My grief says that I dared to love,” writes Francis Weller, “that I allowed another to enter the very core of my being and find a home in my heart…to love is to accept the rites of grief.
The Sacred Rite of Grief Retreat
We invite you to a retreat in which your grief becomes holy ground. Too often, we’ve had to be silent over our loss and pain when we needed words, expression, and community.
Join Annie Allender Robbins and Heather Stringer
September 18th-21st
as they host a weekend for engaging your grief through therapeutic story work, ritual, and teachings of Eastern medicine.
The retreat is nestled in San Juan Island’s West Valley at the head of the Garrison Bay watershed, where forest, wetland, and pasture converge.
There is ample space to wander, fresh food to enjoy, and cozy accommodations.
What to expect:
A private room
All of your meals are provided for except one dinner out to enjoy an island restaurant
Therapeutic story work engaging your grief
Teaching the role of Internal Family Systems in grief
Movement and practices to move grief held in our body
A ritual
Outdoor time to reflect and explore
Time to connect with a fun group of women
Your Hosts
Annie Allender Robbins
Annie Allender Robbins is a practitioner of body-centered healing through many paths, including Classical Five Element Acupuncture and soulful life coaching with an emphasis on Internal Family Systems.
The never ending exploration to rediscover our inherent wholeness within a world that causes us to question it has guided her work and her path for as long as she can remember. Annie weaves a playful tapestry of movement, breath work and deep inquiry into her teaching of Chinese medicine and engages you in self-discovery through its ancient wisdom and its many reminders that the natural world that surrounds us lives within us as well. She’s found great joy in running her acupuncture clinic for over twenty years in addition to being a mother of two teen boys who keep her on her toes!
Heather Stringer
Heather Stringer is an artist, licensed mental health therapist and ritual maker. She studied painting at Columbia College in Chicago and then received her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. Heather is a Senior Fellow and teacher at the Allender Center where she specializes in narrative focused trauma care. In addition to her fifteen years of clinical experience, she curates intentional rituals for individuals and communities desiring to live more fully. Heather lives in New York City with her husband Jay and their two wildings, Amos and Iona.
Register for the Retreat
Retreat Fee $1,875
Please note that all sign-ups for this event are non-refundable. However, if we can successfully find someone to take your place, we will refund your payment minus a $100 booking fee.
Lodging through Saturn’s Return with a variety of prices and room options
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The Deluxe King is in the heart of the original one-room schoolhouse, featuring its 1915 fireplace and Douglas fir floors. Enjoy views of Garrison Creek and our flower field from your organic Avocado Queen mattress, Coyuchi linens, and Fir Oak Farm wool comforter from island sheep. Its private bathroom next door has a shower-bath, organic Baina bath linens, and bathrobes from Block Shop Textiles.
$1,095 before tax
$1,209 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$403 avg. per night
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The Deluxe Queen is in the heart of the original one-room schoolhouse, featuring its 1915 fireplace and Douglas fir floors. Enjoy views of Garrison Creek and our flower field from your organic Avocado Queen mattress, Coyuchi linens, and Fir Oak Farm wool comforter from island sheep. Its private bathroom next door has a shower-bath, organic Baina bath linens, and bathrobes from Block Shop Textiles.
$880 before tax
$972 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$324 avg. per night
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The Standard Queen bedroom features a comfortable bed with organic Coyuchi linens, a Fir Oak Farm wool comforter, and windows that let in birdsong and views of the farm or Garrison Creek. Its small en suite bathroom has a walk-in shower and organic Baina bath linens.
$835 before tax
$922 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$307 avg. per night
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The second-floor Queen bedroom with shared bathroom looks out over farm and forest. Catch golden sunlight through the south-facing window from your cozy bed with organic Coyuchi linens and a Fir Oak Farm wool comforter. It shares a generous bathroom with the Double Full bedroom next door, appointed with organic Baina bath linens and bathrobes from Block Shop Textiles.
$650 before tax
$718 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$239 avg. per night
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The second-floor Double Full is a shared bedroom, with two beds overlooking Garrison Creek, organic Coyuchi linens, and Fir Oak Farm wool comforters. It shares a generous bathroom with the Queen bedroom next door, appointed with organic Baina bath linens and bathrobes from Block Shop Textiles.
We will book each bed separately, so you can either coordinate to share with a friend or meet someone new!
$720 before tax
$795 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$397 per bed
$265 avg. per night
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The ADA Queen is a cozy room with a queen bed, organic Coyuchi linens, and a Fir Oak Farm wool comforter. Appointed with organic Baina bath linens, its bathroom is wheelchair-friendly, with standard accessibility features, and opens to the bedroom. Located near our front entry, this room might not be the best fit for light sleepers.
$650 before tax
$718 after-tax (10.4% sales + lodging)
$239 avg. per night
