We are pleased to announce the date our first ACTIVE GRIEF WEEKEND and we are now inviting expressions of interest from bereaved parents and siblings who would like to attend.
LOCATION: Charney Manor, Oxfordshire
DATE: 25th – 27th May 2018
check out Charney Manor’s website here
With its recently refurbished rooms, tempting meals and delightful grounds, Charney Manor provides a unique and peaceful setting for our work. As a group of bereaved parents and siblings we will have exclusive use of the venue and while there you will have the opportunity to participate in three (maybe four) different workshops.
EXPLORING GRIEF WITH PHOTOGRAPHY
A MINDFUL GRIEF
AN ACTIVE GRIEF
We are also thinking of including drama / writing workshops.
You don’t need to be at all skilled or proficient in any of these disciplines. We have designed them to be suitable for all levels of experience. The weekend is full board and all meals are included in the price (we will try and keep costs down to an absolute minimum but they are likely to be in the region of £250 per person).
If this is something that you would like to take part in please download an Expression of Interest form and let us know why you think you might benefit. Anything you tell us is in complete confidence and contacting us does not commit you to joining us on the weekend. But we have already had many enquiries and numbers are limited so you will need to be quick for a place on the waiting list.
JOIN US FOR AN ACTIVE GRIEF WEEKEND
ACT NOW! Download an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM hereDownload Expression of Interest form
no commitment right now
you are merely registering an interest
we will send you more details later
Here’s whats on offer:
EXPLORING GRIEF WITH PHOTOGRAPHY
In which Jimmy will invite you to find new ways of expressing your grief with the use of photographs.
Jimmy Edmonds is Josh’s dad and an experienced film and tv editor with a passion for photography. His book RELEASED was published soon after Josh died.
“One of the wonderful things about photographs is that while they are always of the past, they are also always in the present. And like memory their meaning or the meaning they have for us, can evolve with time, sometimes radically and overnight. Think of any photo you have of your child and you know what we’re talking about. Innocent snapshots that now become overloaded with longing and painful fantasies of what might have been. Our task when we make new photographs to do with our grief could be shift those meanings once again – from the raw pain of remembering to a new sense of a continuing relationship with our child. The very process of creating the images will force you to spend time reflecting on your emotions and will allow you to feel closer to your child.” – Jimmy
These sessions are not about teaching you to be an ‘expert’ photographer (absolutely no experience necessary), more about exploring how to create new meanings from the photos we have or are about to make.
A MINDFUL GRIEF
In which Jane will help you discover the benefits of some simple mindful exercises and how they can be applied to your grieving.
Jane Harris is Josh’s mum and a fully qualified psychotherapist and mindfulness facilitator with over 25 years of clinical practice.“There has been a surge of interest in mindfulness over the past few years with some advocates expressing their doubts as to whether mindfulness and grief are a good mix. What we should recognise is that mindfulness is not a quick fix – it’s not going to make you get better from grief and its not a prescription for happiness. Central to mindfulness is the practice of bringing your attention to what is happening right here, right now and acknowledging your feelings as they arise, moment by moment, be they they pain or joy, peace or torment but importantly without judgement. Mindfulness helps you accept the truth of the moment you’re in, even, or especially, when that moment hurts. Rather than some kind of escape from grief, it can be a tool for helping you to accept your grief as real.” – Jane
AN ACTIVE GRIEF
In which Joe will lead as you explore physical exercise as a means of helping you process grief.
Joe Edmonds is Josh’s brother and a fully qualified personal trainer with additional qualifications in nutrition for weight management and sports performance.“Alongside all the positive physical outcomes that regular exercise can offer, being active also has huge emotional benefits that go far beyond improved self esteem. Endorphins released during and after being active can really impact on our mood and current state of mind. So we can see exercise as a valuable and important coping tool for grief and loss. When we run for instance, we get into a rhythm that gives us a unique opportunity to reflect and ruminate – to process our hurt and our pain. Like grief, the challenge of physical activity, can be hard work but exercise helps us to ‘sweat it all out’ which in turn, helps us to find what I call “golden moments” – moments of release where we can catch and reflect on that special connection we have with our loved one – or on whatever thought or feeling arises.” – Joe
All activities are tailored to meet the wide range of ability and fitness levels and will include some or all of the following: Group fitness sessions, Running/Jogging/Walking, Non-Contact Boxing and some (slightly competitive) Fun Games.
Remember, places on our ACTIVE GRIEF WEEKEND are limited so ACT NOW to download your expression of interest
Download Expression of Interest form
Thanks for reading
Jimmy and Jane
September 2017
