Soulsong: Return to Love
A 4-day Retreat for Grievers
ARE YOU READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR PAIN
INTO MEDICINE FOR THE WORLD?
February 7th-10th, 2025 @ Halfmoon Haven Retreat Center Sunshine Coast, British Columbia
Retreat is currently full. Please email info(at)darkwoodsofgrief.com to join the waitlist.
NOTE: Earlybird price ends November 1st, 2024
"When we have experienced a major, life altering loss, Love is the only place we can rest. When we learn to stop resisting the downward pull and lean into to what is, our grief becomes an initiation into the full depth of being human. Grief continually brings us to our knees. When we enter communal grief ritual, we find ourselves looking up into the eyes of others who are also there, we see that we are the same. In acknowledging the true nature of 'everything we love we will lose' (Weller), we return to Love with unshakeable faith in our common humanity. " -Josea
Through the Depths of Grief, the Soul Calls
When we experience major loss, crisis or change in our lives, it is common to feel disoriented, overwhelmed or even completely undone. And yet these type of experiences, since time immemorial, have also been the hallmarks of INITIATION.
The initiatory quality of grief is one not to be disregarded. When we can learn to embrace this process and turn our pain into medicine, not only do we find a deeper connection with our soul and a sense of renewed purpose in the world. We also deepen our connection with LOVE, with SPIRIT, and with LIFE.
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 receive the gifts of our grief…
When you feel it, it is a feeling so ancient & profound, that your whole body cannot help but move towards it.
And yet it can also feel daunting, and we may hesitate – because our Soul often asks more of us than we are ready to give.
Our Soul doesn’t mind our mistakes and failures. What our Soul takes issue with is when we ignore its Song – its voice – guiding us home.
There are many gates to this Soul journey home, and grief is certainly one of them, along with reverence for life.
And there are as many gates to grief as there are types of loss and change in our lives.
We are often initiated into grief and soul work through the death of a loved one or other major loss.
But the Soul also asks us to recognize and honor the letting go of patterns, beliefs, attachments, world views, identities, hopes for the future, dreams, longings for what may never be, or even our old ways of knowing as we’re asked to step into a wider perspective.
Sometimes, the task is to find a space to learn about the grief we have not yet recognized or acknowledged.
Every so often, we must have a place we can rest & feel ourselves deeply.
Quiet enough for us to hear the Song of Our Soul.
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.
the
Retreat
dates: February 7-10th, 2025
What to Expect:
- This is a weekend of guided, intentional practices, held in confidence among participants, to tend to our personal and collective grief and to honour the care of the Soul.
- Arrival Friday evening – we ask everyone to aim to arrive between 4-6pm.
- Friday dinner at 6pm followed by opening circle + deep rest.
- Saturday we will have ample time and supportive practices to build the energy towards the heart of the weekend, the Truth Mandala ritual on Saturday afternoon.
- The opportunity to share and express through this ritual will be open for everyone, and is optional. When one person moves energy, they move it for the whole group, and the whole group supports them to do this.
- This ritual is a profoundly life-giving way to meet the energy of grief and trauma, allowing real healing to take place for ourselves, our ancestors and the planet. It is based on the work of Joanna Macy + the Work that Reconnects.
- Sunday will be focused on gentle integration practices in the morning + evening, and free time in the afternoon (journal, nap, walk on the beach, or indulge in bodywork + spa available on the premises etc), we do ask that you stay on or near the retreat grounds/area to support the ritual container… (ie no forays into the nearby town etc unless absolutely necessary and communicated with facilitators).
- Monday morning we will have a light breakfast followed by closing circle and a light lunch + goodbyes at 12pm. Check out from rooms is at 11am, with full departure by 1pm. If you need to leave earlier than 1pm or would like to stay another night, please let us know.
Why we are processing grief in a retreat setting
Amongst the oldest peoples it has been said that grief and gratitude are but two sides of the same coin called Love, and if we suppress our grief for too long, we also lose touch with gratitude and our ability to love fully.
And yet, feeling our grief without the support of connection and community can be simply unbearable.
