Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, is a New Jersey nonprofit that offers free grief support statewide. These Imagine staffers work indefatigably, often in the face of much painful grief, to provide bereavement support and psychoeducation to thousands of children, parents, teachers, social workers, coaches, school nurses and whole communities. This year, The Uplands hosted a hybrid, two phase-retreat. First, 16 Imagine staff members arrived for a restorative, team building, envisioning and goal setting retreat. Following the staff retreat, 3 facilitators and 20 Imagine clients arrived, who were grieving the loss of a child or their life partner. Their retreat theme was “rising together,” with intentions of creating an environment of safety and candor to share and support each other freely and form community.
Both the Imagine staff and clients launched their retreats with opening circles using movement and music, with an invitation “bring all of themselves,” including aspects they might usually feel must be censored or hidden. This was followed by a bonding group activity called “curious heart,” wherein playful and probing questions evoked candid and often hilarious group disclosures. A connective web of a safe, embracing field was woven that deepened and strengthened over the course of both retreats.
Both groups were inspired by guided wellness walks with prompts for reflection on the many ways nature models interconnecting processes that humans can emulate. Imagine staff had lively meetings to review their extraordinary successes, to note needed improvements and to dream big for short future achievements. An art experience of weaving dream catchers enabled Imagine staff to create esthetically what they had collectively dreamed.
The Imagine bereavement women’s group broke into two sections: mothers mourning the loss of a child and women mourning the loss of their partner. Here, the power of sharing the complexities of grief, often unspeakable in ordinary day to day contexts, yielded powerful healing. They then united over an art experience in which they were invited to play with watercolor, a medium of fluidity allowing for joyful freedom of releasing control. This was followed by nature bathing in which participants grabbed a yoga blanket and withdrew to a grove of cherry trees to rest, release and receive peace.
Both retreat groups received soothing sound bowl sessions, music and movement experiences, restorative yoga, and pool, hot tub and sauna renewal opportunities. The retreat guests also enjoyed the nurturing sustenance of the chefs’ love-laced delicious meals.
The participants emerged at retreats’ end more rejuvenated and uplifted than they had ever imagined or anticipated. The Imagine staff group reported that they felt renewed, aligned and energized, motivated to embark on a new year of goal-surpassing service. The women’s bereavement group came away feeling they’d forged a community of healing camaraderie and loving support. On a personal basis they noted feeling transformed from isolating grief to expansive optimism. As one attendee said, “I came here in despair; I leave here in hope.” We look forward to many more such powerfully transformative retreats with Imagine in the years to come.
