Journeying with Grief

Sooner or later we all lose someone we love, there's no way around it, yet despite the fact that it’s our only guarantee in life, there is very little training or preparation available in our modern society for how to transition through loss and bereavement.

Although we are born with the innate ability to feel the pain of loss and emerge on the other side, in the following weeks, months and years after the death of a loved one, some of us are left to navigate our own way through this very challenging terrain.

One common blockage for grieving is a fear of going to the dark places that grief needs to take us in order to move through it. Without clear and guided modelling of how to actively process grief, there is often an overwhelming sense of trepidation when it comes to expressing very strong emotions of sorrow.

While bereavement is an inevitable part of the human experience, entering into a relationship with grief is seldom done so by choice. It's often thrust upon us, and sometimes unexpectedly. For those who are struggling to find a pathway forward, learning how to grieve is a skill that can be developed, like any other skill, with practice and intention, and support from community.

Get Involved

GriefWalking

Find Comfort in Nature

For many of us, the idea of willingly turning towards grief for conversation is a little daunting, particularly in an enclosed space where we might feel trapped with whatever emotions arise.

It’s also fair to say that for some individuals, the traditional group setting of sitting in circle and waiting for our turn to talk can produce feelings ranging from mild anxiety, through to outright terror!

However, discussing our grief journey while walking in nature is a soft-edged approach to dealing with big feelings of loss and sorrow.

For those who are new to grief and for those who have been journeying with grief for some time, a peaceful outdoor setting can be a welcoming place to explore our feelings, knowing that we are being held by the sanctuary of nature.

Surrounding ourselves with natural beauty acts like a safety net that catches us if we start to fall.

Simple grounding practices like touching the contours of porous sandstone, distinguishing between various bird calls or enjoying the sweet yet subtle smell of flannel flowers can bring ones attention back to the present, allowing us the spaciousness to dip into the waters of grief and return safely to shore.

Walking near the ocean also provides a gentle reminder of our interconnectedness with all things, and paying tribute to our traditional custodians reminds us that our natural state of being human was once inextricably intertwined with our surroundings.

Our Offerings

Discover Our Supportive Pathways Through Grief

Walking Groups

GriefWalking is a monthly gathering that meets at North Head Sanctuary in Manly to support those who are experiencing bereavement for the loss of a loved one. Our goal is to offer a healthy way to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss and to be present with grief in nature.

Being part of a community group can help alleviate the sense of isolation some experience during bereavement by offering a safe place to be authentic about difficult emotions. The physical act of walking also provides a primary focus so that participants can explore grief at their own pace and depth.

The format varies slightly for each meeting, however all offerings include grounding practices, ‘Grief Education’ topics for discussion on the walk, gratitude exercises, and integration preparation.

Weekend Retreats

The Village Grief Retreat is a community of willing participants who have put grief at the forefront for the time being. Over the space of three days we come together on 40 acres of pristine bushland to build a temporary village that will hold us while we do the work of grieving our losses.

The program is designed for a weekend of deep contemplation, expression, witnessing and transformation. Our time together includes body activation practices of dance and movement, creative practices of writing and singing, communal shrine building, sharing in large and small groups, communal grief rituals, gratitude practices, resting meditation and integration preparation.

Over the course of three days we build a container that is strong enough to hold our shared sorrows and slowly titrate these emotions from wherever they are being stored in our bodies and minds. As an intentional village, we will create a space that is safe enough to transform these emotions, to release our tears and shed the weight of unprocessed grief so that we can return to our everyday lives with a lighter spirit and a more open heart.

Grief Tending Rituals

All significant losses that occur in life have some form of grief attached to them, yet in many situations those feelings are not recognised as grief, rather they are covered up by anger, guilt, shame, fear, or other emotions that distract us from the core loss.

Unlike bereavement where there is an obvious loss to mourn, sometimes the grief we carry from other losses can be just as heavy and longer lasting than grief for the death of a loved one.

In response to the need for a safe, communal space that welcomes expressions of sorrow, GriefTalking is a monthly gathering for all kinds of loss to be acknowledged and witnessed with the intention of creating room in our hearts to move compassionately forward with our life journeys.

The evenings will include embodiment practices of movement and meditation, communal shrine building, creative practices of singing and writing, communal grief rituals, voluntary sharing in larger and smaller groups, gratitude exercises, and integration preparation.

Layered Mountain Ranges_edited_edited.jp

Grief is not something that happens to us and it is not something we heal from, it is something we learn to live with.

There is no right or wrong way to grieve, just as there is no cure and no medication for it, and there is no timeline as grief moves at it’s own pace.

However, there is a natural progression of integration whereby, despite all odds, a person eventually learns to live and love again while still honouring their losses.

OUR SERVICES

Walking Groups

Regular group walks
Connecting with nature
Safe space for sharing stories
Supportive community engagement
Physical and mental health in alignment

Grief Tending Rituals

Ceremonies to honour losses of all kinds
Creative practices of writing and singing
Sharing in large and smaller groups
Communal shrine building
Gratitude exercises and integration preparation

Weekend Retreats

Three-day retreats for processing grief
Creative practices of singing and writing
Communal grief rituals and shrine building
Movement, mindfulness and meditation
Gratitude exercises and integration preparation

Bereavement Support

Grief Music

One to one bereavement support, peer-to-peer or grief coaching
Bereavement support for individuals with intellectual disabilities
Support for families - sharing tools for active grieving within the family unit

Sound journeys for grief rituals and meditations
Music for funerals and memorials
Bedside music for End of Life care

Testimonials

"GriefWalking helped me find my footing again. The support I received from the group was invaluable during my grieving process."

Emily, Participant

"Thanks for today. We all got a lot out of it. Amongst other things it confirmed that our mutually supportive approach is working. Overall, it was good to articulate our journey individually and as a family."

Peter, Participant