Tending the Heart: A Day of Grief & Healing in Community 🌿

This gathering will be held on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Join us for a day of sharing and witnessing grief - personal and/or collective - in an embodied, community ceremony. Let us take the time to reflect on our inner landscapes and express our depth of feeling. We are not meant to hold onto the heaviness of our pain, and in sharing it, we connect to each other and the amazing love that drives all Life. We feel lighter and more motivated.

Many of us seldom have the chance to be open about our grief. This day allows us to honour, feel, and process emotions that mainstream culture tries to hide and suppress, emotions that are rooted in love and our sense of justice. Many ancient cultures recognized the importance of collective grieving to the health of communities. Through the alchemy of grief practice, we enter a process of expanding our potential for joy and gratitude. Together we will build heart skills - compassion, humanity, resilience.

All humans and all grief welcome.

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When: Saturday May 31st | 10am - 4:30pm (arrive 9:45am)

Where: Mountain Rain Zen Community

2016 Wall St, Vancouver, BC

🌿 Day Schedule

Arrive 9:45am

Morning:

• Arrive and settle in

• Exploring the 5 Gates of Grief (see below)

• Plant Allies for Grief

• Writing practices & witnessing

Lunch (1 hour)

Afternoon:

• Truth Circle Ritual (see below)

• Somatic Movement & Dance

• Integration & Closing Circle

The 5 Gates of Grief were developed by Francis Weller and include:

1. Everything we love we will lose (relationships, people, land, stages of life, etc)

2. The places that have not known love (parts of ourselves that have been shamed or repressed)

3. The Sorrow of the World (Nature, human systems, politics)

4. What we expected and didn’t receive (lost/unfulfilled dreams & expectations)

5. Ancestral Grief

The Truth Circle is a guided ritual, held in confidence among participants, where participants have the opportunity to express their grief. There is no requirement to speak; witnessing is a crucial and invaluable role here, and your attentive presence makes a difference. When we share and witness each other’s grief, it can transform in a profound way that is simply not possible in isolation.

The Truth Circle is part of the deeply moving and experiential work of deep ecologist and eco-philosopher Joanna Macy. The ritual emerged in 1992 to address the difficult reunification process between East and West Germany and has since been held all over the world.

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📝 Please Note:

• The venue is wheelchair accessible.

• Light refreshments will be provided, but please bring lunch.

• Space is limited to 20 people.

What to Bring:

• A journal, pen, and water bottle.

• Packed lunch

• Anything to keep you comfortable—extra pillows, blankets, yoga mats, or cushions are welcome.

Arrival:

• Please arrive on time or early (doors open at 9:40am). The door will be locked at 10:05 AM to maintain privacy.

Seating:

• We will be sitting on the floor with cushions provided. Folding chairs will be available if needed.

• If you require back support and prefer to sit at floor level, please bring a low chair (e.g., Therma-Rest or Crazy Creek).

Accessibility & Financial Support:

• One reduced-fee work trade spot is available to assist with setup and takedown. Please email Amber at hello@amberaislin.com to inquire.

• We are committed to accessibility. If financial assistance would make attending possible, please reach out to Amber at the email above.

• Five reduced-fee tickets are available for BIPOC/PGM participants. Please contact Amber to reserve.

Cancellations:

• Tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to sell your ticket to someone else.

• If you are feeling unwell, please stay home

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🌿 Investment:

Early Bird (until May 1) $120.00+gst

Regular $140.00+gst

5 BIPOC Seats - $80.00+gst (Earlybird) or $100+gst (Regular)

1 Reduced-fee Work Trade spot

*Contact Amber at email above to inquire.

Register and pay via eventbrite or contact Amber to pay via e-transfer .

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🌿 Your facilitators:

Elisa Lee

Born of Chinese immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Elisa Lee MA. BEd. BSc. BA. grew up on the unceded traditional lands of the Haisla Nation in Kitimat, British Columbia and is now based on Sto:lo territory at Yarrow Ecovillage, Chilliwack.

Elisa is a ceremonialist specializing in nature connection, rites of passage, vision fasts, grief, and sacred Eros. She brings a grounded presence and non-prescriptive, tailored approach to all her guiding and facilitation. Her core values are kindness, authenticity, collaboration, integrity, social justice, embodiment, and Nature as teacher.

Elisa draws on teachings from Joanna Macy, Animas Valley Institute, School of Lost Borders, The Haven, Body Electric School, and her personal sacred experiences in the wild. She holds a Masters degree in Environmental Education with a focus on women’s rites of passage, is on the faculty of the Body Electric School, and is the founder of Fire & Flower - a coming-of-age rite of passage charity for girls & gender diverse youth.

Amber Aislin was born on Coast Salish land to parents of Celtic/Mixed ancestry. She currently lives part-time in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and also stewards a piece of off-grid land with a group of women on N'Quatqua land, also known as D’arcy, BC.

Amber, BA. is a trauma-informed and trained somatic coach, clinical herbalist, sacred grief tender, and educator. Her passion lies in helping folks re-wild, re-member, and find expression for their inner nature through their own innate, somatic wisdom. She facilitates grief work, outdoor education, herbal & womb wisdom, rites of passage, and somatic erotic work. She believes in the sensual as a sacred portal to deep presence and embodied, collective care as our deepest hope.

Amber has studied with the Somatic Institute for Women, the Deep Body Institute, Simon Fraser University, Cornell University, David Bedrick, Seraphina Capranos, Chanchal Cabrera and has completed two years of Grief Tending apprenticing with Josea Crossley. She is deeply influenced by somatic & depth psychology, nature-based soul work, and intersectional, social justice work. She is a Wilderness and Mental Health First Responder, meditator, wild ocean lover, a daughter, a sister, and gardener among many other things.