Dying into Life: An online retreat to contemplate death, grief & rebirth

“When one thing dies all things die together,

and must live again in a different way.”

(David Whyte, 1997).

Today’s society tends to avoid the subject of death, both literal and symbolic, however death is one of the few certainties in life, often causing great pain within individual, familial and community dynamics. Using the lenses of biodynamic craniosacral therapy, Jungian psychology and Buddhism, this online contemplative retreat will explore the process of death, grief, and rebirth, in literal terms and symbolic.

We will contemplate the concept and experience of death both in terms of a literal death and a death of a way of being; examine the complex process of grief and its many origins, including grieving the loss of a loved one or grieving a life not lived; question if it is possible to develop the capacity to live with the pain of loss; we will address what it means to die to one pattern of living in order to open up to another, a rebirth and ignition process; explore whether it is possible to have a conscious death; and reflect on how all death processes are a natural rhythm within life.

This is an opportunity to take time to pause and dive deep into an exploration of life’s rhythms. Facilitators Jane Shaw and Grainne Delaney have many years’ experience working in this field, knowing the joy that can be reclaimed by safely and gently meeting the often challenging territory of both literal and symbolic death.

Who should attend?

~ therapists and healthcare professionals working at end-of-life care

~ those who want to explore their own grieving process

~ those in the throws of life transformation

~ those who want a depth contemplation of death, grief and rebirth.

If you have any questions or concerns before booking your place, please contact Jane Shaw at info@elmfieldestate.com.

Facilitators

Jane Shaw marries neurobiology, Jungian psychology, and biodynamic craniosacral therapy to support individuals to recover from and become resilient to adverse life experiences. Having spent many years in the world of business and finance, she has been immersed in the field of holistic health for 20 years, seamlessly blending neuroscience and new medicine with profound teachings from ancient healing arts. As a therapist, writer, and educator, Jane delivers holistic health training programmes and retreat experiences in Ireland and internationally. Jane is founder and director of The Elmfield Institute, an organisation in Northern Ireland dedicated to sustainable holistic health education. Jane holds an M.A. in Economics from the University of Edinburgh and an M.A. in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, always continuing to learn from both her academic studies and lived experience.

Grainne Delaney has been working as a body-oriented therapist and meditation practitioner for over 20 years. She has a biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) clinic in Waterford, Ireland and is a BCST tutor on the current Body College London training. She has been a practitioner of Buddhist meditation for many years and teaches kum nye, a Buddhist meditation movement practice, locally in Waterford and holds kum nye silent retreats in the UK. She is passionate about embodied practices to safely heal the impact of wounded patterns, overwhelming and stressful life experiences. She believes by reconnecting with the wisdom and health of our body, we can fully express who we truly are, free of the patterns that obscure our relational connection with self, other and the natural world around us, bringing us back to an embodied knowingness of interconnected life and living. She has a deep interest in transitional periods of life, particularly that of coming into life, pre and perinatal territory and that of end of life into the dying process. She has spent over 17 years working in the Solas Cancer Support Centre and 9 years in the Waterford Health Park Medical Centre and as such, is highly regarded within the medical community and the general public alike.

Format

The retreat will take place on Saturday 20th April, held on a Zoom platform. The day will be broken into 45 to 60 minute online segments as well as off line practice instructions offered, affording the opportunity to deepen into the course material. Time will be made for sharing personal experiences but is not expected or necessary.