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/