Friends of California Grief Center,

We owe much to the women who have pushed past doubt and dismissal to shape the course of medicine and science in the 20th and 21st centuries. To those who peered through microscopes and saw what others overlooked—like Barbara McClintock, who unraveled the secrets of genetics, or Tu Youyou, who scoured ancient texts to discover a cure for malaria. To Rosalind Franklin, whose work illuminated the double helix of life, even as others took the credit. To the quiet and relentless minds of countless women in labs and hospitals, making breakthroughs not only for recognition but because lives depended on it.

May their determination remind us that discovery is not just the work of genius, but of grit. That progress is not inevitable—it is made, often by those whose names we don’t know, whose shoulders we stand upon. And may we never forget that the future of science, like its past, depends on those willing to do the work, even when the world isn’t watching.

Navigating Political Chaos with Mindful Presence (Free Virtual Event)

Join us this Saturday, February 22nd, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM PT for a special free virtual session of HOPE Group (Healing Ourselves through the Present Experience).

In a world that often feels like it’s tilting off its axis, how do we stay steady? As political and ideological storms rage on in 2025, this gathering offers a refuge—a space to breathe, to center ourselves, and to remember that clarity and compassion are still within reach.

We’ll begin with a gentle guided meditation, followed by a dharma talk that speaks to the heart of these turbulent times. Then, we’ll open the space for discussion, where we can reflect, share, and find our footing together.

Come as you are. Bring your breath, your thoughts, your hope—or your exhaustion. Let’s navigate this moment with presence and care.

🔗 Register Here

Catharsis Theater: Love and Loss – A Free Fundraiser for Healing (Paris, France)

Once in a while, something comes along that reminds us what it means to be human. Not just in the grand, philosophical sense, but in the quiet, everyday way—how we love, how we lose, how we find each other again in the wreckage. On Sunday afternoon, February 23rd, in Paris, we are opening the doors to such a space. Catharsis Theater: Love and Loss is not a performance to be observed; it is a gathering to be stepped into, a shared reckoning with the grief we carry—the kind that lingers in our bones, the kind that reshapes us in ways we never asked for. Some grief is loud, some is quiet, but none of it is meant to be carried alone.

This is free because healing should not have a price. But it is also a fundraiser, because the best things in life—grace, kindness, resilience—are meant to be shared. If this experience lightens your load, if you leave feeling a little more whole, we invite you to give what feels right. Donations will go toward those rebuilding their lives: California wildfire survivors and refugee families finding home again through Miry’s List. So bring your grief, in whatever form it takes. Bring your laughter, your silence, your willingness to be part of something real. And if, by the end, you feel the weight shift even slightly—if the air moves through your lungs a little easier—consider passing that gift forward.

🔗 Register Here

Upcoming Opportunities for Connection

💛 Mindfulness-Based Grief Relief (MBGR) Practice Group

Healing Ourselves through the Present Moment (HOPE)

📅 Next Virtual Session: March 29 | 10:00 AM (PT) | 1.5 hours (Zoom)

🔗 Register Here

🌿 Intro to Mindfulness – 4-Week In-Person Series

📅 Dates: Tuesdays, March 4, 11, 18, & 25, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM PT
📍 Location: Santa Monica Meditation Center - 1430 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404
🎓 Teacher: Anushka Hauerstock
💰 Cost: Donation-based (No one turned away for lack of funds)

🚗 Ride Sharing Sign-Up Available

Step into mindfulness with this four-week introductory series, designed to cultivate awareness, self-compassion, and resilience. Guided by experienced teacher Anushka Hauerstock, participants will explore core meditation techniques to reduce stress, ease habitual thought patterns, and bring clarity to daily life. Through guided meditations and reflective exercises, this course lays a strong foundation for ongoing practice.

🔗 Register Here

Questions? Contact [email protected]

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