Moving Grief
In a world that can feel so full of distance, loneliness, and division, I am all the more grateful for the moments of community, love, and connection. The body is wise, and when we take time to become aware of how we hold ourselves, move, walk, sit or even interact with others, we have an opportunity to enter greater clarity of what may or may not need to be expressed.
My Grief Journey
Dance had always been a home that I could retreat to in times of joy, frustration, hope and healing. It has given me permission to explore the pit of inner crises and became my personal processing tool that had no rules or filters. I cherish this relationship, which is why it felt like a dagger to my heart when the keys to my “home” didn’t quite open the door after I lost my father.
I thought, “I just need to find my way back to my body. I need to move this grief through. I’ll find some relief!” But grief grounded me into recognizing that this significant loss required a slow and more contemplative approach to moving with the grief patterns than I had and have experienced. During the beginning months of my loss, I felt heavy, sleepy, exhausted, devastated, weepy, and totally unmotivated. As an intuitive, active, sensitive, curious person, I felt as if something swooped in, pushed the “old me” out, and set up shop as a completely different being. I struggled for months thinking that there was something wrong with me. The pain of losing my father felt so immense. How could I snap back and pick up from where I left off? How could I get back to work, back to socializing, back to projects, and perhaps most genuinely, how could I make my way back into dance?
With so much change in my life, my journey of exploring ways to heal through dance would convey that this grief had a lot to teach me. I started to observe and journal some of the physical sensations that would surface through moments of grief and grieving. I’d give myself permission to sit, breathe, or move with them in ways that felt organic to my process.
The more aware I become, the stronger my desire to use movement to chisel away at the heaviness of loss. Experimenting with moving through space manifested as a sort of “clearing. As I’ve continued to allow for more space to grieve, I give myself more freedom to move and dance through the textures, shapes, gestures and stories of grief and loss. And through this experiment, an extension of love that I have for my father grows between us, building space and opening the doors to dance again.
It is because of this curiosity, this vulnerability that I have made it a mission to help others discover the power of movement and creativity through grief and loss.
Upcoming Moving Grief workshops
In collaboration with Hospicare Ithaca, please join me in acknowledging, honoring and releasing our stories of grief in a safe and supportive environment. Registration for events is through the Hospicare website. Please click on the links below.
Moving Grief through the Seasons
4 Part Series
*This series has passed. Stay tuned for more opportunities in 2026*
Saturday, February 17, 10:00-11:30am
Wednesday, May 8, 5:30-7:00pm
Wednesday, September 11, 5:30-7:00pm
Saturday, November 2, 10:00-11:30am
Location: The third session (Sept 11th 5:30-7pm) will be located at the Hospicare outdoor Grounds
172 East King rd, Ithaca, NY
*The location for Nov. 2nd be determined later.
Join us for four seasonal movement workshops in which participants discover how the seasons can have an impact on our relationship to grief and loss. In this series we will learn creative movement activities, journal, and discover ways to release stagnation in the body. You may attend all four workshops, but they stand on their own and can be attended individually. Please dress appropriately for comfort and movement. Registration is required 48 hours prior to the first session you will be attending, and there is no cost. For more information contact the Bereavement staff via phone at 607-272-0212 or send an email.
Moving Stories of Love & Grief
Creating movement stories
2025-2026 Registration now open!
The development process begins in October and ends with a sharing in April in a sParticipants will initially meet for 6 weeks as an entire group with more small group/1:1 experiences in December. January we are planning to host a daylong workshop to sift and explore the content that has been emerging for the sharing time. Our work together January-March will continue in a meeting weekly and biweekly as we hone in on the story that is emerging from your experience of grief.
We will typically meet most Wednesdays (6-7:45pm) 2149 Slaterville Rd and sometimes other venues, which will be announced at a later date. Our meetups will be 90 minutes long and consist of a variety of movement activities, journaling with prompts, meditations and sharing. To encourage our movement vignettes to take physical form and authentic storylines; we will work with a specific movement framework. All levels of movement experience welcome.
Each time we meet there will be guided movement explorations, witnessing, personal storytelling, and creative reflection, the feeling of a group giving and receiving allows for the heart of our creativity to meet. The workshop will conclude with a public sharing, (perhaps a talk back) and followed by a potluck for family and friends.
Session schedule below. PLEASE NOTE: Registration is required for this project. Click the link!
https://forms.gle/MkAcA6xP9CfJ3bGY9
DATES:
– Wednesday, October 22nd
– May Debrief Retreat! – Early May
Flow
Movement Series
Coming Soon!
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