Mindful Grief

06/06/2026

There are moments in grief that don’t feel like sadness in the obvious sense.

They feel like interruption.

Like walking into a room and forgetting why you came in, except it’s not a task you forgot. It’s a presence you can no longer reach.

We notice it in ordinary places most often.

Standing in line somewhere and realizing everyone else seems to be moving through the day with a kind of continuity that doesn’t match what the griever is carrying.

Or coming home and instinctively thinking “I should tell someone something”, and then remembering there is no one to turn toward in that way anymore.

What’s strange is how life doesn’t pause for that.

The kettle still boils. The light still changes. People still ask normal questions.

And you find yourself learning how to exist in two layers at once: what is happening outside, and what is no longer happening inside.

Not all days feel like survival. Some just feel like participation at a reduced volume.

But even that can be something.

Not resolution.

Just a kind of staying.

If you’ve been through loss, what’s one ordinary moment that felt unexpectedly heavy or different afterward?

With love and care,

Yasemin 💚

05/09/2026

During my medical visit yesterday, my nurse wanted to introduce me to a nurse on the floor interested in mindfulness. (She’s been saying I’m her favorite patient, with my attitude and all.. She is the most amazing nurse I could have asked for. So grateful)… I said “of course”. So the other nurse stopped by. We had a lovely and lively conversation, about life, illness, caregiving, spiritual and existential experiences while also being ill, caregiving, working, getting our PhDs….

The conversation turned towards grief. I happened to have a copy of my book in hardcover with me. Somehow, when I was leaving home, I thought that I should grab a copy in case someone needs it. And here, I looked into her eyes and offered my book to her. She was flabbergasted, after all our talking, especially after I encouraged her that a book with her as the author was waiting to be written, once she finished working on her PhD. She checked my book out, then asked where she can buy it. I told her that’s her copy, and if she wants, I could sign it. It was a lovely exchange with her giving me a hug, twice. Then asking if she’d be my nurse in the future, if the opportunity arises.

I offered she could reach out with any questions, professionally. I didn’t bother mentioning that I work with a lot of healthcare teams supporting managing burnout and stress which are so common, or that I have a program that covers that. This was her space and her future dreams.

I am right now working on my fourth and fifth books, with a couple more planned.

For now, I’d love to mention where you can buy this book, on healing grief with mindfulness and compassion. It’s based on 40 years of mindfulness practice, 15+ years of teaching mindfulness and compassion, personal grief and loss, and 12+ years working supporting grieving individuals and communities. It feels to be my life’s purpose and heart’s work. I hope that you or someone you know would benefit from it.

Much love,
Yasemin

https://a.co/d/05Dg6THf

30 Days of Comfort for Grief: Tending the Grieving Heart, Mind and Body with Mindfulness and Compassion

04/25/2026

Sitting with discomfort when it is about another person is often one of the most difficult relational skills.

It can show up when someone is sick, quiet, overwhelmed, or simply not in a place to engage. There is often a strong impulse to respond by talking more, explaining, offering interpretations, or trying to make sense of what is happening. Not always because the other person is asking for it, but because not knowing what to do can feel uncomfortable.

What is easy to miss is that this discomfort is not only about the other person. It is also happening in us. Sometimes quite strongly. In fact, the discomfort we feel as an observer can be equal to or even greater than what the other person is actually experiencing. We are not directly inside their inner state, but we interpret it through our own lens, assumptions, and emotional responses.

Because of that, we can easily project more intensity onto the situation than what is actually present for them. We start to manage our own unease by trying to manage theirs.

But in doing so, we can disrupt something important.

There are moments when the other person is actually doing fine in their own internal way. They may be resting, coping, or simply existing in a way that feels steady to them, even if it looks unfamiliar or uncomfortable from the outside. When we step in with too much interpretation or conversation, we can unintentionally pull them out of that steadiness. What we experience as care can become interference.

Sitting with discomfort in this context means noticing that urge to fill the space and choosing not to act on it immediately. It means allowing silence to remain silence. Allowing not knowing to remain not knowing. Allowing the other person’s experience to stay theirs without converting it into something we manage or try to understand.

It also means recognizing that presence is not the same as input. Care does not always require words. Sometimes it is simply not adding more onto what is already there.

This kind of restraint can feel unfamiliar, especially when we are used to relating through thinking or explaining. But relational respect often shows up in how well we can tolerate not intervening.

In the end, sitting with discomfort is not about doing nothing. It is about not turning our own emotional reaction into action that overrides someone else’s space.



-YI Mindful Grief

04/07/2026

The Artemis II astronauts requested that an unnamed crater on the moon be dedicated to Carroll Wiseman, the wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020 at age 46. Carroll Wiseman, a pediatric nurse practitioner, had two daughters, Ellie and Katherine, with Reid Wiseman. According to The Sunday Times, Reid Wiseman was ready to give up his dream of becoming an astronaut when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. But she refused to let him. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4dte8OI

03/10/2026

When you’re carrying loss, even small moments can touch the bruise. If that happens today, pause and place a gentle hand on your heart.

03/08/2026

Do you feel guilty in your grief?

Here’s an excerpt from my book.

02/28/2026

We need genuine space and time for healing.

I’ve been supporting those navigating grief, caregivers, people living with illness, and other losses, and people wanting to find meaning and purpose in their lives, for over 12 years.
I believe true healing and meaningful discovery happen in genuine spaces, where attention has room to feel, experience, learn, and heal.

My dedication to my life’s work is solid and strong.
I’m stepping back from social media for a bit, away from the noise that muddies the real feelings. It has started feeling inauthentic to be in places where AI is taking over and claims to know what you truly need, often learning from the experts -without permission- who have spent years to get to their knowledge, to make a few bucks for those who are not the experts themselves in helping heal human hearts, where quick fixes are and sensational lines are repeated -even sometimes re-traumatizing the readers-, where shortcuts are assumed to lead you on a healing path.

I am making a choice, at least for now, to remain in a space where I can represent myself authentically, focus on your healing, share the spaces for true connection, without sound bites. Just human-to-human connection. Going deep, understanding what you need, and create your path to wholeness again.

Let’s meet heart-to-heart at
www.griefcircles.com

01/31/2026

01/31/2026

The world is heavy and uncertain. The first step is to acknowledge it.

You don’t have to fix it all. You can’t fix it alone.

Focus on what you can do safely and realistically.

Check in with neighbors or friends.

Even small gestures make a difference.

If you are overwhelmed or grieving,

take care of yourself first.

Know your capacity, be reasonable, and stay safe.

Drops in the ocean matter.

Your care, steady and grounded, reaches farther than you think.

Care for yourself

Care for the world

May all beings be safe and peaceful 🌿

01/17/2026

Grief can feel overwhelming. Gentle guidance can help.

Mindful Grief: A Gentle Companion Through Loss offers a compassionate space to process your emotions, honor your loved one, and find moments of peace in the midst of all there is.

Through thoughtful journal prompts and soothing mindfulness exercises, this guide supports you in cultivating self compassion and learning how to carry your loved one’s love and memory with you.

Written through the lens of grief and mindfulness expertise, the Mindful Grief Guide: A Gentle Companion Through Loss meets you where you are and walks beside you, step by step.

Grief can be overwhelming, but you do not have to face it alone, or figure it out from scratch.

Comment GUIDE ⤵️ for ways to support yourself through grief and moments of peace in the midst of all there is, and I will share the link.