Grief is hard at any age. As a queer young adult ​​in the south, Shelby faced the worst four years of her life as both of her parents were diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses. When her mother died "the stuff really hit the fan," as she put it. At first she resisted her pain, but it was in the giving in to her grief that real wisdom was found. Shelby has evolved into a compassionate young woman that helps people of all ages learn how to face their grief with radical self-compassion.

"Hope is not fragile; just hard to find when the lights go out." This quote from bereaved mother Kim Peacock's book, Victorious Heart resonates with so many people who have suffered and survived a traumatic loss. Kim knows this intimately, as her beloved daughter Nicole died in an ATV accident just a few days after Christmas in 1998. In episode 28 of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Kim shares how she pulled herself out of the void that was left in her world so she can grieve and still...

Coping with grief after a loved one has died from an overdose has a unique set of challenges. All too often the focus is on the circumstances of the death, not the life, of a very special person who loved, lived, and most likely tried to overcome their addiction. Often exhausted by the worry, caregiving and anticipatory type of grief that precedes this type of loss, friends and family members of someone who died by overdose need compassion, self-care, and each other. I

The death of a brother or sister all too often it goes unacknowledged or minimized. Heidi Horsley is no stranger to this kind of pain. Her brother, Scott, died in an automobile accident, alongside her cousin. This life changing experience inspired her to be a champion for grieving siblings and earn a doctorate in psychology. Heidi shares her story of love and loss and hope, and shares tips and insights to help you cope with sibling loss.

Widows, widowers, and anyone who has lost a partner knows just how hard it is to cope with grief on Valentine's Day. Claudia Coenen, widow and creative grief counselor, shares creative ways to cope with grief and heartache on Valentine's Day, as well as activities and practices to honor and celebrate you love that undeniably very much present. Heather Stang's guided meditation, a Journey To Your Heart Center, follows the interview.

Richie Pryor's son died in his sleep a few weeks after a family vacation to Hawaii. Richie felt great heartache after the loss of his son, but has found a way not only to live again, but to live fully and in honor of his son while helping others find their path through grief and life. Richie shares his story & valuable insights on compassion and communication for partners who have lost a child. He reflects on what worked for himself, his family, and recommends books and resources for the...

Let’s face it, the winter holidays can be particularly tough on us when we are grieving.  What is supposed to be the happiest time of the year is anything but, as we are constantly reminded that someone is missing. During this episode author and thanatologist Heather Stang shares her favorite tips for coping with grief during the holidays to help you reduce your suffering, weave in the memory of your loved one, and approach this holiday season mindfully.

In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, yoga teacher and wellness expert Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki shares how the death of his sister, Lauren, inspired him to live more fully and honor his lifelong mission of helping others. He offers helpful tips on how to get more sleep, work wholesome foods into your diet, movement into your day, and how smelling something good via aromatherapy can radically shift your mood.

Coping with your own grief when a spouse dies is hard enough. But what do you do when on top of that you need to raise a grieving family, get everyone to school on time, pay all the bills, and run the household all on your own? While grief professionals may offer helpful insights, our guest and psychologist Dr. Justin Yopp explains why peer support groups for widowed parents may be one of the most helpful resources for bereaved fathers and mothers.

Karla Helbert explains how the chakra system can act as a model (or metaphor) to help us understand the energetic response to grief and trauma. She also shares tips to find balance during this chaotic time, and even closes the podcast with a guided meditation you can try at home. Just like having a map or GPS can help you when you are lost in the woods, a system to help you cope with grief can help you feel less overwhelmed and frightened when the tsunami hits.

Bereaved father and business leader R. Glenn Kelly (Ron) shares on the job self-care tips, as well insights into how business leaders and colleagues alike can cultivate a grief-literate work environment. Ron is the author several books, including Grief in the Workplace and Sometimes I Cry In The Shower: A Grieving Father's Journey To Wholeness And Healing.

Mindfulness for First Responders can help those who serve us cope with daily stress and trauma of the job. Learn how Kim Colgrove went from Widow to Warrior, & is helping our front line heroes in the process.

At the age of 38, Claire Hoffman became a widow when her husband experienced a drug overdose. A mother of one, Claire describes this event as having a butterfly effect over her entire world. In an effort to cope with the loss and gain wisdom and insight, Claire has gathered together grief experts from around the world for the Liberate Your Grief Spotcast, a 5 day event offering hope and healing to anyone who has experienced a major loss. Learn more about Claire at http://liberateyourgrief.com.

