Communal Grief Retreat (Peterborough)

We aren’t meant to grieve alone. All of us come from a lineage of ancestors who, in their own unique ways, came together to grieve communally. In many traditional cultures, tending grief collectively was often the "glue" that held communities together. By grieving in a communal space, we can metabolize our sorrows into fertile ground, making way for a renewed sense of connection, belonging, and joy. Grief is as natural a part of being human as joy, and it honours the losses of what we have loved: family, friends, jobs, relationships, dreams, and ways of life. Many of us are also grieving collectively for the planet, for humanity, and for the things we expected in life but did not receive. Grief takes many shapes and forms, and we will come together to honour the vast spectrum of what it can be. Part workshop and part ritual, this gathering will blend song, poetry, deep listening, simple movement, humour, and compassionate presence to support our sorrows in finding their way toward a renewed sense of connection, belonging, and joy. By creating a community of care and understanding together, and through our heartfelt attention to one another, we will prepare the way for grief to move through us and, in its own mysterious way, create courageous passageways for us to carry on. Our day together will build toward an afternoon grief ritual. Throughout the day, we’ll use Community Singing as a tool to connect with our personal and collective grief. There will also be time for personal reflection and for sharing within the group. After lunch, we’ll create a grief altar—a place of beauty and meaning that will hold our sorrows during the afternoon ritual. Following the ritual, we will come together to integrate our experience and harvest the stories that emerge from it. Entering a communal grief-tending space may bring us into contact with the edges of our wild sorrow, our rage at injustice, or familiar childhood fears as another participant touches upon their grief. Together, we will establish agreements and practices to support a sense of safety and care. You may also wish to reflect on what safety means for you before attending: when someone expresses their sorrow or rage, how can I remain connected to myself and my own experience? This retreat is open to all genders and to people aged 18 and older. Please bring a water bottle, journal, pen, and your beautiful self. Please know that you are welcome exactly as you are—tired and weary, full of sorrow or anger, hopeful and grateful, or anywhere in between. As always, no singing experience is required. Facilitators Mila Redwood is a Community Song Leader, Mother, and the Founder of Sing for Joy in Toronto. Mila uses song as a tool for building community, for restoring our sense of belonging and connection in a fragmented world. In 2014, she went to her first community grief ritual that was held by her mentor, Laurence Cole. In that one night of singing, sharing, witnessing, and wailing, she came to understand the profound healing that’s possible when we come together to tend our sorrows in community. Since then, she has attended over 20 community grief rituals with Laurence, as both a participant and helper, and is grateful for the way that these spaces bring us home to a renewed sense of aliveness and joy. Michael McCarthy is a Registered Social Worker, Therapist, Nature Connection Mentor, and Father. Michael seeks to co-create spaces that foster safety, vulnerability, and courage through compassionate presence. As a participant and helper in various grief rituals and Indigenous ceremonies, Michael is struck by the strength of community and the simple truth that we need each other. Sharing grief in community grants us the permission to see the beauty in the falling apart, the presence in the questions, and the grace in not knowing where my next step might take me. Together, Mila and Michael have been holding community grief rituals in Ontario since 2019. Prior to that, they were mentored by Laurence Cole in facilitating community grief rituals, and have completed a 5-month grief ritual training program with Francis Weller. The lineage of these rituals stems from the work and legacy of Sobonfu and Malidoma Somé, Francis Weller, Joanna Macy, and Martin Prechtel. If you would like to listen to an interview with Mila and Michael where they speak about community grief rituals, you can listen and read this article from Trent Radio. Location We are fortunate to hold this gathering at the inspiring and beautiful Camp Kawartha Environment Centre. Located next to Trent University’s stunning wildlife sanctuary lands in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough), the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre is renowned as one of the most innovative and sustainable building designs in all of Canada. Nestled amongst two hundred acres of cedar forest, with a crackling fire in the woodstove, we’ll gather in this warm and welcoming sanctuary for a day of tending our grief together in community. There are parking spaces available onsite for those driving, as well as public transportation options. For those who are coming from out of town, there are a number of AirBnbs within a 10-minute drive of the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre. The Environment Centre is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you have any additional accessibility needs. Cost & Registration Tiered pricing is available for this retreat, so that those of us with more can share, and those of us who could use some support can receive it. Price per person: $175 Regular / $195 Supporter / $155 Supported (plus sales tax) This price includes: • Facilitated group sessions throughout the day. • Tea, coffee, and an afternoon home-baked snack. Please bring your own lunch. • A beautiful, natural setting to relax, connect, and unwind. • A “basket” of songs to return home with. If it would be helpful to have a brief phone call to determine whether this retreat is the right fit for you, you’re welcome to contact Michael at: [email protected]. If the cost of this retreat is a barrier for you, please email [email protected] for a possible work exchange or partial scholarship. Cancellation & Refund Policy: • A refund will be issued if notice is received by October 28th, minus a $25 admin fee. After October 28th, your registration is non-refundable. Given the expenses and preparation involved in this retreat, this policy creates some protection and stability for the facilitators, hosts, and our team. • Until November 20th, registrations may be transferred to another participant if a replacement is available (for example, from a waitlist or through the participant’s own referral). In this case, the original participant will be refunded their payment minus a $25 administrative fee, once the replacement registration is confirmed and payment is received. • For those who are travelling from out of town for this retreat, please note that we are not able to cover any costs incurred by participants for transportation or accommodations. As such, please organize your travel with this in mind. • In the unlikely event that this retreat is cancelled by the host, you will receive a full refund. Payment Options: Credit Card: To pay by credit card, please register here on Humanitix. Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity. If you would prefer to pay by e-transfer, please see instructions below. E-transfer: You are welcome to pay via e-transfer. Please register on Humanitix and use the promocode: etransfer. This will give you 100% discount at checkout. To complete your registration, send an e-transfer in the amount of the tuition tier you selected to: [email protected]. Your registration will be complete upon receipt of your e-transfer.