Sacred Grief Rituals - Online
Grief is natural, normal and universal. Everyone grieves.
The pain of loss can be all-consuming and the list of causes of grief can seem endless. Loss of a loved one, life changes, disappointment, personal loss, beginnings, endings, old traumas, missed opportunities, the loss of hope for a longed for event. We grieve for illness or injury, disconnection and estrangement, community challenges, the state of the environment, ancestral suffering, injustice.
We stuff down our grief for a variety of reasons. Sometimes that’s because of shame around unexpected emotions linked to our loss such as anger, relief, guilt or spiritual doubts that arise. Sometimes it’s because we think that other people have it much worse than us. We think that we should plaster on a smiling face so that our friends don’t feel uncomfortable around us because, hey, “we should be over it by now!”
Grief is not rational, circumscribed or simple.
We don’t get over our grief, we get through it. There is no linear, time-bound, “you-can-set-your-clock-by-it” journey through grief. Instead it’s a sacred pilgrimage that is uniquely personal to each one of us.
If our grief remains unexpressed or unreleased, parts of us remain frozen, numb or stagnant. And when we acknowledge, accept, and express our grief it transforms, allowing us to make space for new energy, new life, new possibilities.
When we don’t grieve, we end up living numbed-out, half-lived versions of our lives. And when we only grieve alone, we miss out on the support and healing available to us when we grieve in community.
During our Community Grief Rituals we come together to acknowledge, express, and embody our grief. We come together to hold one another in care and community, whatever we may be grieving. Together we create a safe container for emotion to move through us as individuals and as a group. We hold space for one another to acknowledge and release pain, sorrow, anger, regret, despair, fear and sadness that we have been carrying. Grieving together may help us to recognize and reckon with previously unknown aspects of our grief.
Bearing witness to the grief of others helps us find more compassion for ourselves and the people around us. It helps us soften, to understand that we are not alone, and to release any shame we might be carrying about our feelings. Supporting and being supported by people who are also committed to accessing and expressing their grief, we find deeper connection and healing, individually and collectively.
Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, interpersonal or existential, ecological or ancestral, you are invited to bring it to the ritual space for expression and release.
We extend a deep welcome to people of all races, gender expressions, income levels, nationalities, sexual orientations, communities, physical abilities, and faith traditions.
Please join us.
By making time to grieve… we heal
“You are witnessed in all of your soul’s light and dark.”
“Bernadette’s extraordinary intuition and generosity of heart soothed me during a time of transition, upheaval and confusion. I was lighter, less hard on myself and others, and experienced more clarity around the source of my anger and grief. My heart is more open to my own wounds and I’m willing to trust more in the space Bernadette creates. Trust is VERY hard for me! Bernadette’s rituals always feel inclusive and safe. Thank you, Bernadette.”
~ Minnie
When we create rituals to honor our grief, we are able to live our lives fully: alive, awake and authentically.
The Sacred Grief Ritual Guidebook is for you if:
You would like to release grief, sorrow, anger, rage, fear, shame and numbness.
You haven’t known how to be with or express your grief on your own or even with friends and family.
You are drawn to (or curious about) embodied / somatic healing work.
You desire more lightness, freedom, creative energy, and a greater sense of possibility in life.