Tending to our Collective Sorrows: Eagle Rock Community Grief Circle

Join us for a communal gathering that centers the sacred calling of tending to our grief. We will be offering a comforting herbal tea, group conversation, a safe space, meditation, and a facilitated grief circle. This is our second time co-creating this space as a way to acknowledge and process personal experiences of grief along with the immeasurable collective sorrows of our times. These are not normal times. We are living in the aftermath of a global pandemic, complicit in a 21st century genocide, ongoing ecocide, wars with no end, fascism, ICE detention centers, and a list of horrors beyond just this. To acknowledge these internal and external harms and losses,  we turn towards the time-honored practice of gathering together in circle to co-regulate and make sense of that which seems to defy sense. 

We’re inspired by the words of Francis Weller who encourages us all to begin our apprenticeship with grief. He says, “I’m not sure how or when I began my apprenticeship with sorrow. I do know that it was my gateway back into the breathing and animate world… Through this, I have come to have lasting faith in grief.”

Come plumb the depths with us.  You do not have to have any experience with this kind of gathering to join -  this space is guided and all are welcome. We intend for this to be a nourishing morning. 

Date: Sunday, July 5

Time: 10-12pm* To honor the intimacy of this work, we ask that everyone arrive on time so that we can enter this tender space together, without interruption. Doors will close at 10:15, and we will begin then. If you’re unable to show up by that time, we invite you to join us for a future gathering. 

About the facilitators: 

Sonia is a singer, song carrier, sound healer, and facilitator in ceremonial spaces. She releases music as Doe Paoro; her most recent record, Living Through Collapse, centers the grief and responsibility of living through this moment of collective reckoning and crisis. She is also the creator of Activating the Voice, a learning and gathering series devoted to voicing what has been historically silenced through singing and somatic expression. She has a deep love for ritual space and believes that tending to grief is a way we deepen our connection with life.

Alia owns Kantara Rugs which specializes in Moroccan rugs and textiles. In one of her past lives, she regularly facilitated conversations for groups of all sizes. Recently Alia has been offering up the Rug Room as a space for community gathering. For the last couple years, she has hosted Climate Cafes and in the wake of the fires, she opened the space for monthly sliding scale sound baths. She loves using the space for these types of rituals as the rugs create a safe cocoon within which connections, healing, and conversations can happen.

What to bring:

• Journal and pen (optional)
• Warm layer: we’ll have the heater on and blankets to use, but it can be chilly, so bring this if you get cold easily!
• Socks: We’ll ask folks to take their shoes off at the door, so bring a pair of socks if you think your feet will get cold. We’ll be sitting on the floor, covered in rugs, leaning on pillows, poufs, and other rug bundles. It’ll be cozy in there.

Exchange:

If you’d like to join but don’t have the means, please reach out to [email protected]. We try our best to be accessible and inclusive!

$5: Reduced (for those in financial need)

$10: General (please contribute this amount if you are financially able)

$20: Supporter (allows us to offer sliding scale places for those who otherwise could not afford to attend and make the sliding scale offering sustainable on a continuing basis)

Refund Policy: If you reach out within 3 days of the event, we are happy to refund you the cost of the ticket.

Parking:

It’s Sunday, so you should be able to park anywhere for free. There’s plenty of parking on the side streets, all around the shop.

Photo by Laura Burhenn @laurabird

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kantara: Moroccan rugs, 5028 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

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