Release & Reconnect: A Grief Retreat for Women
A sacred space to honor your loss, reconnect with yourself,
and discover what remains.
Grief can feel heavy, overwhelming, and sometimes deeply isolating.
This nurturing half-day retreat offers a gentle space to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself alongside other women who understand the impact of loss.
When loss remains unspoken or unexpressed, it can leave us feeling stuck, numb, exhausted, or disconnected from ourselves and others. Rather than something to fix or solve, grief is a natural response to what we have loved. It needs space to be felt, expressed, witnessed, and gently supported.
Grief is not only held in our thoughts — it is held in our bodies. It can show up as brain fog that makes simple decisions feel overwhelming, loneliness even when surrounded by others, emotional exhaustion, or physical tension as the body carries what the heart has not yet had space to process.
This half-day retreat is a compassionate sanctuary designed to support the natural movement of grief so it does not remain held within you.
Through trauma-informed Grief Yoga®, Qi Gong, journaling, connection, nature, and ritual, you will be invited to gently release what you have been carrying and reconnect with yourself, your healing, and the love that remains.
As space begins to open, many people experience moments of softening, connection, and renewed meaning — allowing grief to become something that can be held with compassion rather than carried alone.
The Flow of Our Day
Grief Yoga® Practices
A gentle, trauma-informed movement practice using breath, mindful movement, and sound to support emotional expression, soften held tension, and create space for what needs to be felt.
Reflective Processing Circle
Following our movement practice, we gather in a compassionate circle to share, reflect, and be witnessed. This is a safe, non-judgmental space to honor your experience and feel the healing power of being seen and heard by others who understand.
Reflective Journaling
Through guided reflection prompts, you will have space to explore your grief, your relationship with what has been lost, and the continuing bonds of love and connection that remain.
Qi Gong & Mindful Walking in Nature
A gentle Qi Gong practice helps calm the nervous system, restore balance, and reconnect you with your body. We will then move into mindful walking in nature, allowing space to integrate your experience and feel grounded by the support of the earth beneath you.
Grief Ritual: Release & Reconnect
A meaningful closing ritual to honor your grief, acknowledge what you have carried, and create space to release what no longer needs to be held alone. This sacred practice invites you to reconnect with love, yourself, and the possibility of moving forward while still honoring what matters most.
This Retreat Is For You If You Are:
Grieving the death of someone important to you — whether your loss is recent or many years ago. This may include the loss of a spouse, partner, parent, child, family member, friend, or someone deeply meaningful in your life. Grief does not follow a timeline, and there is no “right” way to grieve.
Navigating the loss of a relationship or significant life chapter — including divorce, separation, the end of an important relationship, or grieving the future you once imagined.
Experiencing empty nest grief or a changing sense of identity — as children grow and leave home, you may find yourself grieving a role, routine, purpose, or version of yourself that has changed.
A caregiver who has spent years caring for others — and are now recognizing your own needs, exhaustion, emotions, or the parts of yourself that may have been set aside.
Moving through a major life transition or unexpected change — including retirement, relocation, changes in health, shifting family roles, friendship losses, or a season of life that no longer feels the same.
Longing for connection and support — especially if you have felt alone in your grief and desire the comfort of being surrounded by women who understand that healing does not mean forgetting.
This retreat is for women who are ready to gently acknowledge their grief, create space for what they have experienced, and reconnect with themselves and the love, meaning, and wisdom that can emerge through the healing process.
You do not need any prior experience with yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, or retreats. All practices are offered with choice, sensitivity, and deep respect for your unique grief journey.
Reflections from Past Participants:
“Holding space for somatic expression of grief and loss is powerful and often overlooked in the internal and often lonely process of metastasizing grief. Moving energetically in community, being seen, witnessed, and together was a powerful shift in my experience with my own grief.” -Jenna M.
“What a beautiful time this was to escape within myself for a bit. Peaceful, calm, validating, honest...rejuvenating of the soul. I looked and felt lighter after, it was noticeable, and I attribute it to that time. -Sara C.
“The thing that was very impactful for me was what I wrote on the stone and threw out—responsibility that is not mine. It triggered a realization of what others have expected of my my whole life and how I’ve taken on something I should not have.” -Cheryl P.
This is a space to:
- Allow your grief to move rather than become something you have to carry alone
- Transform the experience of loss into a continuing connection of love and meaning
- Be held in a trauma-informed environment where every emotion is welcome
- Reconnect with yourself, your body, and your inner resources
You May Leave This Retreat Feeling:
More grounded and connected to yourself
A greater sense of spaciousness as you release emotional and physical tension
Less alone through the power of shared experience and community
More connected to the love and memories that continue beyond loss
Equipped with gentle somatic tools to support yourself through future waves of grief
Tea, coffee, and light snacks will be provided throughout the retreat. You are invited to bring a simple, nourishing lunch to support your body during our quiet midday pause.
Retreat Details
Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
Time: 10:00am–3:00pm
Location: Sky Pond, 118 Rocky Rd, Apex, NC
Space is Limited!
Investment:
Early Bird Price: $135
(September 9–October 25)
Regular Price: $145
(October 25–October 30)
Tickets are on sale! Space is Limited
The Setting:
Sky Pond Retreat Center
Nestled beside Jordan Lake in Apex, NC, Sky Pond offers a
serene escape surrounded by tall pines and natural
beauty.
You’ll experience:
A soothing pond with a soothing meditative walking trail around it
An inviting indoor studio and comfortable gathering area
A rustic setting that encourages grounding and presence
This nurturing environment is thoughtfully created to support you in leaving feeling more relaxed, connected, renewed, and clear-headed.
Meet the Facilitator
Chris McDonald
Chris McDonald is a Holistic Therapist, Yogi, Meditation Teacher, and Author based in North Carolina. She is the owner of Path to Hope Counseling and is certified in Brainspotting, a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and is Certified in Grief Yoga.
Chris specializes in supporting adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief, integrating gentle yoga, mindfulness, and nervous system–informed practices into therapy sessions.
In addition, Chris shares guided meditations on the Aura app and Insight Timer. Her favorite daily rituals include coffee, yoga, and quiet time with a good book.
