A Transformational

Grief Retreat

A space to honor, remember, and create a new way of being in relationship with our loved ones who have passed.

Harvesting Hope: Life After Loss

Whether your loss is recent or from a more distant past, Harvesting Hope welcomes anyone seeking guidance and support on the journey toward healing.

While the term “retreat” often suggests withdrawal, here at Harvesting Hope, we offer not an escape from grief itself but from the distractions of everyday life. This creates an opportunity to turn toward our grief in a supportive environment and discover what is needed now.

Having founded this retreat after experiencing our own devastating losses, we not only guide you but also sit alongside you, offering a safe and tranquil space filled with compassionate support. Together, we courageously navigate this path. Our willingness to engage with grief’s discomfort proved transformative in each of our lives, and we deeply understand that both peace and a renewed sense of life after loss are available to you, too.

Our programming is rooted in supportive mindfulness practices that allow us to access our own inner wisdom and resilience. Recognizing nature’s ability to nurture healing and transformation, we fully immerse ourselves in natural settings, allowing nature’s guidance to help us hold space for both cherished and difficult memories while embracing new experiences.

You will leave having spent time turning toward and tending to your grief, equipped with healthy strategies for meeting moments of grief, along with new insights about how to honor the truth of your relationship as it was and how to cultivate new ways of being in relationship. Life after loss is not just possible but can be profoundly beautiful.

 Retreat Features

Honoring and remembering our loved ones as we explore grief to discover life after loss.

Compassionate Guidance

Whether you are constantly missing your loved one, experiencing relief, feeling guilt, or feeling guilt over your relief—whatever is arising for you, we understand. We understand that whatever arises is natural and rooted in the experience of your relationship. We understand that people grieve differently, without there being any wrongness about it. As we continue to live through our own grief experiences, we have learned to savor moments of joy and to meet our grief—however it looks in the moment—with compassion and understanding. As experienced facilitators, we look forward to guiding you through practices that will allow you to do the same.

Healing with Nature

For some, grief may linger quietly in the background before unexpectedly flooding our thoughts. Others may consciously push grief aside, but at a significant personal cost. Alternatively, grief might feel omnipresent. Regardless of its form, it's common to both wish grief away and simultaneously feel drawn to it. Mindfulness provides a pathway to meet grief with acceptance and choose healthy responses. By fostering awareness of our thoughts and emotions, mindfulness enables us to identify patterns and regulate our nervous system. Engaging in mindfulness practices outdoors enhances accessibility, as nature naturally draws us into the present moment, soothing our nerves with its sights, sounds, and scents.

Continued Connection

Whatever you believe happens to a body or a soul in death, our relationship lives on. Even if we mourn someone who, at best, loved us imperfectly, we continue to love. “What is grief, if not love persevering?” Finding healthy expression for our love and recognizing affirmations of our loving relationships when they appear in our daily encounters has transformed our grief. Amidst the vastness of nature, we will use mindfulness practices to broaden our perspective and explore new ways of being in a relationship with our loved ones.

Meet the Team

Meet Kim Morrison and Eileen Robertson Hamra, the leaders and facilitators of Harvesting Hope. Drawing from their personal experiences with grief, Kim and Eileen have designed this retreat to integrate insights and tools from their own journeys of healing. Learn more about them here!

  • Kim always considered motherhood her vocation. Then, her son, Jack, died, and she felt broken apart by sadness. She wanted to believe she could have controlled things better, that there could have been a better outcome. She was consumed with thoughts of how Jack's story might have ended differently, going over every choice point not only in his medical treatment, but in their parent-child relationship.

    Fortunately, she had been practicing mindfulness for nearly two decades and knew how to handle the mind when it became this dark and stormy place. By turning toward grief, mindfully, she was able to process all she thought and felt in a way that provided clarity and comfort (rather than getting caught up in the lies anxiety or depression tell). As a mindfulness instructor, she brings this history of intense suffering and deep inner turmoil, allowing her to guide others to find for themselves what will serve them well in difficult times.

  • Eileen Robertson Hamra is an author, speaker, investor, and community advocate. She is known for her book "Time To Fly: Life & Love After Loss," in which she shares her journey through grief and personal transformation after the sudden death of her former husband. Eileen is also the CEO of Fit Together, an organization dedicated to bringing wellness opportunities to underserved communities. She is a passionate advocate for holistic health and global sustainability, engaging with audiences through speaking engagements, wellness workshops, and personal development retreats.