In order to return again and again to our fullest joy, aliveness, connection with each other & love for life we must have a space to express and process our grief.
When we can honor our humanity through community ritual, we begin to find the beauty in everyday life again.
We see and feel in our bones that we are truly not alone.
This builds resilience and increases our capacity to stay with these feelings on our own.
All forms of grief are welcome, both personal loss and trauma, both ‘minor’ and devastating, as well as more transpersonal/collective grief.
This event is LGTBQ & BIPOC friendly.
We hold the intention to cultivate a safe space for all beings.
We believe diversity of perspectives is what creates community, and that this work is not easy but it is necessary.
We hold the intention that everyone who wishes to be here and is willing to be accountable for their actions & speech belongs here.
As facilitators we strive to be accountable for our own actions & speech, and to uphold our values of compassion, kindness & inclusivity.
“Grief is a necessary & vital form of protest against domestication & the idea that we are supposed to be, ‘in control,’ at all times. It refuses to allow us to occupy that state of being. Grief serves a Wild God & does not comply with conformity or well-mannered lives.”
~ Francis Weller
Registration
Earlybird Price Ends November 1st, regular price is $1200usd.
Space is limited to 14 participants - register in advance to ensure your spot.
Accommodation & Nourishment
When you register you will be asked to fill out a registration form and select your preferred accommodations.
Preference will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pricing below includes meals + snacks.
Email info@throughthedarkwoods.ca to inquire about availability.
| Room Type | Bathroom | View | Nightly Rate (USD) | Total (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Bed, Private | Shared | Ocean | $200 | $600 |
| Queen Bed, Private | Shared | Garden | $195 | $585 |
| King Bed, 1 Roommate | Ensuite | Ocean | $183 | $550 |
| Single Bed, 1 Roommate | Ensuite | Ocean | $164 | $490 |
| Queen Bed, 1 Roommate | Shared | Ocean | $178 | $535 |
| Double Bed, 1 Roommate | Shared | Garden | $155 | $465 |
| Single Bed, 1 Roommate | Shared | Ocean or Garden | $158 | $475 |
| Camping/Car Camping** | $129 | $387 |
*Total for Accommodation & Food for 3 Nights/4 Days.
Food included from dinner on Friday to lunch Monday before departure.
**Limited availability and remember, it is February!
Note: All rooms have access to shared bathrooms (shared with up to 3-4 other people except King bedroom which has ensuite bathroom shared with roommate)
see where you'll be staying...
Rest Relax Rejuvenate Sunshine Coast Style
Halfmoon Haven is located on one of the most secluded beaches on the Sunshine Coast: Welcome Beach. Just 2 hours from Vancouver, this magnificent property is situated on a sandy beach in a sheltered bay, facing the Pacific Ocean with magnificent views of the Gulf Islands.
With tropical landscaping, a full size sand volleyball court, beach chairs and our therapeutic hot tub, Halfmoon Haven offers a rare opportunity to truly relax and rejuvenate, Sunshine Coast Style!
Why Grief Ritual
We are in recovery on so many levels – social isolation, ecological collapse, systemic racism – not to mention our own personal grief, trauma & loss and that of our ancestral lineages.
We must have places where we can rest & feel ourselves deeply, so we can reconnect with the nourishment and beauty of the Earth, ourselves & each other.
This retreat is not a place to be fixed, but to allow what is broken to rest.
To allow emotion to arise, be felt, and pass through us as it is meant to – energy in motion.
To remember who you are.
Amongst the oldest peoples it has been said that grief and gratitude are but two sides of the same coin called Love, and if we suppress our grief for too long, we also lose touch with gratitude and our ability to love fully.
And yet, feeling our grief without the support of connection and community can be simply unbearable.
We are conditioned to turn away from or suppress our pain (and also our joy!), and we are often encouraged to ‘stay positive’ or ‘look on the bright side rather than being authentically with what is.
This turning away from the pain allows violence to continue in the world, as pain unprocessed soon becomes either so deeply internalized that we get sick, or projected on those we deem “Other.”
