Practice Peace & Find Meaning In Everyday Life

I created the Mindfulness & Grief System to help people cope with the pain of loss and when ready, create a meaningful life. The tools in Awaken not only help you cope with grief, but find peace and reduce suffering in every day life.

I never expected that so many people would stay in Awaken beyond acute grief, and yet the community we have is so supportive that members who no longer feel they need a weekly grief group don't want to leave. This is why I added the twice monthly Perpetual Mindfulness class, based on the 8th Module of the Mindfulness & Grief System.

Perpetual Mindfulness is for members ready to focus on living after loss in a meaning and peaceful way. While the process of mourning isn't something we complete, eventually your focus turns towards rebuilding your life while maintaining a connection to your loved one.

This will be similar to the community meditation classes I led in my physical space pre-pandemic, which focused on living a compassionate and meaningful life at home, at work, in our interests, and in our relationships.

Unlike a public class, you won't feel a need to hold back when grief arises, because we all get it. And unlike the Monday/Tuesday Awaken group, discussion will focus more on the future as you embark on your new life (all while honoring the love that remains).  

About Heather Stang

Heather discovered yoga and mindfulness while she was the CEO of a web development company and diagnosed with a stress-related illness. These contemplative practices inspired her to live a life in service to others, and she became a suicide/crisis hotline call specialist in honor of her uncle who died by suicide when Heather was a child.

Heather relied on her mindfulness training to maintain a calm and compassionate attitude both on the job and at home after difficult shifts. Additionally, Heather volunteered as a trainer and call specialist on the New Orleans hotline just weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region, and she was a research assistant for a NIMH-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Research Project. This experience inspired her to pursue a Masters in Thanatology (Death, Dying & Bereavement Expert) from Hood College, which she earned in 2010.

Heather is on the Advisory Board for the highly regarded military family survivor organization Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and offers professional training and workshops to organizations including the Association of Death Education and Counseling, Hospice Foundation of America, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. She has contributed chapters to Superhero Grief (2020), Intimacy and Sexuality During Illness and Loss (2020), Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment and Intervention (2015), and the forthcoming Handbook of Grief Therapies (2021).

Heather is grateful for the giants upon whose shoulders she stands, from ancient beings to her modern-day teachers.