    In addition to her work in community development, Eileen is a philanthropist and health and wellness professional. She serves on the Midwest Regional Board of the American Heart Association and collaborates with other wellness leaders to host transformative retreats. Eileen holds a BS in Management Science from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University, and she is certified in yoga and health coaching.

    Currently, she resides in Springfield, Missouri, and is married to Mike Hamra, who is running for governor of Missouri.

www.casaelrincondelsol.com

December 4-8th, 2024
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Experiences

Mindful Outdoor Experiences

Our brains are wired to thrive in nature. The vastness of the horizon, the earthy minerals underfoot, and the soothing scents released by trees all contribute to our well-being. Yet, in our modern lives, we often find ourselves confined indoors, detached from the natural world. This separation can amplify stressors, including grief. Even those who enjoy outdoor activities or vacations may not fully recognize nature's healing potential.

At Harvesting Hope, we offer evidence-based practices that enable you to connect with nature in a way that enhances emotional regulation, fosters a sense of interconnectedness, and bolsters personal dignity. We emphasize the integration of these practices into daily life, whether you reside in a bustling city or amidst verdant landscapes.

Rituals & Connection

Historically and around the world, grief is processed communally and is made manageable by honoring what has been lost. Immediately after a loss, it is common to be supported fully and obviously by a broad network of friends and family. As time passes, our need for meals or constant companionship lessens. What remains is our need to have others understand how our loss continues to shape us. Yet, our friends and family become less inclined to inquire about our well-being in terms of grief – they don't want to bring it up if we're not already thinking about it, or they simply forget. Likewise, we become less inclined to announce our feelings – we don't want to burden anyone or make them uncomfortable. At Harvesting Hope, we come together with a willingness to be curious about the ebb and flow of our grief experiences, using supportive rituals to savor joyful memories and to comfort our sorrows.

Relax & Restore

Grief can be exhausting. At Harvesting Hope, we step away from our daily responsibilities and prioritize self-care. Alongside nutritious meals, daily exercise opportunities, and the serene surroundings of the retreat house, ample time is allotted for rest and introspection. Guests can enjoy amenities such as a private beach and a heated pool with a hot tub. Additionally, massages are available for those seeking further relaxation.

Life after loss is not just possible

but can be profoundly beautiful.

FAQs

  • 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM) Sunrise Coffee on the Beach (optional)

    7:00 AM - 8:00 AM) Walk on the Beach (optional)

    8:00 AM - 9:00 AM) Yoga (optional)

    9:00 AM - 10:00 AM) Breakfast

    10:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Session I

    12:00 PM - 2:00 PM) Lunch/ Free Time

    2:00 PM - 4:00 PM) Session II

    4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Free Time

    5:30 PM - 7:00 PM) Dinner/ Free Time

    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM) Evening Ritual

    All meals provided.

  • No, but it's therapeutic. Neither Kim nor Eileen is a psychologist. In grieving their own losses, they drew on the training they had in mindfulness practices, yoga, nutrition, and spiritual studies – and since then, each has been certified to teach grief practices as well. Drawing from their knowledge in these fields, they have created a restorative environment allowing participants to honor relationships with lost loved ones and to find meaning and purpose in life after loss.

  • Yes. We know there are many sources of grief, but this week our focus will be on those who have lost human loved ones – the young (including miscarriages or stillbirths), the old, and those in between, no matter how they died.

  • No, grief has no expiration date. Some participants will be trying to find their footing after a relatively new loss, while others may have experienced a loss quite some time ago, but for whatever reason, unprocessed grief is surfacing in their lives now. Alternatively, participants may simply be looking for a space away from the distractions of daily life so they can turn toward and tend to their loss – because no matter when we lost our loved one, each new moment is a moment without them.

  • If you are missing your loved one, we want to support you no matter your relationship – familial or friendly, healthy or complex.

  • This retreat is for anyone seeking more freedom in how they relate to their grief. Knowing that grief is neither linear nor stagnant, we will come together as a community in a space curated especially to attend to our grief, access our inner wisdom, and offer self-care in this difficult time amidst the holidays.

  • Casa el Rincon del Sol is a private estate not near any resort areas experiencing any of the concerns you might hear about on the news. Please reach out to the hosts directly if you have any concerns or would like further details.

  • Attendees are welcome to arrive on Tuesday and extend their stay through Monday at a rate of $150 per night, which includes meals.