grief integration
ritual & retreat
november 10 - 12, 2023
Love and loss.
They can’t be separated.
It is the great tragedy of love.
It is the great surprise of loss.
Loss, like love, is relational.
It requires an “other”.
It requires a safe container.
It requires free expression.
Grief re-members us into wholeness
Re-wilds us into naturalness
Re-minds us of who we relationally are
Re-news our sense of purpose in this life
Re-claims our authentic expression
Re-veals our wildest strengths through our most tender vulnerability
Join me for an intimate grief ritual and retreat November 10th on the Oregon Coast to re-awaken in community and in care.
grief
Grief is a natural response to loss. It is a universal human experience and yet also, completely unique to each person. Grief is a powerful energy filled with medicine when we learn to be with it in a healthy way and when we learn to integrate it into our lives. Grieving in community allows us to touch the depth of our sorrow and grief while we are held in connection and care by a village of heart open and compassionate people. Grieving in community is a key ingredient to being with, moving, and apprenticing with our grief.
Many of us have been grieving silently our entire lives or we have actively been avoiding or grief (and/or trauma) all together. Many of us grew up without healthy models or examples of how grief, sorrow, rage, and disappointment can be engaged with and related to. Many of us grew up under pressure to “be happy” and to “move on” quickly so as not to burden others. Many of us today walk with so much sorrow shrouded in fear and protected by anger that it can feel difficult to even understand where and how to start. Many of us feel afraid that if we “go there”, go into the depths, we may never come back.
The truth is, if we don’t go there, we will never come back. Come back to life. Come back to wholeness. Come back to balance. Come back to the childlike enchantment we once knew. Come back to the truest expression of our authentic selves. Come back to the wildest love we’ve ever known. Come back to the heart. Come back to community. Come back to truth.
The truth of our impermanent nature.
The truth of the beauty and the fragility of life.
The truth of our connectedness.
our home for the weekend
“Grief is a way of loving what has slipped from view. Love is a way of grieving that which has not yet done so.”
Grief Integration Ritual & Retreat
The annual grief integration ritual & retreat is a time and space to nourish and resource yourself deeply so you can feel all the way through the depth of your love and loss. This weekend is all about honoring that which has been lost as we come into a time of deep thanks-giving, celebration, and exploration available in the coming years. This retreat weaves together group ritual and sharing with time and space for benevolent solitude, connection with nature, and deep inner reflection.
This retreat is designed to:
Nourish, resource, and hold you and all you are grieving and longing for
Educate on the historic, cultural, medical, and spiritual landscapes of grief
Honor that which has you have lost and been separated from
Celebrate that which you most love and long for now
Connect with the Five Gates of Grief
Create a deep sense of belonging with an intimate group of heart-centered people
Co-create and participate in a community grief ritual
Explore meaningful rituals to integrate into our lives and support our remembrance
with alyssa rose
Alyssa is a death doula, grief guide, body and energy healer in Portland, OR. She has been at the bedside of many moving through the end of life, active dying, and grieving. In so doing, she has become extremely aware of the gaps in our education and care around grieving. Her inspiration and teachings in grief care comes through the wisdom of Sobonfu Some, Malidoma Some, Animist philosophy, Buddhism, Universal law, plant medicine work, spiritual coaching, trauma informed coaching, somatic healing, Reiki healing, Craniosacral Therapy, and more.
She is a deeply spiritual and nature-based healer supporting people to feel empowered in their personal process. She is a guide for those approaching the end of life and those grieving loss of many forms. Her work and time volunteering with a number of Oregon hospices, End of Life Choices OR, the Dougy Center, ceremony facilitation, and her private practice have built a strong foundation and breadth of experience that inform and inspire her work with clients.
packages
All packages includes
Holistic, nourishing, vegan meals
Two nights in a beautiful shared home on the stunning Oregon Coast
Cacao Ceremony
Community Grief Ritual
Grief Education
Embodiment practices
Individual & earth-based grief ritual
Creative grief workshop
Time and space for personal reflection and connection with nature
Grief integration care package
be with us
by the sea
If you are interested in learning more or saving your spot
This location is about an hour and 45 minutes driving from Portland.
I will email our final group about a packing list and preparations.
Refund policy:
Cancellation before October 13th: 50% refund
Cancellation before October 27th: 25% refund
I will not be able to offer refunds after October 27th.
