Jen Johnson is offering this course on mindfulness for grief through University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill’s Program on Integrative Medicine.
The Mindful Way Through Grief is for anyone moving through loss in its many forms—personal, collective, anticipated, or unnamed. Grief is a natural response to love and change, yet it is often rushed, silenced, or carried alone.
Through mindfulness-based practices, gentle teaching, and reflective inquiry, this course invites participants to meet grief with presence and compassion. Rather than trying to fix or move beyond loss, we will practice skills for learning to stay, growing our capacity to be present with the difficult emotions, bodily sensations, and thoughts that often accompany grief in ways that ease overwhelm and foster steadiness.
Each week includes guided mindfulness practices and simple, practical tools that can be woven into daily life. No prior mindfulness experience is needed. This course is open to anyone seeking to meet grief with greater ease, kindness, and compassion.
DATES: Thursdays, April 2 – 23, 2026
TIME: 9:30 – 11:00am Eastern Time
COST:
$225 General Public
$200-UNC Affiliate employees
$175- UNC students
Mindfulness for grief offers a gentle, practical approach to navigating loss. Grief can appear as waves of sadness, anxiety, disorientation, and longing. Mindfulness helps us stay present with these emotions without judgment. Through focused attention on breath, body sensations, and moment-to-moment experience, we can notice grief as it unfolds rather than being overwhelmed by it. This awareness creates space to acknowledge sorrow, honor loss, and build emotional resilience.
In this workshop, participants will explore mindfulness for grief through practices specifically designed to support presence and compassion. You will learn tools to ground yourself during intense emotions, cultivate steady presence, and respond to loss with compassion toward yourself and others. These techniques are adaptable to daily life, offering both immediate relief and long-term skills for emotional well-being. Mindfulness does not erase grief, but it helps us relate to it more skillfully, fostering healing and a sense of stability amidst change.