Jul 29, 2026

24 min

Grief Without A Rulebook, with Niki J. Borger

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Grief doesn’t wait for permission, and it rarely arrives as “just sadness.” Sometimes it’s anger, regret, nostalgia, relief, or a strange emptiness that shows up after a breakup, a career shift, a move, or the quiet death of an old identity. We sit down with Niki J. Borger, an international actor, transformation coach, and guided meditation creator based in Los Angeles, to talk about what grief really is and why emotional honesty is the thread that makes healing possible. 

We get specific about what unprocessed grief can look like when no one else can see it: forcing yourself through the day, losing your ability to enjoy things, feeling overwhelmed, or wanting to disappear under the blankets. From there, we explore the gap between understanding a loss in your mind and actually moving through it in your body. Niki shares an energy-based lens on where grief can feel stuck, often around the heart and lung area, and why tightness in the shoulders can be part of the story too. 

You’ll also hear gentle, practical tools you can use right away, even if you’re brand new to meditation. We walk through a simple breathing practice that lengthens the exhale, plus a way to breathe into the exact area where you feel tension. For the long arc of healing, we talk about stability and routine, and why treating yourself “like a houseplant” can be the most grounded grief support there is: water, sunlight, nourishment, movement, and people in the amount you can handle. 

If you’ve been holding your grief alone, let this be a soft place to start. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with someone who needs words for what they’re carrying, and leave a review so more listeners can find support when they need it most.


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