can help you recognise it early
• A simple visualization practice to uncover what may feel difficult on the holiday
• How to understand and express your needs clearly, including a real life story of how one family transformed their day
• Personal rituals that can bring comfort and meaning during Thanksgiving
• Why children's grief is often overlooked, how to talk with them honestly, and how to support them at their own pace
• How different grieving styles, such as instrumental and intuitive grief, shape family dynamics during the holidays
• What to expect after Thanksgiving, why an emotional drop is normal, and how to tend to yourself with care

If you find this episode helpful, please follow the podcast and consider leaving a review so others can find support when they need it most.