'Tending to Grief' Retreat: Knots & Weavings
A 5-day retreat to tenderly uncoil the grief knots and threads of birthloss, unpregnancy or the loss of a child.
“What is grief, really? It is the expression of a loss. You feel this loss intensely because of your attachment and love for what you lost. So, grief is directly related to how much you loved that thing or that person. It’s important to understand that grief is an expression of that love and give yourself permission to grieve because when you grieve it shows you how much you loved.” (Virginia Chang, Death Doula)
Untangling knots is the slow, intricate work of grief: non-linear and expressed in countless ways
'Tending to Grief' is a retreat for those who have experienced the loss of a baby or child, including birth loss, miscarriage, and other forms of unpregnancy. This space welcomes all who carry this grief - those who have carried life within their body, as well as those who have held life in other ways: partners, parents, and those who have shared in the journey of loss.
This retreat is open to individuals and couples - of all gender identities and relationship structures - who wish to tend to their grief within a supportive and collective space.
Together, we face the profound weight of birth loss, unpregnancy, or the loss of a child. The deeply personal devastation of having carried life and then losing it. These losses often remain silent, dismissed as “non-events” that sit in a liminal space, yet they profoundly affect our identities, relationships, and sense of self. Too often, no space is offered to hold these experiences. This retreat seeks to change that.
Together, we will honour the unspoken by co-creating an atmosphere that invites openness, reflection, and the courage to share. This is a space where grief is witnessed, its weight acknowledged, and its expression encouraged; Where we are not alone. We listen deeply, speak freely, and welcome fresh perspectives as we navigate our shared journey through grief.
What to expect
This retreat is not about forgetting or “fixing” what has happened. It’s about finding a new way to hold your grief, with gentleness, grace, and the support of others who understand. First and foremost, this is about community: Being heard, supported, and understood in a safe, non-judgmental circle. Together, we will explore:
Yoga Nidra
The Goddess way of rest. Shakti’s yoga that is ‘doing nothing’ & traversing the liminal spaces as a path of radical rest. Process, compost, locate
peace.
Breathwork
Healing breathwork sessions designed to process and release emotion in a safe and supportive environment.
Grief rituals
Learn and experience ritual with an aim to be generative and to make space for grief, that is often suppressed in western society and can be overwhelming.
Ecotherapy
Grounding in the natural world. We will explore how nature can be a powerful therapeutic companion in your healing.
This course is for you if ...
Meet your teachers
As a dedicated yoga teacher and trained counsellor, Lauren Urqhart is committed to providing safe and nurturing spaces for her retreat participants, both psychologically and physically. Her teaching philosophy in yoga emphasises honouring the roots of this ancient practice, while fostering a light-hearted and joyful atmosphere - a balance between tradition and playfulness, allowing space for personal expression and exploration.
In addition to teaching yoga asana classes, Lauren's work also extends into the realm of grief and loss. Trained in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) Meditation and Trauma-Aware Yoga, she integrates yoga, eco-therapy, and grief ritual techniques into a deeply compassionate and transformative experience. The retreat emphasises the liminal space of grief, offering participants opportunities for connection, reflection, and shared understanding.
Lauren is currently studying eco-therapy and volunteering as a counsellor at a local safe space specialising in harm reduction and suicide prevention. This work, as well as her own journey of love and loss, informs her approach to grief support and community care.
Sunni Hart is a seasoned facilitator, breathwork practitioner, and birth worker with over seven years of experience supporting individuals and families through life’s big transitions. Her journey began with a passion for providing education and compassionate guidance in the birth space, where she recognised the breath as a powerful tool for untangling conditioning and inherited beliefs. This realisation led her to study Rebirthing Breathwork Mastery, a gentle breath practice that emphasises safety and integration, which now guides her practice.
Through her work, Sunni has encountered the profound connection between birth and death, especially supporting families through birthloss, unpregnancy and child loss. These experiences have deepened her understanding of grief, shaping her reverence for life’s cycles and the inevitable truths of loss and renewal. The passing of her grandmother, Evelyn, further illuminated this symmetry, revealing how death, like birth, is a process of release — a raw and untamed threshold that calls for surrender.
By creating nurturing environments that balance gentleness with transformative depth, Sunni supports participants in exploring grief, healing, and creativity. Her facilitation is guided by core values of inclusivity, connection, and profound respect for the human spirit. Shaped by her personal journey as a mother, creative, and advocate for collective healing, Sunni holds a reverence for the interplay between breath, body, and ritual; offering a grounded yet expansive pathway to reconnect with the Self and others. Her retreats and workshops are characterised by heartfelt authenticity, deep respect for the lived experiences of her participants, and a belief in the transformative power of communal healing.
Example Schedule
Day 1
From 9am - Arrival / Check-in (Rooms available from 2pm)
12:30pm – Lunch
2pm – Circle + Ritual: at the heart of all your sorrows: A Brave Space for opening the heart and sharing stories, building community as we begin this journey together. Altar build, Guided ritual + Cacao.
4pm - Yin Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation – Begin the retreat with a grounding practice that helps you reconnect with your body and cultivate awareness of your emotional landscape.
6:15pm - Dinner
8pm – Yoga Nidra. A deeply restful session to end the day with calm and stillness.
Day 2
7:30am – Morning Check-In Circle: A gentle space to reflect on the first day’s experiences and emotions.
