“We cannot selectively numb our emotions. when we numb our pain,
we also numb our joy.”
Brene Brown
I am no stranger to grief and loss. The most significant ones being losing my brother to suicide and my sister to alcoholism in the same week, 10 years ago. This experience altered my sense of self and my connection to the world. Like a line in the earth that I can never step back over. It also altered the shape of my heart and my capacity to allow in the love and support that I desperately needed. My grief journey has been about reconnecting with my heart, restoring my trust in others and immersing myself in the wisdom of nature.
You may have had something similar happen to you - losing someone you love.
However much we live our lives pretending that we’re all going to be here forever, deep down we know that everything and everyone we love we will lose.
And as heartbreaking as this is, it also brings aliveness and perspective into our lives. It reconnects us back to our humanness and what it means to truly live.
But I believe that until we are truly connected to our grief that its’ not possible to live with this much aliveness. It’s not possible to actually embody this truth - to live as if everything and everyone we love we will lose.
And grief is not only about loss. It’s also about longing.
It’s an ache that we hold in our hearts for what was or what could have been. Losses and longings located in our past, present and future.
The loss of our childhood innocence.
The loss of hope for our future.
The longing to be a parent.
The loss and longing for what we needed but didn’t get.
The loss of time, ageing.
The longing to find our purpose.
The longing for good times.
The loss and longing for creativity and expression.
The loss of a relationship.
The longing for rest, calm and peace.
The loss of the person we used to be.
The loss of health, energy, vitality.
The loss of our environment and the world around us.
The longing to belong.
And so as you read this, do you recognise your own grief? Are you able to allow yourself to feel it?
When we surpress our grief we become hardened. We close off our hearts. It takes courage AND PRACTICE to stay soft and open hearted IN THE FACE OF GRIEF.
Unfortunately, in modern western society we have forgotten how to grieve. We treat it like a problem to ‘overcome’ or ‘fix’. We are scared of our tears, our sadness, and so we grieve alone, behind closed doors.
But we were never meant to grieve alone. Grief is a shared human experience. Our ancestors knew that someones loss wasn’t only their loss, but was shared by the tribe, in a circle, under the trees. They were able to tap into the resources of the elements, through rituals and practices to support them. Grief tending in community was an ordinary part of life.
Our bodies already know this wisdom, but they need a place to come to be reminded.
the ‘grief in nature’ experience
This 4 week online group experience will be a place where we create the conditions for connection - to ourselves, to each other and to nature. A place where we resource ourselves so that we can build trust to be able to hold and express what wants to be seen and heard in us.
In this experience we will be guided by the 4 elements of nature - earth, air, fire and water, and each week we will practice a simple ritual that will support you to feel more connected and trusting of yourself and your grief.
The sessions will include guided meditation, somatic practices, storytelling, poetry, music and maybe some dancing! You are free to share and participate as much or little as feels right for you. Think of it as a your place to gather what you need to feel more you. To replenish yourself, feel seen and heard and soothe your heart.
Each week I will share home practices that encourage you to spend time in nature. Being out in the elements reminds us that we are so supported and can give us a fresh perspective on our experience. A way of bringing us back to our true nature.
This experience is open to all forms of grief, loss and longings. So many of us hide our grief for fear of being judged or misunderstood. Don’t judge yourself for being worthy of grieving. The group will be set up in a way that supports listening without advice or solutions. Grief is not something to be fixed. Grief is part of the human experience.
What You’ll receive
A weekly 1 hour online community gathering for 4 weeks.
A small group of up to 8 companions to share your experience with.
Access to a shared folder of support practices and rituals for you to experience in your own time.
Weekly email support with playlists and resources to support your grief journey.
Support from myself with any questions, insights or reflections via an optional what’s app group.
A ‘Grief support package’ sent to you to use during the experience.
Access to my audio course ‘Why can’t I rest, how do I do it?’ (worth £25)
My intentions for this group
To create a welcoming space where you feel able to be just as you are.
To offer you ways to connect, comfort and support yourself.
To connect you to others so that you find a shared human experience of grief.
To show you how nature can be a source of strength and support.
To help you live your life alongside your grief - by connecting you to the things that bring you joy, pleasure, ease, fun.
To bring some lightness to the darkest of times.
To be a guide and companion to you.