Right now, I’m writing to you from the redwood forest, surrounded by close to 70 grieving mothers, and I can honestly say — I’ve never been more in alignment with my soul’s work. This is our second annual Love Mama Retreat, and even though I created it in the wake of my deepest loss, what’s unfolding here is nothing short of sacred.
You don’t have to be a grieving mother to understand the kind of transformation happening here.
You only have to know what it means to take pain and turn it into purpose.
To take heartbreak and turn it into healing.
These women have come here carrying unspeakable pain — but what we’re discovering together is that their grief doesn’t need fixing. It needs witnessing. Ritual. Breath. Touch. Connection. Safety. And yes — sometimes, release.
The work we do here isn’t surface-level. It’s not just yoga and journaling. It’s supported, grounded, and deeply somatic. Many of these women are being supported in learning to process anger they didn’t know was there — anger that’s been acting like a bodyguard to the tender grief underneath. And when it releases — when it finally leaves the body, when the tears are met and moved in conscious ways, something shifts. I watch their shoulders drop. Their breath deepens. The beginning of light in their eyes.
We don’t stop there.
Here, we also cross the veil.
With the help of our beloved medium Susan Grau, these mamas are learning to build a relationship with their children on the other side. Not just remembering — relating. Talking. Listening. Reconnecting to the bond that death cannot break. And for so many, it’s the first time they’ve felt their child’s presence since they passed. The softness, the peace, the knowing — it’s indescribable. And it changes everything.
My goals for this retreat are simple but sacred:
- That every mama leaves with at least one soul friend who is walking this same path.
- That she has a practical, doable plan for healing she can take home with her.
- That she leaves with a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel — and the tools to follow the path of healing.
- And most of all, that she knows her child is still with her, still reachable, still loving her back.
It’s heart-filling beyond words to witness the transformation that’s possible in just a few days. One mama told me this morning, “I’ve never been treated so well in my life.” That stopped me in my tracks. Because she meant it — not just the emotional care, but the physical container too.
We’re here at the incredible 1440 Multiversity…The grounds are stunning. The food is nourishing. The amenities are next level. And the container they’ve created for us is insanely beautiful — from the giant hot tub in the middle of the forest, to the farm to table plant-based meals, to the staff who quietly offer comfort with every cup of tea.
The 1440 Foundation also partnered with us at Parent Collective to help fund full or partial scholarships and offer this healing space to 55 of the mamas in attendance. That generosity? It’s not just a detail. It’s the heart of this work. Because healing should never be reserved for the privileged few. And here, it isn’t.
We’ll be doing this again. And the waitlist for our next Love Mama Retreat is open.
And if you are grieving anyone (not only a child), come join me in the Grief Healing Collective — where this same kind of community and soul-centered care is available to you month after month.
Because grief doesn’t end.
But neither does love.
And in the right container, love can do what it’s always done best: heal.