Many people who suffer the death of a loved one cling to the experience of grief long after the actual pain of loss goes away. This is because grief itself is a complex issue, fraught with misinformation and unrealistic expectations, often leading to interpersonal isolation at the times people need connection the most. Ironically, it is often by embracing the experience of grief that people become most fully mindful of life.

Grieving readers will find, in this book, a new understanding of their own grief process. They will learn about the spiral staircase, a metaphor used to describe the ebb and flow of emotional pain that typically follow loss. The book offers readers ways to cope with the events and situations that trigger personal grief by using mindfulness exercises and radical acceptance, a concept that encourages the experience of grief rather than its denial. Ultimately, the book presents strategies for making life more meaningful by acknowledging death and working to embrace life.