The Mindfulness & Grief School
Get Support for Your Grief This Holiday Season and Beyond
The holidays can feel especially difficult when someone you love is missing. Familiar traditions, gatherings, and quiet moments may bring up feelings you weren't expecting.
At the Mindfulness & Grief School, you'll find live online grief support, guided meditation, journaling, and a caring community where you can show up just as you are.
Join the Mindfulness & Grief School free for 14 daysThen $49/month · Cancel anytime
Learning to live with loss
Grief changes everyday life
Grief can change how you sleep, think, feel, and relate to the people around you. At the Mindfulness & Grief School, you'll learn practical ways to care for yourself as you adjust to life after loss.
You may be getting through the day when something small brings your grief rushing back. A song, an empty chair, or the realization that you have to make another decision on your own.
Managing these moments alongside everyday responsibilities can be exhausting.
Grief changes us. Learning to live with those changes gives us more ways to care for ourselves and the people we love.
Cope with the pain of grief
When sadness, anger, anxiety, or loneliness feels overwhelming, learn meditation, relaxation, and body-based practices you can use in the moment.
Adjust to life after loss
Explore changes in your routines, relationships, and responsibilities, and find practical ways to care for yourself as life changes.
Explore what you want to carry forward
Use mindfulness and journaling to explore guilt, regret, unfinished conversations, and complicated memories, while deciding what you want to carry forward.
Discover who you are now
Loss can take away familiar roles and parts of the life you expected. Explore what still matters to you, what you can choose, and how to rebuild a meaningful life on your own terms.
A different kind of grief support group
The place where grief does not need an explanation
At the Mindfulness & Grief School, you can talk openly about your experiences, including difficult emotions, complicated relationships, and the ways grief is changing your life.
There's room for honest conversation, tears, laughter, and simply listening. Over time, you'll get to know people who understand your grief and appreciate you for the person you are.
I have attended other grief support groups, but what was missing was a knowledgeable mediator and tools! … Heather has created an incredibly safe space full of kindness, patience and compassion.
Before this course I was having anxiety and depression. The weekly practice was powerful, but integrating my practice into my daily life was especially helpful. I am calmer now. Even when I focus on my grief, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming.
I truly love the community! I call it “My People” because we can understand each other in ways others who haven't met themselves or their grief in the same way that we have learned to do.
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Meet your guide
Meet Heather Stang, your grief support guide
I'm Heather, a thanatologist, mindfulness teacher, and author. For more than 20 years, I’ve helped people understand grief and discover ways to care for themselves when life has changed after a death.
I created the 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System because people need more than a place to tell their story. Talking matters. So does learning what to do when you can’t sleep, when your mind keeps replaying what happened, or when the future feels unfamiliar.
I personally lead our live groups. We talk about love, anger, relief, guilt, loneliness, and the complicated feelings that can come with losing someone. I also teach practical mindfulness skills you can try during the week, whenever you need them.
When you join, your first 14 days include a personal one-on-one welcome call with me. You can also send me a private message through the Mindfulness & Grief School between meetings when you have a question or would like guidance.
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Your membership, your way
Find support in the ways that work for you
Your Mindfulness & Grief School membership gives you several ways to receive support, so you can choose what feels useful at different times. You'll have opportunities for live conversation, personal guidance, structured learning, and quiet reflection.
Some days you want to be with people who understand. Other days you need a way to settle your mind before bed, work through a difficult emotion, or make sense of something that happened.
Come for the conversation, stay for the community, and take the practices into your everyday life.
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The Mindfulness & Grief System
Learn a system for caring for yourself through grief and beyond
The 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System gives you a practical framework for navigating loss and caring for yourself along the way. Through guided meditations, reflection, and everyday practices, you'll learn how to respond to difficult emotions, adjust to change, and develop skills that support your well-being long after the most intense moments of grief.
