Release. Remember. Return.
Most of us were never taught how to grieve.
Grief Ritual Retreats offer a way back.
Through body, ritual, and community, we gather to tend what has been carried alone — to give grief its ceremony, and the heart its place to rest.
Have questions? Connect below
Registration limited to a small circle of 12 participants.
What Calls Us to Gather
Grief has always belonged to the village — to firelight and song, to tears shared and witnessed, to bodies moving together in the rhythm of release.
But in the modern world, that village has been lost.
We are left to carry our sorrow alone.
Grief Ritual Retreats are a return to that ancient remembering — a space where grief can move through the body and back into belonging.
Through sound, movement, tears, and stillness, we create a living ceremony of release and renewal.
Here, we remember that grief is not only pain —
it is praise for what we love.
It is the thread that reconnects us to life, to one another, and to the sacred.
When grief is given a place to move, life begins to move again.
The Container
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Pacific)
Cost: $400 CAD (includes lunch & dinner)
Duration: Full-day immersive retreat
Format: In-person
Location: River Song Retreat Center
3249 Renfrew Rd Shawnigan Lake, BC
Integration Calls: Saturday, December 13 & 27, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Each retreat is intentionally small to allow depth, intimacy, and safety for every participant.
The Experience
Over one to four days, we enter into a shared rhythm of slowing down, listening, and release.
We begin by arriving on the land — leaving behind the noise of daily life and crossing a threshold together.
Through grounding practices, sound, and silence, we prepare the body to remember what it has carried.
As the retreat unfolds, we move through a series of rituals and somatic practices designed to call in the layers of grief we are offering up — including The Five Gates of Grief.
We open the body as a vessel of expression, allowing grief to move through tears, sound, tremor, and breath — until it finds its way into a central ritual of powerful release.
In guided ceremony, each participant is invited to offer their grief into a communal ritual of release — through tears, song, trembling, and prayer.
Between rituals, we care for the body through nourishing meals, quiet reflection, body care, and communion with the land.
Evenings bring gentle movement, journaling, and silence by the fire — space for the day’s experiences to settle.
We close with integration and renewal — a series of small, grounding rituals that weave back what has been opened, helping you carry the medicine of grief into the heart of your life.
When grief is met with reverence, it ripens into gratitude, tenderness, and praise.
The Echos
“I came carrying a lifetime of unspoken sorrow — and left feeling light, seen, and whole again.”
Ritual Participant, 2025
“Powerful work. My group and private sessions with the Grief Tendress helped me open to reality — to have the pain acknowledged and witnessed. The grief of the past 18 months has been profound, and I know now that to feel it is to heal it.”
Participant, 2025
“I didn't know how much I needed to be witnessed until this circle. The ritual helped me breathe again.”
Participant, 2025
“Ritual gives grief a way to move — and a place to belong.”
— The Grief Tendress
FAQ's
How long are retreats? Retreats may be 1, 2, or up to 4 days, depending on the offering.
Where are the retreats held? Retreats are currently hosted on Vancouver Island, BC, and occasionally in other locations.
Do I need prior experience with grief tending? No. Retreats are open to all, whether you are beginning or continuing your grief tending journey.
What kinds of practices are included? We use song, movement, ancestral honoring, community ritual, and somatic practices.
Are meals and accommodation included? Details vary by retreat. Full information will be provided at registration.
Will retreats be recorded? No. Retreats are live, in-person gatherings and not recorded.
What does it cost? Retreat pricing varies by length and format.
Photography by Infinite Body photography & Anabel De La Foret