Healing Circles

HEALING CIRCLES

In addition to women's traditional blood mysteries -- menarche, childbirth, and menopause -- countless women experience the transformational passages of miscarriage, infertility, hysterectomy, mastectomy, birth trauma, and abortion. And yet . . . we don't talk about it.
It is time to reclaim the sacred space and time to honor our loss, to grieve together, and move forward in healing. In the safe sanctuary of the Red Tent, we will share our stories, participate in sacred ceremony, and support each other in our emotional journey.

In order to heal, we need to tell our stories and have them witnessed. As I told my stories of fear, awakening, struggle, and transformation - and had them heard, received, and validated by other women - I found healing.
SUE MONK KIDD

MISCARRIAGE & INFANT LOSS
The loss of pregnancy - at any stage of gestation - is a devastating experience shared by millions of women each year. It is estimated that 30% of pregnancies will end in miscarriage, meaning that one in three women will endure this heart-breaking loss in her lifetime. Unlike the death of a child, we have no ritual or ceremony in our culture to mark the passing of the precious life that left our womb too soon. Left to process our grief alone and in silence, many women find it difficult to heal and move forward after miscarriage. Together in the safe and sacred Red Tent, we will heal through sharing our stories and witnessing the stories of our sisters.

BIRTH TRAUMA
Many women anticipate the birth of their child with joy and optimism. Sometimes, however, our birth experience leaves us feeling bereft, robbed, silenced, disregarded, violated, coerced, and/or traumatized. Often we are discouraged from processing or discussing our experiences by well-meaning friends and family, which only compounds our trauma. In the safe and sacred Red Tent, we will share our stories of birth trauma, healing as we speak our truth and witness the stories of our sisters.

MOTHERLESS MOTHERS
The experience of motherhood is one of tremendous emotional upheaval for any woman . . . but for women who do not have a mother figure in their lives, the journey can feel like navigating in the dark without a compass. Diverging from the typical cultural narrative of motherhood, those of us without our own mothers to guide us can experience tremendous isolation, self-doubt, and fatigue. Together we will heal by sharing our stories and witnessing the stories of our sisters.

ABORTION
The choice, or need, to end a pregnancy is an experience that countless women have shared throughout history and yet it is one of the most difficult and painful experiences to integrate and process. Together we will heal by sharing our stories and witnessing the stories of our sisters in a safe environment.

INFERTILITY
Infertility is experienced by roughly 15% of women the world over, and can involve multiple phases of physical and emotional loss. Women who experience infertility may naturally feel weary, overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or filled with grief -- and may feel they have nowhere to share these intense feelings and experiences. Together in the safe container of the Red Tent, we will heal through sharing our stories and witnessing the stories of our sisters.

HYSTERECTOMY
Over 600,000 women experience hysterectomy each year, which is in many cases treated as nothing more than a basic medical procedure. For many women, the loss of their womb, even if medically necessary, is a symbolic and emotional loss that is not addressed by the medical establishment. Sharing their stories while processing the journey of physical and emotional recovery from this monumental procedure allows women to feel that they are not alone, and allows for deep and lasting healing.

BREAST CANCER & MASTECTOMY
One in eight women will face a diagnosis of breast cancer in her life, an experience that will require tremendous physical and emotional healing and support. Facing the myriad challenges of treatment and recovery can be an isolating experience, but having the support of women who have walked a similar path is a tremendously healing experience. Together in the safe container of the Red Tent, we will give voice to our journey and heal through sharing our stories and witnessing the stories of our sisters.