ON DEMAND COURSE
Practices for Grieving and Heartache
Consciously Navigating the Unavoidable
with Dr. Daniel Foor
May we be embraced by the communal waters of our sorrows. May our voices be clear and carry far, as we speak the names of our shared loss.
This four-part series introduces accessible teachings and practices for navigating the many expressions of heartache. Grief and loss are close companions on the spiritual path, and an unavoidable part of our journey here on Earth. They are also essential gateways into the development of character. So much hinges on our ability to feel deeply and to make friends with heartache, and yet we often don’t receive these fundamental life skills while growing up or through prevailing culture.
This offering is appropriate for anyone seeking to learn skills for conscious grieving and living with an open heart. Each lesson explores a different facet of sacred grieving and anchors those teachings in experiential practices. Participants will be invited to gently welcome their places of sorrow within a vessel of supportive teachings and community ritual. As with all our offerings, the approach to the teachings aims to be culturally inclusive, non-dogmatic, and kind.
Investment
About our self-select pricing model:
- Supporter rate invites folks with comfortable financial means to contribute more. Your generosity covers the cost for us to offer reduced rates.
- Standard rate is the actual cost for us to offer this program and sustain what we do. If you are able to enroll at this rate, we encourage you to do so.
- Community rate invites folks with leaner financial means to enjoy Ancestral Medicine programs at a reduced cost.
Curriculum
What's Included
What's Included:
- Four recorded lessons, each approximately 90 minutes in duration
- Two guided, experiential practices accompanying each lesson
- Access to a dedicated community forum for those engaged in similar learning
- Responsive and helpful support, if needed, from Ancestral Medicine staff
- Lifetime access to course resources
Lesson One
Lesson One: Speaking the Truth of the Heart
- Consider the relationship between courage, vulnerability, and grieving
- Learn ways that authentic words and voice can catalyze major heart opening
- Reflect on times in your life when emotional honesty led to major changes
- Gently share presence with personal sorrow through two guided practices
Lesson Two
Lesson Two: Falling into the World’s Embrace
- Explore ways that grieving can be a collective, communal, shared journey
- Learn how communal grieving supports safety and accessing greater depths
- Reflect on how open you are to being held, by both humans and the others
- Practice leaning into support while kindly sharing presence with heartache
Lesson Three
Lesson Three: Holy Waters, Inner and Outer
- Discuss the role of water in cross-cultural practices for grieving and loss
- Consider the conversation betweens waters of the Earth, body, and psyche
- Explore tangible ways to partner with the waters when metabolizing losses
- Learn and practice ritual skills for accessing personal and collective sorrow
Lesson Four
Lesson Four: Grief as Devotion and Prayer
- Enjoy teachings on the sacredness of grief from the world’s mystical traditions
- Explore ways that embracing our losses and heartache supports awakening
- Consider how grieving can function as a form of devotion, prayer, and communion
- Practicing welcoming the grief that melts away confusion and separation
About the Instructor
Daniel Foor, PhD
Daniel (he/him) is a doctor of psychology, experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He is an initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa and has learned from teachers of Mahayana Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel is passionate about training aspiring leaders and change makers in the intersections of cultural healing, animist ethics, and applied ritual arts. He lives with his wife and two daughters near Granada, Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
This course directly addresses often vulnerable topics related to ongoing violence and harm in the world. The material may stir complicated emotions for some participants, and support outside the vessel of the lessons may be important as the course is not a replacement for individual or personalized support.
Enrollment includes access to our Community Forum—an online discussion group of students past and present, including supportive members from Ancestral Medicine’s Practitioner Network and Ancestral Medicine staff. Sharing experiences, reflecting on practices, and making connections in this private online community can provide one form of support.
To the very best of our ability, yes. All Ancestral Medicine offerings seek to embody an anti-racist, feminist, LGBTQ-celebrating, decolonizing and Earth-honoring ethic. They are also class-aware and internationally conscious. We offer a heartfelt, non-dogmatic approach that seeks to honor each participant’s unique life experiences and ancestral storylines. Resources included with each lesson favor ancestrally and geographically diverse voices, and the online Community Forum includes BIPOC and LGBTQ-only discussion spaces.
All of our lesson videos have closed captioning, as well as a full transcript and additional downloadable audio-only versions. If you have needs not met here, please feel free to reach out to us with suggestions at info@ancestralmedicine.org.
If you have general questions about our organization, offerings, or values, you may enjoy our Frequently Asked Questions page. If there’s something else, we’d be happy to help! Reach out to info@ancestralmedicine.org and someone from our team will be in touch, usually within 1-2 business days.