8:30am – Breakfast
9:30am – Breathwork: rough initiations - radical change and expression. Half-Day Breathwork Practice with Sunni Hart – This transformative breathwork session helps you release emotional and physical tension, allowing for surrender and release.
12:30pm – Lunch
3pm – Afternoon Integration: A session with Sunni and Lauren for quiet reflection, journaling, art making, or optional nature walks to process the breathwork experience.
6:15pm - Dinner
8pm – Yoga Nidra: Unwind and soothe your nervous system after the intensity of the day.
Please note: Timings are approximated and subject to change if we feel the group dynamic will benefit.
References, Teachers & Frameworks
Francis Weller’s work centres on grief as a communal and transformative experience. Drawing from his book The Wild Edge of Sorrow, he offers frameworks and rituals to help us honour loss, deepen connection, and integrate grief as a vital part of life.
Camille Sapa Barton weaves grief work with somatics, creativity, and social justice. Their teachings explore grief as a gateway to resilience, emphasising embodied practices and collective care to navigate loss and foster transformation.
Pioneered by Leonard Orr, rebirthing breathwork uses conscious, connected breathing to release stored emotions and unresolved trauma. This somatic practice helps access deeper awareness, process grief, and reconnect with a sense of renewal and peace.
Adrienne Maree Brown’s work emphasises grief as an integral part of personal and collective transformation. Through her writings on emergent strategy and radical care, she inspires practices that honour loss, nurture connection, and support healing in community.
Brave Space Guidelines foster an environment of mutual respect, courage, and accountability. Unlike safe spaces, brave spaces encourage vulnerability, honest communication, and the capacity to hold discomfort as we engage deeply with ourselves and others in a spirit of compassion and care.
Sobonfu Somé, a teacher of Dagara wisdom, emphasised grief as a communal practice essential to healing and balance. Her work teaches the importance of rituals, shared mourning, and connection to ancestors in moving through loss and restoring harmony.
Accommodation options
Krishna Village is located on a beautiful organic farm in the scenic foothills of Mt. Warning, half way between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. The closest town is Murwillumbah, and the nearest airport Coolangatta (the Gold Coast airport).
Our Retreat Center is spread out across a beautiful natural farm setting, which means that some of our facilities and accommodation require a bit of walking. We offer a range of accommodation options from camping spots to creatively renovated container rooms, private pine cabins set in the hills overlooking the valley and more.
Make your booking
Early Bird Discount: Save $200 if you book 6+ weeks prior to course start
The rates below include: tuition, 3 meals/day and the accommodation of your choice for 4 nights.
You are welcome to add further nights during the booking process, and include the weekend before and/or after the course.
Commuter: AU $1135 (meals included, but no room)
Camping (tent): AU $1259
Camping (van): AU $1275
Budget Single Room: AU $1395
Budget Double Room: AU $1435
Bunkies: AU $1535
Lotus Pod Room: AU $1535
Bhakti Guesthouse Rooms (With Ensuite): AU $1675
Cabin (self-contained): AU $1675
Payments - We require a $600 deposit to hold your spot in the course. The full payment is due no later than your arrival day.
Before booking, please have a look at our Code of Conduct and our Terms and Conditions. If you are dealing with any physical or mental health issues, please also check our 'Are you ready' page.
Choose your date below to make your booking
Please note: On your arrival day, you are welcome to join us for lunch. The course itself begins at 1:30pm. For an extra relaxed experience, you have the option to add a night, so you can arrive early, and start the experience with morning yoga, delicious breakfast and a wander around on the farm. On the final day, we conclude at 3pm.
Delicious vegetarian food
At Krishna Village, we offer 3x delicious vegetarian meals per day. From vegan kitchari, porridge, and fresh fruits for breakfast, to vegetable curry with rice or flatbreads, and heartier dishes for lunch & dinner... If you're looking to incorporate more plant-based options into your diet, you'll be sure to enjoy our meals.
If you have any specific dietary needs, you are welcome to use the Krishna Village kitchen to prepare your meals.
The Krishna Farm
The Krishna Farm "New Govardhana" serves as an ashram to a community of yogis who aspire to live according to their deepest vows and commitments on their path of service, spiritual contentment and happiness (Bhakti Yoga). Their service and dedication make this location a beautiful place of growth, healing and spiritual awakening. The temple is the beating heart of the community at New Govardhana and we encourage all who visit the property to come along and experience the lifestyle and philosophy reflected by the practice of Krishna consciousness.
Awaiting the presence of others
“In the absence of this depth of community, the safe container is difficult to find. By default, we become the container ourselves, and when this happens, we cannot drop into the well of grief in which we can fully let go of the sorrows we carry. We recycle our grief, moving into it and then pulling it back into our bodies unreleased. Frequently in my practice patients tell me that they often cry in private. I ask them whether, at some point in this process, they ever allow their grief to be witnessed and shared with others. There is usually a quick retort of “No, I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to be a burden to anyone else.” When I push it a little further and ask them how it would feel if a friend came to them with his or her sorrows and pain, they respond that they would feel honored to sit with their friend and offer support. This disconnection between what we would offer others and what we feel we can ask for is extreme. We need to recover our right to ask for help in grief, otherwise it will continue to recycle perpetually. Grief has never been private; it has always been communal. Subconsciously, we are awaiting the presence of others, before we can feel safe enough to drop to our knees on the holy ground of sorrow.”
― Francis Weller