Step 1
Conscious relaxation
Settling your mind and body
Learn ways to settle your mind and body when grief makes it hard to rest. A short relaxation practice can give you a moment of steadiness.
Step 2
Mindful awareness
Noticing more than what hurts
Notice what is happening in your thoughts, emotions, and body with curiosity, rather than feeling you must immediately change it.
Step 3
Compassion for all
Easing self-criticism and judgment
Practice meeting guilt, self-criticism, loneliness, or difficult emotions with the same care you would offer someone you love.
Step 4
Skillful courage
Choosing when to face difficult feelings
Explore how to turn toward painful feelings when you have the capacity, and how to pause or step away when that is what you need.
Step 5
Getting unstuck
Loosening the grip of recurring thoughts
Use reflection, journaling, and creative practices to explore recurring thoughts, regret, avoidance, and experiences that feel unresolved.
Step 6
Continuing bonds
Carrying your connection forward
Explore what connection means to you now, including love, difficult memories, and complex relationships. You can choose which bonds to nurture and how.
Step 7
Allowing transformation
Making room for who you're becoming
Make room for the ways loss has changed your roles, priorities, and sense of self, without pressure to find a silver lining.
Step 8
Perpetual mindfulness
Making mindfulness part of everyday life
Build an ongoing collection of practices and resources you can return to as grief, your needs, and your life change.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions about online grief support
Learn how the School works, who it's for, and what to expect from our live gatherings, mindfulness practices, and membership.
Understanding grief support
What is a grief support group, and how can it help?
A grief support group brings people who are grieving together for understanding, connection, and guidance. Groups may focus on sharing experiences, education, coping skills, or a combination of these approaches.
Support groups offer opportunities to talk about loss, learn from others, and feel less isolated. The Mindfulness & Grief School also teaches meditation, journaling, and practical skills for responding to grief in everyday life.
Learn how online grief support works .
What types of grief support groups are available?
Grief support groups may be peer-led, facilitated by a grief professional, offered by a hospice or community organization, or focused on a particular loss, such as the death of a spouse, parent, child, or sibling.
Some bereavement groups meet in person; others meet virtually. The Mindfulness & Grief School is a professionally facilitated online community that combines connection, grief education, and mindfulness practices.
Read more: How to choose an online grief support group .
How do I find the right grief support group for me?
Consider the type of loss you're experiencing, who facilitates the group, whether meetings are online or in person, and how comfortable you feel with the approach.
Some groups focus on sharing experiences, while others incorporate education or practical coping skills. Think about whether you'd prefer a structured program, an informal peer group, or a combination.
The School offers professionally guided meetings and a personal welcome call with Heather to help you get oriented.
Read more: Is a grief support group right for you?
How do I know if a grief support group is right for me?
A group may be helpful if you want connection with people who understand, guidance for difficult moments, or somewhere to explore how grief is changing your life.
Consider the atmosphere, opportunities to participate quietly, and whether the group offers practices you can use outside meetings. Your welcome call with Heather gives you a chance to ask questions and see whether the School fits your needs.
Who the School supports
Who is the Mindfulness & Grief School for?
The School welcomes adults grieving the death of someone important to them, including a spouse or partner, parent, child, sibling, friend, or another loved one.
Some members are recently bereaved. Others have lived with loss for years or are adjusting to life after illness and caregiving. Members bring different relationships and experiences, including love, anger, guilt, relief, and mixed emotions.
The School is especially well suited for people who want to do more than talk about their grief. If you're looking for practical coping skills, mindfulness practices, and guidance on applying what you learn in everyday life, you'll find opportunities to learn, practice, and connect.
Explore grief after a difficult relationship .
What types of loss does the Mindfulness & Grief School support?
The School supports adults grieving the death of a family member, friend, or another important person in their life. Members are welcome whether the death happened recently or years ago.
