Friends of California Grief Center,

We honor the women who have shaped and nurtured the mindfulness movement in the United States, including Trudy Goodman, Pema Chödrön, Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Tara Brach, and Sylvia Boorstein, whose wisdom and dedication have made these teachings accessible to so many. Their work has created a refuge for those facing suffering, offering practices that cultivate equanimity, resilience, and peace. May their teachings continue to be a source of strength for all who seek solace in troubled times, from individuals navigating personal loss to communities enduring terror and upheaval around the world.

Catharsis Theater: Living in the Age of Grief (Free)

Every month, we open our doors in downtown Culver City for one free Catharsis Theater show—not just to witness, but to gather, to mend, to remember what it means to be human. This month, it’s for anyone carrying grief of any kind: the quiet ache of a lost love, the relentless weight of work, the slow erosion of health, the sting of political disillusionment, the existential kind that settles in your bones. No grief too small, none too large.

Catharsis Theater works because grief is not just something we think about—it’s something we carry in our bodies, something that longs to be seen, heard, and moved through. Long before psychotherapy had a name, humans gathered to tell stories, to act out suffering and joy, to make sense of the unbearable through ritual and shared experience. We are social creatures, wired for connection, and healing happens when we step into a space where our pain is not just understood but witnessed, transformed, and even, for a moment, lifted.

In this way, Catharsis Theater is both ancient and immediate—a place where what troubles us is given breath, where grief is given shape, and where we remember, together, that we are not alone.

Register Here 

Mindful AI: Integrating (“AI-Proof”) Your Job or Business

In the Mindful AI Series, we gather with the intention to not just listen, but to learn, to question, to make sense of the sweeping changes already underway. This month, it’s for anyone who wants to AI-proof their job or business—whether you’re a skeptic, a curious beginner, or already knee-deep in the digital tide. No prior knowledge of AI is necessary. Just bring your mind, your worries, your wildest ideas.

AI is not something you can truly grasp from a distance. It’s not meant to be passively absorbed through a screen, half-listening while checking emails. It is complex, slippery, powerful—something best understood in a room with others, in real conversation, where ideas spark off one another and abstract concepts take shape in real time. That’s why this workshop is in person. Because learning AI should not be another disconnected Zoom call; it should be embodied, engaged, alive.

Andrew Taylor, a subject matter expert on Artificial Intelligence, will guide us through what AI really is, how it’s shifting industries, and most importantly, how you can adapt, stay relevant, and even thrive. AI is not just about machines; it’s about us—how we work, create, and make meaning in a world that is changing fast. And like all big changes, the best way through is together.

Register Here 

Upcoming Opportunities for Connection

💛 Mindfulness-Based Grief Relief (MBGR) Practice Group
Healing Ourselves through the Present Moment (HOPE)

📅 Next Virtual Session: February 22 | 10:00 AM (PT) | 1.5 hours (Zoom)
🔗 Register Here

At the California Grief Center, we offer grief therapy and group experiences designed to support you through loss. Visit www.caligrief.com to learn more about our services and upcoming events.

With care and compassion,
Brian Stefan, LCSW
Founder, California Grief Center