Suppressed pain also blocks joy & pleasure.
In order to return again and again to our fullest joy, aliveness, connection with each other & love for life we must have a space to express and process our grief.
When we can honor our humanity through community ritual, we begin to find the beauty in everyday life again.
We see and feel in our bones that we are truly not alone.
This actually builds resilience and increases our capacity to stay with these feelings on our own.
This day of Grief & Gratitude is intended as a container to honour, own and release emotions that society has rejected – emotions that are rooted in love and our sense of justice for self, community, culture and planet.
All forms of grief are welcome, both personal loss and trauma, both ‘minor’ and devastating, as well as more transpersonal/collective grief.
faq
The main credential for this training is having grief. If you have never experienced grief yourself and don’t resonate with the idea that grief is an ongoing practice and skill set rather than something to “get over,” this training may not be for you.
While basic counselling skills can be helpful in facilitating this work and this is NOT a basic counselling skills training, it is not necessary to be a counsellor or psychotherapist or have other credentials to facilitate grief work in the way it is taught in this training.
This course is open to anyone and is especially beneficial to mental health professionals, community organizers, healing arts practitioners, teachers, mindfulness practitioners, coaches, and anyone seeking to find a greater literacy and skills in grief work, ritual practice, and space holding in service to community wellbeing. This is an education program and not a licenser program.
- Through the Dark Woods is a part of the training and that group meets 2x per month via zoom on Monday evenings from 5-7pm PST, see TTDW page for dates
- The facilitator training also meets one Tuesday morning per month from noon-2:30pm PST March 21st, April 4th, May 2nd, June 6th …summer & fall dates TBA
- In addition, there are 3 full weekend retreats as part of the training April 21-23rd, August 4-6th & November 10-12th.
You will receive a certificate of completion when you reach the end of the training. This certificate acknowledges your mentorship with me and my endorsement of your facilitation and grief tending skills. It is like a blessing for you to bring your unique gifts into the world using these ways as a vehicle.
Ritual is a powerful way of making what is an invisible internal process visible and tangible. Because of the physical movements and actions that take place in ritual which represent the internal movements and changes taking place, it is innately somatic.
It allows the use of the collective energy to hold and meet a charge in the nervous system that could not otherwise be met and processed. Most indigenous cultures worldwide use some form of ritual to process grief and trauma.
As people move through the steps in the various forms of grief rituals I’ll teach you, there is a transformation that happens that is far different than what can occur in 1:1 therapy or self-healing work. I believe collective, community ritual is critical to embodied healthy culture.
Definitely not. This is a year long training and we journey very deep together. We begin in late March 2023 and once the journey has set sail, the ship will not reenter port again until 2024! Come now or come not!
About Your Facilitators
Josea Tamira Crossley
Main Facilitator
I have over 23 years study and experience working with grief and trauma, and have been facilitating grief ritual and retreats for the past 7 years. My work is grounded in training in Somatic Therapy, Attachment Theory, Healing Sexual Trauma, Deep Nature Connection, Visionary Craniosacral therapy, SER, Shamanic Study, Holistic Nutrition and Yoga.
I have trained with Francis Weller (author, Wild Edge of Sorrow), Mariah Moser (Relational Somatic Psychotherapy), Peter Levine (SE), Diane Poole Heller (DARe), Irene Lyon (SmartBodySmartMind), Elizabeth Claire Burr (CST, SER & Vijnana Yoga) & 8 Shields Institute.
I believe firmly in the intertwined health of individual, community & ecosystem. As the world falls apart around us, we need each other more than ever. If you feel called, I am so looking forward to meeting you in retreat.
Christine Hrvatin, RTT
Christine, or Q, is one of my dearest friends in this world and has supported me through so many of my own personal moments of deep grief. She carries a depth of wisdom and love that I believe comes partly from growing up with a grandmother who was born in the Old Country of Yugoslavia and raised in a true village, and partly from being so deeply called to breaking from worn out convention and following her own soul-song in this world. You can read her full bio and check out her work at coherentmind.ca.
