The Grief Gurus

In this guided meditation, we explore the idea of “putting ourselves in the way of beauty”—intentionally allowing ourselves to notice, receive, and be moved by what we find beautiful in the world around us.

Whether it’s nature, art, music, or the quiet presence of another person, beauty has a way of softening us, grounding us, and reconnecting us to something deeper. But what we often forget is this: the same life force that allows us to recognize beauty is also within us.

This meditation is an invitation to slow down, to notice what draws your attention, and to gently remember that you are not separate from what you find beautiful. You are part of it.

In this practice, you’ll be guided to:
 • Open your awareness to moments of beauty
 • Reflect on your relationship to what you perceive as beautiful
 • Soften self-judgment and reconnect with your inner worth
 • Experience yourself as part of the same living presence you admire

This is not about becoming something new. It’s about remembering what is already here.

Take this time to pause, breathe, and place yourself gently in the way of beauty.

For more on the origin of this quote, visit https://www.cherylstrayed.com/

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

Being told “You’re so strong” is often meant as a compliment—but in grief, it can feel isolating, dismissive, or like you might be grieving "too well"

In this episode, we explore why this common phrase doesn’t always land the way it’s intended, and what people who are grieving may actually need instead. We talk about the importance of feeling seen, supported, and discuss ways to respond.

Sharing practical conversations about grief, coping, and living with loss, Carol and Lisa from Grief Gurus share insights and tools to help you build a healthier relationship with grief and difficult emotions.

If you’ve ever felt unseen in your grief—or want to better support someone who is—this conversation offers a more compassionate perspective.

👉 Subscribe for support navigating grief, processing difficult emotions, and finding a path forward after loss and visit www.thegriefgurus.com

#thegriefgurus #carolbanens #lisamcfarland #healing

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

In this guided meditation, we gently explore what it means to ask for help, receive support, and recognize that our needs matter too.

Many of us have learned to care for others while ignoring ourselves. We may struggle to ask for help, question whether we are worthy of care, or believe healing should happen alone. But healing often begins when we pause, notice what we truly need, and respond with compassion.

This meditation invites you to:

• Reflect on whether you allow yourself support
 • Recognize unmet needs with honesty and kindness
 • Explore self-worth and deservingness
 • Practice showing up for yourself in a healing way
 • Strengthen the connection between awareness and action

Sometimes healing is not about having all the answers. Sometimes it is simply about noticing what is needed—and taking one loving step toward it.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, breathe gently, and allow this time to be for you.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

Grief is often treated like something to fix—but what if that approach is actually making it harder?

In this episode, we explore a different way of understanding grief: not as a problem to solve, but as an experience to be met with curiosity, compassion, and care. When we stop trying to “fix” grief, we can begin to listen to it, learn from it, and gently integrate it into our lives.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re grieving the “wrong” way or pressured to move on, this conversation offers a more supportive and honest path forward.

Practical conversations about grief, coping and living with loss, Carol and Lisa from Grief Gurus share insights and tools to help you build a healthier relationship with grief and difficult emotions.

👉 Subscribe for more grief support, emotional healing tools, and mindful approaches to loss and visit www.thegriefgurus.com.

#thegriefgurus #carolbanens #lisamcfarland #notbroken

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

When you’re grieving, everything can feel heavy, flat, or far away.

But what if there was a way to shift your brain chemistry—without forcing positivity or “moving on”?

In this 20-minute guided practice, we explore how small acts of generosity can:

•  Give your brain a natural boost of oxytocin and serotonin 
•  Ease isolation (even just a little) 
•  Help you reconnect—at your own pace 

No big gestures. No pressure.
Just small, human moments that can make a difference.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

“Time heals all wounds” is something many grieving people hear—
but for most, it doesn’t feel true.

In this episode, we talk about why grief doesn’t simply fade with time, and why that phrase can feel frustrating, dismissive, or even painful to hear.

Because grief isn’t something that disappears.
It’s something your relationship to changes.

We explore what actually helps when you’re living with loss—and why support, awareness, and connection matter far more than time alone.

If you’ve ever felt like you “should” be further along, or wondered why time hasn’t made things easier… this conversation is for you.

Because grief is part of your story… but not the whole story.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

What happens when you gently invite your mind to look for something good?

In this 18-minute reflection, we explore a simple shift—guiding your attention toward something positive and noticing what that feels like.

This isn’t about ignoring grief or forcing yourself to feel better.
It’s about creating a little space… and allowing your mind to experience something different, even briefly.

Because where we place our attention matters.

And sometimes, even a small shift can change how a moment unfolds.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in heavy or repetitive thoughts, this is a quiet way to begin.

Take a few minutes, listen, and see what you notice.

Because grief is part of your story… but not the whole story.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

What do you do when a difficult emotion shows up—especially when it feels like too much?

In this episode, we talk about a simple but powerful practice called the RAIN technique, developed by Tara Brach. It’s a four-step approach—Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture—that can help you respond to emotions with more awareness, rather than getting pulled under by them.

But more than just explaining the steps, we talk about what this actually looks like in real life—especially in moments of grief, overwhelm, or emotional intensity.

Because difficult emotions don’t need to be fixed or pushed away…
but they also don’t have to take over.

This is a practical way to begin relating to them differently.

If you’ve ever found yourself caught in a wave of emotion and not sure what to do next—this conversation is for you.

Because grief is part of your story… but not the whole story.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

There are moments that stay with us—
words that were said, or left unsaid, that continue to echo long after they’ve passed.

In this guided meditation, we create a quiet space to gently reflect on one small thing that brought you pain—something heavy that still lingers.

This isn’t about forcing forgiveness or letting go all at once.
It’s about softening your hold on what’s been carried… and allowing a little more space around it.

Through gentle guidance, you’ll be invited to notice, feel, and release—at your own pace, in your own way.

If something has been sitting with you, even quietly, this is a place to begin.

Find a comfortable space, and simply listen.

Because grief is part of your story… but not the whole story.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.

In this episode, you’ll meet Carol Banens—co-host of Grief Gurus and co-creator of our community.

This conversation comes from one of our Guest Guru Live Sessions inside the Grief Gurus community, where we have more personal, in-depth conversations about grief and life after loss.

Carol is a grief and loss counsellor, certified grief educator, coach, and published author who supports people navigating the deep and often complicated experience of loss—especially the loss of a partner.

But more than that, she brings something that can’t be taught—
the understanding that comes from walking through grief herself.

In this conversation, Carol shares the story of the love of her life—her husband, Brian—who died eight years ago.

Together, we take a deeper look at what that loss has meant, how it has changed over time, and what it looks like to continue living with grief while still moving forward.

We talk about:

•  what grief actually feels like beneath the surface 
•  why time alone doesn’t heal 
•  and how having someone beside you can change the experience of loss 

Because grief isn’t something you simply “get through.”
It’s something you learn to live with.

And it becomes more manageable when you don’t have to do it alone.

If you’ve been listening quietly and wondering what it might feel like to have support that truly understands this experience—this conversation is a place to begin.

You can learn more about the Grief Gurus community here:
www.thegriefgurus.com

Because grief is part of your story… but not the whole story.

Show Notes + Resources:

Grief Gurus Healing Community: www.thegriefgurus.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GriefGurus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegriefgurus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgurus/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGurus/

Lisa McFarland: https://lisamcfarland.com/

Carol Banens: https://carolbanens.com/

Information on books written and published by Lisa and Carol can be found on their individual websites, social media profiles and Amazon.