When someone dies, the relationship does not simply disappear.

Even after loss, people often continue to feel connected through memories, rituals, objects, music, traditions, dreams, or the ways their loved one shaped who they are. In grief work, these ongoing connections are called continuing bonds.

In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Heather Stang and Amanda Palermo explore Step 6 of the Mindfulness & Grief System: Continuing Bonds.

Heather and Amanda talk about the natural ways people stay connected after loss, why continuing bonds are a healthy part of grief, and how relationships continue to evolve over time. They also explore complicated grief relationships, the difference between comforting connection and emotional avoidance, and why grief does not require letting go of love.

Through personal stories, mindfulness practices, and honest reflection, this episode offers a compassionate approach to understanding how connection can continue after death.

You will learn:

• What continuing bonds are and why they matter
• Why relationships continue after loss
• How grief changes connection instead of ending it
• The role of rituals, objects, and memory in grief
• How to navigate complicated or difficult relationships after death
• Why mindfulness and self-compassion matter in continuing bonds work
• How grief can coexist with love, meaning, and growth

This episode is not about "moving on" from the person you love.

It is about learning how the relationship changes, and discovering what connection can still look like now.

🧘 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Continuing Bonds
01:00 Reviewing the Mindfulness & Grief System
10:00 Why Continuing Bonds comes later in grief work
11:30 Repeating the story of the loss
13:00 "That relationship does not end. It changes."
14:00 Realizing you can still have a relationship
15:30 Why continuing bonds are not toxic positivity
16:00 Wearing a loved one's clothes after loss
19:00 How continuing bonds evolve over time
20:00 The "taiko taco" remembrance story
21:30 Why people say "move on"
23:00 Replaying the story of the death
24:30 The fear of forgetting someone
25:00 Focusing on the story of their life
26:00 The imprint meditation practice
27:00 Continuing bonds with complicated relationships
31:00 Heather's experience with the imprint practice
33:00 Grief, abuse, and trauma-sensitive care
35:00 Learning to care for yourself
36:00 Holding multiple truths at once
38:00 "It wasn't toxic positivity. It was honesty."
41:00 Mother-daughter relationships and guilt
43:00 Trauma, grief, and healing
45:00 Trusting yourself in grief
47:00 "How am I going to get through this?"
49:00 Preview of Step 7: Allowing Transformation
53:00 Continuing bonds and choosing what to carry forward
54:00 Closing reflections

Resources and links:

🌿 Full show notes:
https://heatherstang.com/podcast-64/

💜 Join Awaken Grief Support (Free 14-day trial):
https://heatherstang.com/grief-group/

🎓 Mindfulness & Grief Coach Certification:
https://heatherstang.com/mindfulness-grief-coach-certification/

Sometimes in grief, you feel like you're doing better.

You're getting through the day. You're sleeping more. Maybe you've started to reconnect with parts of your life again.

And then, out of nowhere, a wave hits.

It can feel like you're right back where you started.

In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Heather Stang and Amanda Palermo explore Step 5 of the Mindfulness & Grief System: Getting Unstuck.

This step speaks to that common experience of feeling stuck in grief, and gently reframes it. Because most of the time, you're not actually stuck. You're moving through a process that is not linear, predictable, or easy.

Heather and Amanda talk about the "boomerang" nature of grief, why waves come back even when you thought you were doing better, and how the belief that you should be progressing can add another layer of suffering.

They also share practical ways to shift your perspective, including working with the five mental hindrances, expressive arts, and journaling practices that help create movement when things feel heavy or stuck.

You will learn:

• Why grief can feel like it's going backward
• What "being stuck" in grief really means
• How to shift your perspective when nothing seems to change
• The five mental hindrances and how they show up in grief
• How expressive arts can help release what feels stuck
• A powerful journaling practice using different points of view
• Why "appreciation" may feel more supportive than gratitude in grief

This episode is not about fixing your grief or forcing progress.

It is about understanding your experience in a new way, and creating space for movement, even when things feel stuck.

If you've ever thought, "I was doing so well, why does this feel so hard again?" this conversation is for you.

🧘 Timestamps:

00:00 Feeling "stuck" in grief
01:30 The boomerang metaphor
03:15 "But I was doing so well"
05:00 Why grief isn't linear
07:30 The myth of progress in grief
10:00 Acceptance vs fighting the process
13:00 Tasks of mourning vs stages of grief
16:00 What it really means to get unstuck
18:30 The five mental hindrances
22:00 Longing, resistance, and anxiety
26:00 Exhaustion and doubt in grief
30:00 The yoga philosophy perspective
33:00 Grief as energy that needs to move
36:30 Seasons of grief
40:00 Expressive arts and grief landscapes
45:00 Amanda's canvas practice
52:00 Releasing what feels stuck
56:00 Journaling from different perspectives
1:02:00 Writing from a compassionate voice
1:06:00 Appreciation vs gratitude
1:10:00 Closing reflections

Resources and links:

🌿 Full show notes:
https://heatherstang.com/podcast/

💜 Join Awaken Grief Support (Free 14-day trial):
https://heatherstang.com/grief-group/

🎓 Mindfulness & Grief Coach Certification:
https://heatherstang.com/mindfulness-grief-coach-certification/

🎥 Free Living With Grief Workshop:
https://heatherstang.com/living-with-grief-workshop/

When grief brings up difficult emotions, it can be hard to know what to do next. Do you lean in? Do you step back? Do you let yourself cry, or do you take a break from the intensity?

In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Heather Stang and Amanda Palermo explore how to tend to difficult emotions with more wisdom, discernment, and care.

This is Step 4 of the Mindfulness & Grief System: Skillful Courage.

Skillful courage in grief is not about force or fearlessness. It is about learning how to listen to yourself, knowing when to approach what hurts, and knowing when to rest. Heather and Amanda talk about the pressure to "be strong," the fear of being overwhelmed by grief, and why vulnerability is not weakness. They also explore how grief can show up in many forms, from crying and anger to numbness, confusion, and withdrawal.

You will learn:

• What skillful courage means in grief
• Why difficult emotions are not the enemy
• How to discern when to lean in and when to step back
• The difference between intuitive and instrumental grieving styles
• Why being called "strong" can sometimes feel like pressure
• How the RAIN practice can help during a grief wave
• A mindful movement practice for vulnerability and strength
• A journaling prompt to help you reconnect with your inner courage

This episode is not about pushing through grief. It is about learning how to be with what hurts in a way that is honest, grounded, and kind.

If grief has been feeling overwhelming, or if you are unsure how to respond when difficult emotions arise, this is a gentle place to begin.

🧘 Timestamps:

00:00 Step 4: Skillful Courage
01:35 What this step is really about
03:20 Learning when to lean in and when to step back
05:10 Trusting your own experience in grief
08:00 Making space to cry, or not
10:25 The fear of being overwhelmed
13:10 Grief is more than tears
16:05 The many emotions inside grief
19:45 Feelings as messengers, not enemies
22:20 Intuitive and instrumental grieving
28:10 Moving the energy of grief
31:40 The pressure to be strong
36:25 Vulnerability and courage
40:05 Discernment and inner wisdom
45:15 The RAIN practice
52:40 Using RAIN in everyday life
57:30 Dancing with strength and vulnerability
1:03:15 A journaling prompt for courage
1:07:20 Strength, resilience, and rest

Full show notes and resources:
https://heatherstang.com/podcast/

Connect with Amanda on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/amandapalermo1018

Work with Heather

💜 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/