Yoga + Grief Day Retreat April 2023
A while back, I wrote a blog on Seven Ways to Heal Childless Grief (read the full article here)
One of the suggestions was to:
Make Space for Your Grief.
No one else will make space for your grief if you don't. It will not go away if unfaced; it will come out in confusing ways. Creating space for your grief can look many different ways. It can be journaling about how you feel; it can be taking time to feel what you feel without shutting it down; it can be done alone; it can be done in a group.
If you have been pushing it aside, it can be daunting to turn toward your grief. It took me time to soften the acute pain of loss to face it without being taken down. It took experimenting to see what supported me in meeting my pain; it took understanding that the feelings wouldn't disappear, but they would soften; it took being with others who could relate to my pain to feel 'normal.'
Unfortunately, many of us don't have the skills or experience of grief tending, so we don't know where to start or what to do.
I inadvertently started my grief-tending practice on my yoga mat. I am a long-time yoga practitioner, so my mat was a comfortable and familiar place to be. I approach physical practice as a moving self-study. It is an opportunity to check in with my body, emotions and thoughts and see what is there. It is a container within which I can be with my grief.
Since then, I have incorporated writing, breathwork, candle rituals, being in nature, sharing about my grief, and self-compassion into my grief-tending toolbox. I don't do all these things all the time; I pick and choose depending on what feels right on any given day.
I invite you to experience a range of grief-tending practices and build your toolbox by joining me and my long-time friend Satya Jehman for a one-day retreat on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Tending the Heart:
A Day of Yoga, Reflection, & Ceremony to Honour & Integrate Loss
Everyone has experienced loss in some form. But unfortunately, many of us haven't had access to tools and safe spaces to be witnessed; to integrate our grief.
While death is the most commonly recognized source of grief, many other life experiences result in grief.
All forms of primary and secondary loss are welcome at this retreat. This is not a retreat specifically for childless women, all are welcome.
Join Satya (Vedic Priestess Temple) and me, Sarah Jane (The Nest Yoga and Embodied Possibility), in a welcoming, sacred space to connect with others and be less isolated in your grief.
Over our time together, you will:
Bring self-compassion and awareness to how grief is showing up in your body.
Relieve physical and mental tension.
Acknowledge the shared humanity aspect of grief.
Learn to meet yourself in grief with kindness and compassion. Learn to give yourself the support that you need.
Build a toolkit to support your grief tending at home.
Support your grief journey with ancient traditional yogic practices from India.
This is also an opportunity to:
Gather with others who are grieving,
Be seen and heard with compassion,
Feel a sense of belonging,
Alchemize grief in a safe and supportive container.
RETREAT DETAILS
Through movement, breathwork, reflective journaling and ceremony, we will bring understanding, self-compassion and awareness to how grief shows up, is held, and is released. We will also learn ancient traditional yogic practices from India that tune us into holding, working with, and integrating our grief.
This retreat is anchored in the work of world-renowned grief specialist and author Francis Weller, specifically his Five Gates of Grief.
Together, we will build a grief-tending toolkit so you can turn toward your grief, build a relationship with it, and integrate what you find.
Date and time: Saturday, April 22nd, 10 am - 6 pm
Location: Enso Oceanfront Retreat Centre, Salt Spring Island.
Investment: Early Bird: $175 until April 8th. Full Price: $225. The price includes a delicious Indian Lunch.
For more details and to register, visit here
