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A Mind-funded Roots & Resilience community wellbeing event by Moksha Holistic Therapies CICAs the days become shorter and the nights begin to draw in, we enter a different part of the year. Autumn invites us to slow down, turn inward and reflect. But for many people, the darker and quieter months can also bring feelings of loneliness, isolation, grief and a stronger sense of missing those who are no longer with us. The Ancestors’ Heart has been created as a gentle community space to acknowledge these feelings, talk openly about grief and loss, and explore remembrance, ancestry and connection as we move towards winter. This event is funded by Mind as part of our wider community wellbeing work, supporting opportunities for people to come together, connect, express themselves creatively and explore subjects that can sometimes be difficult to talk about.
Death is something that many of us find difficult to talk about. It can be uncomfortable. It can be frightening. Sometimes it is simply easier to avoid the subject altogether. But death is also a natural part of life. Every one of us comes from generations of people who lived before us. People who loved, struggled, survived, created, lost, learned and passed something on. We are here because they were here. This evening is an invitation to recognise and honour those who came before us, not through fear, but through curiosity, gratitude and respect. Our ancestors were human beings. They weren't perfect. They carried their own stories, wounds, strengths, traditions and beliefs. We can honour what was good. We can learn from what was difficult. We can recognise the resilience that has travelled through generations. And we can consciously choose what we carry forward and what we leave behind.
The event takes some inspiration from Día de los Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead, and the wider human tradition of creating rituals and spaces to remember those who have died.
We are not attempting to recreate or appropriate this sacred Mexican tradition.
Instead, we are inspired by the underlying human act of remembrance, the idea that talking about those who have passed, sharing their stories, celebrating their lives and keeping their memory alive can be an important part of how we process loss. For us, remembrance doesn't have to be frightening. It can be warm. It can be creative. It can involve laughter and tears. It can remind us of the people who shaped us and the love that remains.
Throughout the evening, Jan, Azim and Sam will gently guide the group through a mixture of conversation, reflection, guided practice and creative activity.
We will explore:
- How the changing seasons can affect our emotional wellbeing
- Why grief can feel particularly present during darker and quieter months
- Different ways that people experience and express grief
- Remembering people we have loved and lost
- Our relationship with our ancestors and those who came before us
- The stories, qualities and wisdom that have travelled through our family lines
- What we choose to carry forward and what we choose to change
- How creativity and community can support us during difficult periods
There will be no pressure to talk about personal experiences. You can simply listen, take part in the activities, meet other people and spend some time reflecting.
A central part of the evening will be a gentle creative activity led by Jan. Working with fabric, natural materials, herbs and carefully selected aromatic ingredients, each participant will create a small comfort heart or remembrance pouch to take home.
Your creation might be:
- A reminder of someone you have lost
- A way of honouring your ancestors
- A personal comfort object for the darker months
- A symbol of something you want to release or carry forward
About Moksha Holistic Therapies CIC
Moksha Holistic Therapies CIC is a community-focused organisation founded by Azim and Samantha Nobeebaccus. Our work centres around connection, wellbeing, healing, community and making supportive spaces more accessible to people from all walks of life. Through our community projects and events, we bring people together through nature, creativity, holistic wellbeing, education, conversation, meditation, ceremony and shared experience. We believe that wellbeing isn't simply about treating problems once they arise.
It is also about having somewhere to belong. Somewhere to be heard. Somewhere to slow down. And somewhere to connect with other people. Our work is rooted in compassion, inclusivity and the understanding that everyone's journey is different. The Mind funding helps us continue creating these opportunities within our community, allowing us to offer meaningful activities and spaces for connection and wellbeing.
Meet Your Facilitators
Jan Muse - Magical Muse Medicine Weaver
Jan brings a deep relationship with plants, herbs, natural materials and creative practice. Jan's work explores our relationship with the natural world and the ways that plants, traditional knowledge and creativity can help us reconnect with ourselves.For this event, Jan will lead the crafting element, introducing participants to the natural materials and herbs used to create their personal comfort heart or pouch. Her approach is gentle, grounded and creative, encouraging people to slow down and reconnect with the simple act of making something with their hands.
Azim Nobeebaccus
Azim is founder and co-director of Moksha Holistic Therapies CIC and has worked in holistic wellbeing and personal development for many years. His work brings together Energy Healing, Reiki, Shiatsu, somatic and trauma-informed approaches, meditation, ceremony, nature connection and his experience of traditional plant medicine practices. Azim has a particular interest in the relationship between healing, nature, ancestral wisdom and the stories we carry through generations. During the evening, Azim will help facilitate the conversations and reflections around grief, remembrance, ancestry, life and death.
Samantha Nobeebaccus
Samantha is co-director of Moksha Holistic Therapies CIC and brings her own experience of wellbeing, personal development and creating compassionate spaces for people to explore themselves. Sam's approach is warm, heart-led and deeply human, with an emphasis on connection and creating environments where people can simply be themselves. Alongside Jan and Azim, Sam will help hold the space throughout the evening and support the reflective, creative and sharing aspects of the gathering.
Together, the three facilitators bring different experiences and perspectives while sharing a common belief:
We don't always need to have the answers. Sometimes we simply need somewhere safe to pause, connect and be heard.
Who is this for?
You don't need to be grieving someone recently. You don't need to be spiritual. You don't need any previous experience of crafting, meditation or holistic practices. This event is open to anyone who feels drawn to the themes of remembrance, ancestry, connection and reflection.
It may be particularly meaningful if you:
Have experienced bereavement or loss
Find the darker months difficult
Sometimes feel lonely or disconnected
Want to remember someone special
Feel curious about your family history or ancestors
Want to explore grief in a supportive community
Enjoy creativity, nature and working with your hands
Simply want to slow down and spend an evening connecting with others
Come exactly as you are. You don't have to share. You don't have to explain. You don't have to pretend that everything is okay. You can simply be present.
We Are Part of a Much Bigger Story
Our lives didn't begin with us. We carry the stories of those who came before us, consciously and unconsciously.
And one day, we too will become part of the stories that others remember. Perhaps there is something beautiful in acknowledging that. Not with fear. But with gratitude. With curiosity. With love. And with the question:
What will we choose to carry forward?
Join Jan Muse, Azim Nobeebaccus and Samantha Nobeebaccus for an intimate autumn evening of remembrance, creativity, conversation and connection.
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Event venue
All Saints' Church, Matlock Bank, 6 Green Close, Matlock, DE4 3AB, United Kingdom
Tickets
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