This retreat is open to anyone navigating any form of grief, not just those who have lost loved ones. Our intention is to create a container to support all sources of loss and grief, from acute personal losses to Earth grief and ancestral loss.

It is our intent to create a space of support and care for all who gather. If you enroll in this retreat, our expectation is that you are wholeheartedly in support of and in alignment with creating a respectful and inclusive space for people across a broad range of identities (LGBTQ+, BIPOC, etc.).

This 3-day retreat and ritual is not a passive teaching program but a participatory communal space where we ask people to show up for each other and for the soul of the community. To cultivate trust and containment, participation for the entire weekend is essential.

Please apply to the retreat with this orientation toward inclusivity and participation in your heart.

Community grief retreats can be deeply meaningful, but they often require a certain level of emotional stability to be beneficial. For some, especially in the immediate aftermath of a profound loss, it may feel too soon.

As a general guideline, attending a retreat like this is often most supportive six months to a year or more after a major loss. We’re happy to talk with you and help discern whether this experience feels right for you at this time.

We will create a safe container for our time together by:

• Offering the invitation to participate in retreat practices, meals and communal activities. All participation is invitational; nothing is required beyond being present with and sharing the grief you carry, to the best of your ability.

• Establishing foundational group agreements to form a stable base of kindness and group safety and identifying restorative agreements to facilitate repair if rupture or hurt occurs within the group.

Practices you will be invited to take part in:

• The ancient technology of community council where we practice deep listening and receive witness.

• Writing, inquiry and small group practice to share our stories.

• Guided meditation and embodiment practices that will help you to gather your energy and attention in present time, to bear witness to your inner states, and to gain discernment about your own information.

• Our time together will culminate in a simple, but powerful communal grief ritual, in which we will witness and support each other as we move into the shared experience and expression of our individual and collective grief. This ritual practice has been passed down to us through a generous lineage of practitioners.

We request an application for all interested participants so we can get to know you and ensure that this ritual is a good fit.

Grief and ritual spaces often invoke big feelings and intense responses. Some participants may be new to grief ritual processes and some participants may be veterans of the work. Your application responses, along with other applicants in your cohort, help paint a picture of the emotional landscape of the group, which will assist us to better meet everyone’s individual and collective needs during our time together.

• The application responses are kept confidential and are only reviewed by the retreat facilitators.

• We aim to respond to applicants within two weeks of submitting an application.

• After reviewing your application, we will send an email invitation with a payment request, based on the pricing level you select in the application.

• You are officially registered for the retreat once we receive your payment.

• We recommend you wait to receive the invitation from us and complete your retreat payment before organizing and paying for travel to the retreat venue.

Please Note: Submitting an application for this retreat does not guarantee registration. If the retreat reaches capacity, we will create a wait list.

Estimated time for application completion: 20-30 minutes. You have the option to indicate that you would like to receive a copy of your responses when you submit the application.

APPLY

Three highly-trained, trauma-informed facilitators who have apprenticed as grief tenders in the lineage of Malidoma Somé and Francis Weller.

Two nights’ lodging “on 236 acres of woods, streams, gorges, and walking paths” in single-occupancy rooms that “offer panoramic views as distant as Pennsylvania.”

Locally-sourced nourishment, including vegetarian meals for all registered participants:

• dinner on Friday evening

• breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday

• breakfast and lunch on Sunday

• tea and snacks throughout the weekend

We have instituted a Pay What You Can Pricing Model to help everyone access this important work, regardless of financial ability to pay. This pricing model is inspired by the Green Bottle Model from Worts + Cunning.

As indicated above, after you fill out an application, we will send an email invitation with a payment request, based on the pricing tier you select in the application.

Please read through our recommendations below for how to decide which price to select.

$$$ Top Range - $895

The highest price tier for the retreat reflects the true cost of producing and hosting the event. Please

Note: This price is not paying extra; it is the fair market value for the retreat, based on regional pricing.

We recommend paying this price if you:

• are financially secure

• have personal savings

• own property, or

• are not worried about how paying for the retreat will impact your ability to spend money on other things

$$ Middle Range - $695

The middle option for the retreat is a discounted price that does not fully cover the costs of producing and hosting the event.

We recommend paying this price if you:

• have access to steady income and your basic needs are met

• are working to pay off debt or build savings

• are not harmed by paying this amount, but you may have to cut back on discretionary spending, such as going out to dinner or buying new clothes

$ Low Range - $495

The lowest price for the retreat is a further discounted price that does not fully cover the costs of producing and hosting the event.

We recommend paying this price if:

• you have access to basic needs

• your financial situation feels tenuous, or

• you would have to save up for many months to be able to afford a higher price point

If attending this retreat creates a significant financial hardship and you would like to pursue a scholarship, please indicate this when you submit your retreat application.

There are a few scholarship opportunities available at 25-50% of the lowest tuition tier. For scholarships, we prioritize applicants from historically marginalized communities, first responders, veterans, those in the helping professions, and students.

We do not offer refunds or the option to apply retreat fees to a future event.

Spaces to work with grief in community ritual are rare in modern Western culture. In our retreats, we seek to create a community of shared values and embodied respect for the preciousness of this work. When applying to and paying for the retreat, we ask that you are crystal clear on your intentions and commitment. We consider your application and payment to be your wholehearted YES to attending the retreat.

As facilitators, we know from experience how easy it may be to decide, “I don’t really feel like it now.”Or to decide you don’t feel like driving. Or to resolve that you are too busy or overwhelmed and that you might rather skip it. As with any concert or event, if that is what you decide, it is your sovereign choice. You miss out on the experience, but you do not get a refund or a credit. The same is true for our offerings. This is the kind of warm-hearted, tough-love policy that invites you to honor your time, to honor our time, and to honor the time of the other retreat participants who wish to work with us.

We cannot make exceptions to this policy.

Rest assured, we welcome all participants with our own steady, embodied Yesses!

If, for any reason, the retreat is cancelled due to an Act of God or Nature, all participants will be refunded in full the fees they have paid.