Wintering: Tending the Dark Waters of Soul

Life’s water flows from darkness.
Search the darkness, don’t run from it.
Night travelers are full of light, and you are, too
don’t leave this companionship.
~ Rumi

***

In winter, the ground has gone fallow and we are in the sacred pause. This is Demeter’s season to grieve the loss of her daughter, Persephone. Winter is not only a season of the natural world, but a place that our bodies and psyches often find themselves, a season that recurs again and again across a life. In winter, there is a seasonal invitation to slow down, to tend our losses, and rest.

With the support of the shortened days, we invite 24 participants to seek the uncluttered quiet of the winter landscape of Haw River State Park, to reverently tend to what lies in the dark waters of our souls. With the company of northern cardinals, bare silver maples, white oaks, and the magic waters of the Haw, we will honor the sacred pause and engage in deep rest and self care. And just as the trees shed their leaves in winter, to become the rich humus of the forest floor, we will unburden our hearts and work with our sorrows to compost them into fertile soil.

Grief has always been communal in our long story as a species. This weekend we will enter the original healing matrix and offer one another a refuge safe enough to allow multiple layers of grief to be touched and released. Over the course of our three days together, we will use the tools of breathwork, movement, writing, and ritual to:

• honor our resistance to our own vulnerability and the seasonal invitation to slow down
• share our emotional selves to bring us into the arms of the sacred
• deepen our trust in our emotional and body wisdom
• cultivate poetic imagination to encourage our entry into the well of grief
• explore grief’s allies, such as anger, emptiness, and numbness
• make a refuge for gratitude and rest

As we practice the courage to be with the authenticity of our hearts, we grow our ability to embody our aliveness and compassion. The beauty of this work is its capacity to expand into our communities and the world. This is a form of soul activism and what we are called to embody in this extreme time.

We will begin at 4pm on Friday, January 16 and conclude at 4pm on Sunday, January 18.
To cultivate trust and containment, participation for the entire weekend is essential.

***

Pricing and cancellation policy

$725 single-occupancy / $625 double-occupancy* / $525 commuter
Registration will close January 5th at 5pm or when the retreat fills to capacity.
*For double-occupancy, you must sign up with a loved one, friend, or roommate in mind. We will not be assigning roommates. Be prepared to supply your roommate’s name at check-out, and have them do the same for you.

What's included
• Highly trained trauma-informed facilitators and spaceholders
• Accomplished world percussionist for our grief ritual
• Yoga therapist for Sunday's yoga nidra practice and sound healing session
• 2 nights lodging in single or double occupancy motel-style rooms
• Locally-sourced meals: dinner on Friday; breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Sunday plus tea and light snacks throughout the weekend.
• For commuters: all meals are included except breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

For those local to Greensboro, North Carolina, we highly recommend giving yourself the space to stay on location, to be more deeply held within the container we create in our "pop-up village."

Scholarships
If attending this retreat creates a significant financial hardship and you seek a scholarship or work-study exchange, please fill out this form. There are a few scholarship opportunities available at 25-50% of tuition. For scholarships, we prioritize applicants from historically marginalized communities, first responders, veterans, those in the helping professions, and students. Scholarship applications are due by November 30.

Cancellation Policy
When registering, we ask that you are crystal clear on your intentions and commitment and consider your reservation and payment as a wholehearted YES to being here. We understand that things can come up that interrupt plans and schedules, but we also know from experience that when we prioritize this sacred work, we will move heaven and earth to honor our grief’s calling. Spaces to work with grief in community through 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.

We do, however, understand that some things fall outside of our control, and to this end we offer the following:
• A 50% refund if you need to cancel before December 1 (minus registration fees).
• A 25% refund if you need to cancel before January 1 (minus registration fees).
• Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds after January 15.

Due to the sheer number of cancellations and requests to move retreats as of late, we can no longer offer the option of forwarding tuition to a future retreat. This updated cancellation policy serves you, as participants in this sacred work, by honoring the time, heart, and soul that we, as facilitators, put into creating supportive and transformative spaces for deep connection and healing.

To help protect your investment and offer peace of mind in the case of unexpected changes, we strongly encourage you to consider purchasing travel insurance.

Registration closes January 9th or when the event reaches capacity.
After January 9th, we may take wait list participants in the event of cancellation.

***

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
-Joseph Campbell

Important Note on Timing and Readiness
If you’ve experienced a significant loss or trauma within the past six months, we invite you to reach out to the facilitators before registering. 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 after a major loss. We’re happy to talk with you and help discern whether this experience feels right for you at this time.

Contact your facilitators
Samantha DiRosa
Summer Estes

Risk Disclosure Statement
Participation in grief rituals, expressive arts, somatic practices, and related retreat activities may involve physical movement, emotional intensity, and engagement with personal or spiritual themes.

Know that:

• Participation is voluntary.
• You may choose your level of engagement at all times.
• These activities do not replace therapy, counseling, or medical care.
• Individuals with a history of significant trauma, complex grief, PTSD, or medical/mental health conditions are encouraged to consult with a healthcare provider before attending.

Potential risks include, but are not limited to:

• Emotional discomfort, grief activation, or triggering memories
• Minor physical strain or fatigue from movement or ritual activities
• Exposure to natural elements (weather, uneven terrain, etc.)
• Interaction with other participants’ emotional expression, which may feel challenging
• Sensory experiences such as smoke, sound, or ritual materials

On cultural appropriation and ritual work
In our work, we approach any rituals, songs, or practices from non-dominant cultures with deep respect and gratitude. They have been shared and gifted with blessings to aid in our collective healing. We are committed to acknowledging and honoring the sources of these practices, recognizing the responsibility that comes with engaging with them.

About the location
This event is located at the beautiful Haw River State Park Summit Conference Center, in Brown Summit, North Carolina. When we are not meeting in the lovely Heron’s Roost or Fox Den for our group time, there are many beautiful trails to explore.

The closest airport to us is Greensboro (GSO). Participants flying in can also look into Charlotte or Raleigh airports. We are happy to help connect folks who might be interested in carpooling from an airport or somewhere else in the region.

More information about the retreat, including bios of your facilitators, can be found here.
More information on Summer can be found here.
More information on Samantha can be found here.