People join after many kinds of losses, including:
- Loss of a spouse or partner, including a husband, wife, or life partner
- Loss of a parent or grandparent, or another important family member
- Death of a child, including an infant or adult child
- Death of a sibling, including a brother or sister
- Death of a friend or chosen family member
- Death following illness or caregiving, including a death after hospice care
- Sudden or unexpected death, including accidents or suicide
These are examples, not a complete list. Every relationship is different, and the circumstances surrounding a death can shape how we grieve.
What if my loss was years ago?
You can join whether the death was recent or happened years ago.
Grief changes over time and may become more noticeable around anniversaries, family milestones, holidays, or major life transitions. The School offers ongoing ways to connect, reflect, and practice as your needs change.
Read about coping with waves of grief .
Will this grief support group ask me to let go of my loved one?
No. Relationships can remain meaningful after someone dies. In bereavement scholarship, this is often described as continuing bonds.
You may discover new ways to remember, honor, and stay connected to the person who died while continuing to live your own life. The School gives you opportunities to explore what that connection means to you.
Explore nurturing the continuing bond and continuing bonds journaling .
What if the person who died and I had a difficult relationship?
Grief can include love, anger, relief, longing, disappointment, and unresolved questions, sometimes all at once.
When a relationship involved conflict, estrangement, or painful experiences, the death may change what can still be said, repaired, or understood.
The School makes room for these experiences. Through conversation, mindfulness, and journaling, you can explore what the relationship meant, acknowledge what hurt, and care for yourself without pressure to forgive or reach a particular conclusion.
Read grief after difficult relationships and Neimeyer's work on meaning reconstruction .
What month of grief is the hardest?
There is no single hardest month and no universal timetable for grief.
Some people experience intense distress during the first weeks after a death. Others notice more sadness after the immediate demands have quieted. Holidays, anniversaries, family events, and everyday reminders can bring grief into focus much later.
Research documents differences in how people experience and adapt to bereavement over time. The School responds to what you're experiencing rather than measuring grief against a prescribed timeline.
Further reading: Research on individual differences in grieving and coping with waves of grief .
Does this grief support group use the five stages of grief?
No. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross made important contributions by listening to people who were dying and opening conversations about death in health care. However, the five stages are not a reliable sequence that bereaved people must experience.
Grief varies across people, relationships, cultures, and time. The School draws on contemporary thanatology and mindfulness-based approaches rather than measuring progress through prescribed stages.
Research: Charles A. Corr on the five stages and Stroebe, Schut, and Boerner's review of stage theory .
Live groups and practical tools
Are there online or virtual grief support groups?
Yes. Online grief support groups allow people to connect from different locations, including places where in-person bereavement resources may be limited.
The Mindfulness & Grief School meets live on Zoom. You can participate from home or another private place with an internet connection and access the self-paced learning materials between gatherings.
How does the live group work?
Heather personally facilitates two live grief support groups each week. Each meeting includes a grief-related theme, opportunities for reflection and conversation, and time to connect with other members.
There is also a separate live meditation and journaling gathering each week, making three live sessions in total.
Do I have to talk during the group?
No. Sharing is always your choice.
You can listen, reflect, ask a question, or participate in a practice. Some members enjoy telling their stories, while others prefer to listen or become comfortable with the group before speaking.
Will a grief support group make me feel worse?
Talking about grief can bring difficult emotions closer to the surface. A well-facilitated group provides choice, structure, and opportunities to participate in ways that feel manageable.
In the School, Heather guides meetings around grief-related themes and mindfulness practices. You'll also learn ways to recognize what you're feeling and respond with greater awareness.
Explore whether online support feels right now .
Do I need to attend every live session?
No. Attend the meetings that fit your schedule, energy, and needs.
You can work through the self-paced course, use the meditation library, and participate in the community between live sessions.
What if I'm new to mindfulness and meditation?
The Mindfulness & Grief School welcomes beginners and experienced meditators alike. Heather teaches in everyday language, with clear instructions, simple practices, and opportunities to ask questions.
