Gates of Grief Workshop (March 2025)
with Rebecca Churt

ONLINE

April 13 (Sunday)
at 2:00 pm

Class length
120 minutes

Location
Online

This 8-week workshop will combine the perspective of end-of-life reflections, the gates of grief based on the work of Francis Weller in his book “The Wild Edge of Sorrow,” and an additional 6th gate from the work of Sophy Banks.

Week 1: Group foundation and introductions | Mar 2nd
Week 2: First Gate; Everything we love we will lose | Mar 9th
Week 3: Second Gate; The places that have not known love | Mar 16th
Week 4: Third Gate; The sorrows of the world | Mar 23rd
Week 5: Fourth Gate; What we expected and did not receive | Mar 30th
Week 6: Fifth Gate; Ancestral grief | Apr 6th 
Week 7: Sixth Gate; The harms we’ve caused | Apr13th
Week 8: Closing ritual and final reflections | Apr 20th
Utilizing the powerful tools of storytelling, bearing witness, reflective writing, somatic expression, and community ritual, we will call forth stories of love and loss while held within the healing embrace of community. Come experience the joy that is found when sorrow has been made sacred.

Each week, Rebecca will lead participants through an exploration of a different "Gate of Grief," a concept inspired by the understanding that grief is multifaceted and deeply woven into the fabric of our lives. The gates include:

Everything We Love, We Will Lose
The Places That Have Not Known Love
The Sorrows of the World
What We Expected and Did Not Receive
Ancestral Grief
The Harms We’ve Caused
Through guided meditations, reflective writing, somatic practices, and group sharing, participants will deepen their relationship with grief, cultivate resilience, and discover a "cosmology of connection" that honors both individual and collective sorrow.

Benefits:
Expanded understanding of what grief is
Connect with others in a supportive space
Insightful practices and tools for embracing and navigating grief
Group Commitments:
Our time together will be grounded in principles of deep listening, humility, and bearing witness. We will practice being present without trying to fix or advise, and we will treat all shared experiences with confidentiality and care.

Who Should Attend:
This workshop is for anyone seeking to explore their grief in a structured and supportive environment. Whether you have navigated personal loss, the ache of unmet expectations, or a deep sorrow for the world, this space is for you.

If you are experiencing a very recent loss, however, you may wish to pause and consider whether this is the right time for this work. Trust your intuition about what feels most supportive for your healing right now.

Here's what people have to say:

The Gates of Grief Workshop was an immensely helpful personal experience navigating through my grief. Each week I encountered myself and the work I was longing to do, to release, and to grow within. We experienced an educational component each week, practice times for writing, somatic practices, and sharing. Each aspect was woven gently and just right for the day's theme. — Suzanne

My experience with the gates of grief group was incredible. Together we built a deep and respectful container that was expertly crafted and facilitated by Rebecca. I'm just now entering the deep work of being in apprenticeship with sorrow and this class gently opened these gates for me to access and do the work. This class has shown that grief work is the work! Thank you for this workshop, a true gift. Highly recommend! — Anonymous