Grief Groundwork: An Introductory Workshop to Help Us Understand the Terrain of Grief in Our Lives
with Sheila Kappeler-Finn

Grief is not a problem to be solved: it is a landscape to be known. In this introductory workshop, we will orient ourselves to grief: what it is, where it lives in our lives, and why so many of us have never been given the tools or the permission to truly move through it. Drawing on the work of Francis Weller, we will 

• explore the many gates through which grief enters, often in forms we don't immediately recognize
• look honestly at the forces in our culture that make grieving harder than it needs to be
• name the ways we can turn toward one another, learning both how to support a griever and how to ask for support when the grief is ours to carry. 

There will be time for questions, sharing and reflection.

Who is this for?

This workshop is for anyone who wants to understand grief more deeply—their own as well as the grief of those they love. You may be:

• Carrying a loss that feels unfinished or unwitnessed
• Curious about why grief can feel so difficult in our culture, and what might be done differently
• New to this kind of work and looking for a gentle entry point

No prior experience with grief work is necessary.

What is the format?

The format of this class is informational. We will not be engaging directly in any grief practices, but we will discuss grief resources. The class will include:

• A presentation on Francis Weller's gates of grief
• An exploration of the cultural obstacles that shape how we grieve and how we don't
• A conversation about grief etiquette: how to support those who grieve, and how to ask for support ourselves
• Closing Q&A 

What to bring?

• A journal or notebook
• Pens or markers

Why?

Grief is a natural and necessary response to loss, and yet most of us have never been taught how to be with it. Our culture moves quickly past sorrow, leaving many people to grieve alone, in silence, or not at all. This workshop exists because understanding the terrain of grief is the first step toward relating to it differently. When we can name what grief is, recognize where it lives, and begin to dismantle the obstacles that keep us from it, we open a door — to ourselves, and to one another.

ABOUT SHEILA

Sheila brings a synthesis of experiences to community space holding: a 25-year meditation practice, 20 years of Non-Violent Communication (NVC) study and practice, NVC complex facilitation, NVC multi-year mediation intensive study, a decade-long apprenticeship (with a focus on ethical and respectful cultural practice) in medicine work, and grief tending and apprenticeship in the lineage of Francis Weller, author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow.

From decades of depth work in group contexts, she has witnessed and experienced the power of healing in safe, well-designed community containers where people feel free to drop into their hearts. Sheila has the capacity to meet people in their depths, welcoming heartfelt and authentic participation.

“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
-Khalil Gibran