A community dance ritual to grieve the loss of a partnership, to soften open to love and truth.

Join this grief ritual to honor a partnership that has come to completion. This is a space to connect with what you longed for that did not happen. It is a gentle invitation to expand, to hold both the grief and the beauty of your longing. Whether you are consciously uncoupling now, or have been grieving a loss for years, this ritual is for you.

Sometimes when I support clients to clarify the next partnership they desire, their brains continue to focus on the past. Grieving is a powerful way to soften and make more space for what is true, space for a rediscovery of who you are after this relationship has moved you, and space to open to new possibilities in new relationship.

You are encouraged to invite a friend or two to join you in this ritual.

Our time together includes:

* Grounding & Spiritual Resource
* Dance & Somatics to Release Grief
* Journaling prompts
* Forgiveness Ritual
* Integration & Gratitude

This ritual is inspired by:

* Sobonfu Somé my grief teacher from the Dagara Tribe of Burkina Faso
* Dr. Maria Nemeth and her Academy for Coaching Excellence where I trained for 5 years as a certified coach and licensed trainer
* A lifetime of dance teachers who raised me in community embodied ritual
* All the partnerships I have let go of. Gratitude for the many partners I have loved, the ways I am a different person because of you and the magical intimacy of sexual spiritual companioning. Thank you for the endings, for how they have educated my heart, opened me to humility, tenderness, falling apart and recreation of who I know myself to be. Some of the biggest disorientation and expansion in my heart has come from loving you and losing you and choosing to love again. Thank you.

To prepare:

* Altar: You are encouraged to create an altar before we begin. Altars support us by holding energy and intention so we don’t have to work as hard. I recommend creating an altar with:
* Bowl of water
* Candle (we will light it together)
* Images of those who give you strength (ancestors, guides, spirit animals, people you admire, erotic art that empowers your sex)
* Space: Clear your space to dance. If there are others who may hear you, give them a heads up not to worry if they hear you making sounds.
* Bring paper, pen, water to drink
* Clothes: Wear soft clothes that support your movement.

Resource: In the Dagara tradition, grief rituals are several days long. I have found that offering 2-3 day rituals in the U.S. has been very powerful and that some people are still new to grief ritual. This ritual is only 2.5 hours, an accessible intro. You are highly encouraged to create spaciousness around our time together, to support the depth and integration of the ritual. This may look like getting a lot of sleep 2 days before and 2 days after. Going to nature, especially the ocean, river, lake, or other bodies of water and slowing down to connect with the healing power of water. Drinking lots of water and eating simple nutritious foods to support energy to move through you and support your brain health. If possible, create time to be, where you are not committed to focus on other things, to simply let yourself slow down and be with your experience. You may want to limit screen time or go offline for a few days. You may also want to schedule time with a friend or loved one soon after the ritual to co-presence. This may look like cuddling, walking together in nature, eating a healthy meal, or dancing together.

Image is "Bloom" by Autumn Skye