You'll learn how mindfulness can help you recognize what's happening in your thoughts, emotions, and body, especially during difficult moments. You can adapt practices to your needs and work at your own pace.
Meditation is one part of the School. You'll also learn through conversation, journaling, reflection, and other practical activities.
Does the School include grief journaling?
Yes. Your membership includes a weekly live meditation and journaling gathering, along with guided journal prompts and worksheets in the digital resource library.
Grief journaling can help you explore difficult emotions, reflect on your experiences, work with unresolved feelings, and consider how grief is changing your life.
You can write privately, participate in guided exercises, or share your reflections during group discussions if you choose.
What is the 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System?
The 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System is a practical framework Heather created to help people care for themselves through grief and beyond.
The eight steps are Conscious Relaxation, Mindful Awareness, Compassion for All, Skillful Courage, Getting Unstuck, Continuing Bonds, Allowing Transformation, and Perpetual Mindfulness.
Together, they offer ways to work with physical and emotional responses to grief, unresolved feelings, changing relationships, identity, and everyday self-care. They're practices you can return to as your needs change, rather than stages to complete in order.
The approach draws on established grief scholarship, including William Worden's work on the tasks of mourning and Robert A. Neimeyer's research on meaning reconstruction .
You can also explore a mindfulness practice for grief .
Membership and the free trial
What makes this different from a traditional grief support group?
Many grief support groups focus primarily on conversation and peer connection. The Mindfulness & Grief School combines those benefits with professional facilitation, grief education, guided mindfulness, journaling, and the 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System.
You'll learn practical ways to respond when grief affects your body, thoughts, emotions, relationships, and everyday routines. Heather also provides personal guidance through a one-on-one welcome call and private messaging between meetings.
What is included in the 14-day free trial?
Your free trial includes the live grief support groups, weekly meditation and journaling gathering, self-paced course, community, and guided resources.
It also includes a complimentary one-on-one welcome call with Heather and private messaging support between meetings.
What happens after the free trial?
After your first 14 days, membership continues at $49 per month unless you cancel. You'll retain access to the School's live gatherings, courses, resources, and community.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. You can cancel your membership anytime. The free trial gives you an opportunity to experience the School and decide whether you'd like to continue.
Grief support and professional care
What is the difference between a grief support group and grief counseling?
A grief support group brings people together for connection, understanding, education, and sometimes practical coping skills.
Grief counseling generally provides more individualized support from a qualified professional. Psychotherapy with a licensed mental health clinician can include assessment and treatment for mental health conditions.
Some people benefit from participating in a bereavement group while also receiving individual counseling or therapy.
Read more: Different types of grief support .
Is the Mindfulness & Grief School therapy?
No. The School provides grief education, mindfulness practices, guided resources, facilitated group support, and community.
It is not psychotherapy, diagnostic assessment, medical treatment, or crisis care. If you need individualized treatment for trauma or a mental health condition, a licensed mental health professional can help.
Explore different kinds of grief support .
When should I seek help from a mental health professional for grief?
Consider consulting a licensed mental health professional if your distress remains severe, everyday functioning is substantially affected, you're experiencing persistent traumatic symptoms, or you'd like individualized assessment and treatment.
There is no universal deadline for grieving. The amount of time since a death alone doesn't determine what kind of support is appropriate.
The School can complement professional care but doesn't replace individualized treatment.
If you're in immediate danger, contact emergency services. In the United States, you can call or text 988 for crisis support.
Clinical information: American Psychiatric Association: Prolonged Grief Disorder .
Your support continues here
You Don't Have to Navigate Grief Alone
Whether the holidays feel especially difficult or you're looking for support in everyday life after loss, the Mindfulness & Grief School offers a welcoming place to connect, reflect, and find your way forward at your own pace.
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You'll be welcomed by Heather personally, with a caring community and practices to support you through the holiday season and the days that follow.