🍂 The wind and rain have been keeping me awake many nights these past few weeks…
I can’t help but LOVE these autumn storms that are making the ocean rage and the trees bend. It’s so powerful!!
It fits the intensity of emotions running through the collective nervous system recently.
I want to remind you of the crucial importance of making space for our grief in times like these.
Processing our grief, both personal and collective, supports the collective nervous system. It also helps us feel better!!
✨ We must also find moments of joy and beauty. (Even glimmers..) ✨
These precious things help us stay connected to life, despite forces that would have it otherwise.
What small beauty has touched you today?
If there hasn’t been much, try this: get outside in nature, or dance to your favourite music for 5 minutes.
We do a lot of dancing and nature connection at Dark Woods of Grief.
When you’re working with grief, you have to have ways to ground and uplift the energy.
We have several smaller offerings for you to dip your toes into our community this holiday season.
These offerings aim to honor grief, as well as beauty and magic. We hope you will join us! (details below)
Also, new podcast interview below etc, so keep scrolling for lots of good stuff. 👇🏼
A few weeks ago, Dr. Amanda Kemp hosted me on the Mothertree Podcast to talk about grief.
As a parent, she had questions about how to balance giving space to our grief with parenting—not an easy thing! We discussed the need for emotional authenticity. We also talked about how to do this without overwhelming our kids with our grief.
In the aftermath of several massive hurricanes, we talked about grieving natural disasters and their impact, as well as colonial violence.
The podcast is entitled, “The Hidden Danger of Grief,” as we talked about the impact unprocessed grief can have on the personal as well as societal levels.
We discussed skills for grieving. We busted the myth that grief work has to be heavy. In fact, it should be “enlightening.” I hope you enjoy listening – you can find it linked here =>
Listen on Apple Watch on Youtube. Listen on Spotify.
I loved meeting with this woman, as we are both deeply dedicated to collective liberation – her Mothertree Community is something rare and beautiful.
Stay tuned for more as I hope to have her on the Dark Woods podcast soon!
The holiday season can be a time of joy, connection, and happiness.
But for grievers, it can be one of the most difficult times to get through.
Memories of lost loved ones or ended relationships can bring tremendous grief. The holiday season can also bring up past trauma and challenging family dynamics.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we also face long nights and cold weather.
We may spend more time inside and less time in nature, and even if you go outside, there is less sunlight to warm the bones.
We need to find ways of tending to our grief and the Soul life, or it can become overwhelming and too much to get through.
Having community that can hold our grief becomes even more essential.
I want to invite you to a seasonal grief circle held in our Dark Woods of Grief Community.
We will honor both the sacredness of this season as well as your grief.
There will be an (optional) opportunity to share your experience and be witnessed in a sacred way.
You will explore a journaling practice, somatic attunement, and a gentle movement practice. You will also learn a simple ritual you can carry with you for times when you wish to remember that you are not alone.
Join us, Monday December 2nd 5-7pm for Grieving Through the Holidays – a Dark Woods of Grief Seasonal Offering.
At the Winter Solstice, the Earth’s energies invite us to reflect and dream.
It is an opportunity to release energies that are no longer serving our highest good.
From there, nature draws us into a quiet phase of new ideas and creativity.
This ritual is a powerful way to connect your actions to your intentions & truest desires.
Together, we’ll hold space for your desired transformation.
What is it that you want to finally let go of before entering into the next period of rebirth and creation?
We do this ritual together, as a community, every Winter Solstice.
You will feel supported and seen in a sacred way as you release what must go.
This magnifies your intention of release and the power of your transformation.
Creating space opens up possibilities you might not yet imagine for the year ahead.
What a wonderful gift to give yourself amidst the chaos of the holiday season.
Whether you’re spending this time alone or with family, the holidays can bring up a lot of emotion. We can all, on some level, at least relate to the unspoken tension of the season.
It can come from family, finances, or that “end of the year” feeling.
It creates pressure to have ‘accomplished’ something this year. Then, we know what’s around the corner….
“New Year, New Youuuuuu!!!” An overwhelming amount of pressure to become all the things you couldn’t be last year.
It’s enough to bring out the Grinch in anyone!
What if amidst all the busyness of society, you tap out for a few hours and give yourself permission & time to tap IN. ✨
To align with the earth and the season.
To trust your body’s wisdom about what you truly need.
To name, acknowledge, and release what you are ready to let go of with intention.
(this is SO powerful!)
✨What if you made space for YOU? ✨
This is a consent-based space where you get to do it your way, held in a group of folks committed to this work.
We’ll use some powerful somatic-based tools and practices. They will help you stay resourced over the holidays, no matter where you are.
This offering lets you dip your toes into the Through the Dark Woods of Grief Online Community, without the commitment.
We will open our doors to new members in mid-January. As you enter 2024, consider giving yourself a safe place to rest. It is a space free from advice or fixing. 💛
A great community and some valuable tools to help you become more of your true self.
💛We bring curiosity rather than prescriptions.💛
💛Listening and witnessing rather than advice💛
💛A variety of practices rather than a “one-size-fits-all” way💛
WHERE: ONLINE
WHEN: DEC 16th 5-7pm pacific time
WHAT TO BRING: Yourself, a candle & a stone you are okay with releasing back to nature
COST: $20 + optional donation to scholarship fund
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WINTER SOLSTICE RELEASING RITUAL
In a world that tells us, “Pull up your bootstraps and carry-on,” “Haven’t you taken enough time off work?” etc, it can be hard to know where we are truly supposed to be, let alone to make the space to actually grieve well.
Every so often, and especially when we are grieving, we must have a place we can rest & feel ourselves deeply.
🐚 This retreat is a place to allow what is broken to rest.
🐚 It is a place to listen inwardly, and be witnessed in what you find. 🙌🏽
🐚 To remember who you are, or perhaps, to find out who you are now, after everything.
🌊 Join us February 7-10th on the gorgeous Sunshine Coast, British Columbia at Halfmoon Haven Retreat Center
4 days of deep rest & transformational grief work.
$1200usd + food + accommodation – 2 partial scholarships avaiable, BIPOC folks prioritized for scholarship.
***Currently only 5 spots left ***
💛These beautiful words came from participants of our last retreat, held in December 2023.
I share these with you so you can feel the depth and sacredness – the healing and connection that happens at these retreats.
This will likely be our only “public” retreat offering for 2025.
💛Registration is now open and we have just 5 spots remaining. 💛 for more details & to register go HERE.
💛”I dreamed so vividly afterwards, like I haven’t in ages. So much clearing and deep healing happened for me.” – SS
💛”The world is shining a little brighter now after all the love and healing we shared together – such a special group of people!” – BD
💛”I am basking in the tenderness of our time together, and weaving so many little rituals we learned into my home life. I’m finding myself crying, grieving, loving + laughing so easily throughout my day. Thank you everyone for holding my grief with me. There is nothing like this kind of sacred space.” –DK
💛”The level of connection at this retreat was a gift, a shared journey through the depths of emotions and strength that lies within vulnerability. It is with a heart full of gratitude that I remember our time together.” – FC
💛”I’m holding tight to the beauty and love – closing my eyes and visualizing our circle. And smelling the heavenly aromas from the forest and the kitchen. What a life-changing experience.” – KF
💛”What an amazing time together. Such love, such life, such pain and such opening to healing. It takes a ton of bricks to break me open to my own pain – I find it easier to feel others – but now I know that won’t get me to healing unless I’m willing to feel my own. The retreat got me there, but I know I need to keep it going and will need reminders. I’m so glad to have found this community!” – BP
Learn more & register here now
With Love,
Josea and the Dark Woods Team
