Holding It All: Embracing the Full Spectrum of Life

Healing isn’t about choosing joy over sorrow—it’s about learning to hold both and discovering that they can coexist. We’re often compelled to pick a side: sorrow or joy, sinking down or rising up, holding on or letting go. But what if the most courageous action we can take is just to be with it all—to hold it at the same time—grief and gratitude, loss and longing, love, laughter, pain—and to live fully, even in the tension and in all the space in between?

We believe the richness of life comes when we allow ourselves to feel deeply, move through what’s here, and choose open-hearted presence over avoidance and suffering. As poet Nayyirah Waheed so succinctly says, “Grieve. So that you can be free to feel something else.”

Holding Space for the Full Experience

Life is a steady flow of highs and lows, joys and sorrows, victories and losses. Recognizing that we’re all in this together invites us to lean in with kindness and compassion, stay present and engaged, and to live fully in every moment.

This is the heart of our approach. Whether you’re grieving the loss of love, life or humanity, navigating a major life transition, or simply feeling called to reconnect with what matters most, our retreats create a safe and nurturing space to rest, reflect, and re-engage with life on your own terms.

Beyond “Getting Over It”

Healing isn’t about getting over it or moving on. It’s about moving forward when we don’t want to, letting go of what no longer serves us, integrating new ways of being and choosing to engage in a life worth living.

When we soften into what’s here—whatever here looks like—we begin to remember that we’re deeply connected to a world that is very much alive, and that being here at this time is a gift. Our capacity to feel deeply is part of what makes us human and what makes life meaningful. When we stop resisting, we open to greater possibility.

Ocean Medicine + Community Connection

Here, the ocean becomes both teacher and healer—holding us, reminding us, that we’re part of something much greater than ourselves, that there’s only so much we can control, and that we’re never truly alone. The ocean doesn’t stop at the crest of a wave—it flows, recedes and rises again. And so do we.

At the Waves of Grief Retreat, we gather in community to honor, express and share both personal and collective experiences in a setting that evokes awe, belonging and renewal. The waves, the salt air and the rhythm of the tide invite the body, heart and soul to remember you belong here.

Joy, Community, and Shared Remembering

We believe that living doesn’t begin after the pain ends—it happens right alongside it. Through rest, embodiment, movement, reflection and connection, we rediscover what it means to feel fully alive—in our bodies, in our breath, in our stories.

Expect moments of quiet and laughter, solitude and community, stillness and joy. Expect to feel grounded, seen and deeply held. Joy isn’t the opposite of sorrow—it’s its companion. When we grieve together, we also remember together—to laugh, play and have fun.

In this fully held space, new bonds form, old ones deepen, and we remember that healing doesn’t erase what’s been—it weaves it into what’s still possible. Living well after loss doesn’t mean moving on; it means honoring what remains and continuing to love, fully and bravely, in spite of it.

A Personal Invitation

Whatever brought you here—loss, change, hope, curiosity—this is your reminder:

You don’t have to choose between the parts of yourself.

You can hold what’s been and also engage with what’s ahead.

You can breathe into the ache and also lean into the rising wave of what’s to come.

If you’re ready to do life in full color—with grief, gratitude and wild joy—we welcome you to join us at our upcoming Waves of Grief Retreat Costa Rica. Send us a message to set up a Discovery Call.

With love and gratitude,

Stacy & Mike