Personal and Global Grief: How to Process Both Without Overwhelm Through Meditation & Poetry

How do you welcome a new year when your heart is still holding grief? Host Meryl Arnett sits down with beloved poet James Crews to explore the essential practice of turning toward grief rather than away from it. In this conversation, James shares insights from his latest poetry collection "Turning Toward Grief" and offers gentle guidance on holding both sorrow and beauty as we enter 2026.What You'll DiscoverWhy poetry becomes essential during grief and how it helps us process emotions that feel too big for ordinary wordsHow to comfort someone who is grieving through James' beautiful poem with practical wisdom about presence versus fixingHow to hold personal grief alongside global uncertainty without becoming overwhelmed or shutting downPerfect ForPeople processing recent losses or grief who want gentle, practical guidanceMeditation practitioners experiencing difficult emotions during practiceCaregivers and healing professionals dealing with secondary grief and overwhelmAnyone feeling the weight of global events and personal challengesFeatured GuestJames Crews is a celebrated poet whose work focuses on turning toward life's most difficult emotions with tenderness and wisdom. Author of multiple poetry collections including "Love Is All Is for All of Us" and "Turning Toward Grief," James creates accessible, healing-centered poetry that helps readers navigate loss, love, and the complexities of being human.Learn more about James at https://www.jamescrews.net/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.In 2026, Our Mindful Nature will release seasonal series rather than weekly episodes, allowing for richer, more in-depth explorations of meditation and mental health topics. Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.