March 22-26 | Retreat | Deathcare For Birthworkers
March 22-26 | Retreat | Deathcare for Birthworkers
Become a resource for yourself and your community in times of grief and loss.
Come, be held in friendship in the Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona- dip in the creek, feel the sun on your face. Laugh and cry with fellow birthworkers as we explore the landscape of grief with hearts and minds well tended.
Together your two experienced guides will lead you into the depths of the mysteries of meeting death as courageous human beings through understanding key components of holding space for grief and also through your own experiential exploration of your own relationship with loss.
Dani LaVoire will guide participants through a heartfelt analysis of three key components central to holding space for grieving families. These include an introduction to the Companioning Model of Care outlined by Alan Wolfelt and shared by Amy Wright Glenn, an exploration of best care practices with regard to the support networks surrounding bereaved people - including the role of herbal medicine, the function of the nervous system and adrenal/thyroid complex, and an understanding of the healing power of ritual found in both religious and secular settings. With a deep dive into our personal community culture we identify what will best serve the specific places we call home. Together we will become strong advocates, understanding the logistics and legalities surrounding after-deathcare and how this critical time effects the grief map for years to come.
Jade Sherer will open space for your own very personal inquiries into the vastness of the heart and soul. She will guide us and hold us in council, guided meditations, self designed ceremony, the world of dreams and imagery, and toward a deep connection with the wisdom and healing ways of the land. We will hone listening skills essential for supporting families, ourselves and fellow birthworkers. Together we explore the craft of holding the somatic experience of grief. Come be held, learn to hold, find connection and practice keeping this thread to inner self strong.
“There must be those among whom we can sit down and weep and still be counted as warriors” ~ Adrienne Rich
Our aim is that participants will leave this retreat with sharpened skills and more confident hearts while serving families struggling with loss.
So many care providers feel they don’t know what to say when meeting with families who have lost children or are facing stillbirth, infertility and miscarriage. This time together will help to shrink that fear, allowing the care provider to confidently guide the bereaved toward a satisfying grief process. There will be a strong focus on tending the midwife/birthworker who has been made weary by loss and the fallout we face after a death. We have an opportunity, as birthworkers, to weave a web of strong community, through brave and satisfying experiences, during the most challenging times. Become a resource for yourself and your community, by understanding the depth of how grief effects our nervous system, our health and how, when tended with care can be a gateway to aliveness.
You will be served a lovely lunch and a delectably artful dinner as well as snacks along the way. There is also access to a small communal kitchen. We ask that you feed yourself breakfast before we begin each day.
The retreat will be held at a private residence that serves as spiritual retreat center. The property is on 1.5 acres of land overlooking Cathedral Rock. There are walking paths to Oak Creek, which is a lovely 5 minute walk away. There are limited private rooms available onsite, please be in touch soon if you would like to book a room. There are a few tent sites and spaces available to get cozy with a sleeping bag indoors. A list of nearby Airbnb and hotels is available and we can help participants connect to share local accommodations.
This retreat is meant to be residential, but some will find housing nearby. We invite you to consider yourself in retreat for the full 4 days regardless of where you sleep.
For more information/application contact Dani LaVoire at djlavoire@gmail.com or 928.308.9656
DATE: MARCH 22-26, 2023
TIME: 2PM WED- 1PM SUNDAY
LOCATION: SEDONA, AZ
COST: $1,250 LUNCH AND DINNER INCLUDED
LODGING PRICE LIST AVAILABLE
CEUS AVAILABLE | MIDWIVES | NURSES | SOCIAL WORKERS | DOULAS | IBCLC
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS- APPLY SOON!