In this episode we explore our deep love for our pets, why we mourn them,  and how they can help us feel connected to our deceased loved ones when they are alive. Guest Dave Roberts, LMSW, shares how two cats, Bootsy & Angel, helped him cope with the death of his daughter, and the impact their deaths had on him.

If you have ever wanted to know more about your grief dreams, or have wondered why you have not had one yet, this episode is for you. Dr. Black shares the three different types of dreams that occur after loss, plus the different themes that have emerged in his studies of spouse/partner loss, pet loss, and prenatal loss related dreams. You will also learn tips and techniques that can help both children and adults use their grief dreams - or desired grief dreams - to do very important grief work. 

Jan Warner, author of Grief Day by Day: Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living With Loss, shares how her deep love for her husband Artie lives on, how to deal with people who just don't understand, and how Grief Day by Day can help you become your own "grief whisperer." What I love about this interview with Jan is her honest and unfiltered view of life after loss that balances the reality of the pain of loss with the love and levity that helps you continue to live on.

Molly Hicks, music therapist & bereavement counselor shares the principles of music therapy, and how music can help you cope with grief and express how you really feel. She shares an original song, "Call in the Light," which is "about darkness and light, which is very common in a lot of music and a lot of songs....the person who is grieving can call in a source of light from themselves and also from the memories that they share with their loved one and the bonds that they still have with...

So often we refer to grief as a journey. It is a path no one chooses, but many people learn a lot about themselves along the way. Dave Roberts is bereaved father, and someone I consider to be a Grief Sherpa.  From the early childhood loss of his father abandoning him and his mother, through his daughter' Jeannine's death decades later, Dave has walked his own path of loss with his mind, heart and spirit wide open. Learn more about his personal and professional journey in this episode.

One of the things we can to do help ourselves navigate grief is to relearn how to connect with our self and our departed ancestors and loved ones. It is important for us to find a way to continue our story, even though the plot-line has changed dramatically. Mindfulness can help with that, and Laurie Cameron has some compassionate insights and practices that can help us do both.

Maria Mora, a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian, shares how we can help our body help itself by giving it the proper nutrition, and how we can use self-compassion to work with an eating disorder or disordered eating during grief.  If you are dealing with an eating disorder or disordered eating, it can be critical that you give your body the food and self-compassion you need to create a solid foundation for healing. Learn more about Maria Mora at http://www.integratedeating.com/.

Learn helpful and compassionate ways we can help children cope with grief, including how to help them help themselves, so they can build coping skills that will last a lifetime.  Jana DeCristofaro, LCSW and Community Response Program Coordinator of The Dougy Center shares her wisdom on Children & Grief, including how peer support can empower children, and the many ways we can help at home and at school.

In this episode, you will learn how Hope turned to yoga and mindfulness to help her overcome her struggle with bulimia as a young woman, and manage the pain after her first born daughter Faith died only twenty minutes after her birth. Hope Zvara has turned her suffering into a mission: Help Others Purposefully Excel by using the three Bs: Breathe, Body, and Belief. Listen and then learn more about Hope & her work at http://hopezvara.com.

Meditation for grief can help you cope with the pain and overwhelming emotions of loss, provide much needed self-care, as well as find new footing in your very changed world. It may even lead to posttraumatic growth. Author Heather Stang discusses the second edition of her book, Mindfulness & Grief, with guest host Karla Helbert. Learn more about Heather & her work at http://mindfulnessandgrief.com.

Claudia Coenen offers creative and compassionate practices from her new book, Shattered by Grief: Picking Up the Pieces to Become WHOLE Again, and the Karuna Cards deck, which contains 52 exercises and prompts to help you cope with grief and difficult life transitions. Claudia is a Fellow in Thanatology, Certified Grief Counselor, and offers private sessions online and in Hudson, NY. Learn more about her at https://www.thekarunaproject.com.

Learn inspiring ways to celebrate family & friends and the importance of actively engaging in your grief-work from Allison Gilbert, author of Passed & Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive and Emmy Award Winning Journalist. Learn more about Allison and subscribe to her newsletter at http://allisongilbert.com.