“Any time a feeling of loss arises, there is an energy that demands ritual in order to allow reconciliation and the return to peace. Grief must be approached as a release of tension created by separation and disconnection from something that we love.” -Malidoma Somé

“All War is unmetabolized Grief” -Martin Prechtel

We are living in a world of so much unmetabolized grief causing war, causing divide from ourselves, our communities and the path to co-liberation for all beings. Grief constricted in the body can be reactionary; it attempts to protect itself because it can be too much for one body to bear. We can either disassociate into a fog of not being able to feel and overwhelm. Or we can go towards reactionary protection, often violence in an attempt to protect ourselves and our beloveds from the waves of grief that flood our system. Grief must be metabolized collectively both currently and ancestrally for us to have the capacity to feel the full preciousness, beauty of life and to tend to our lifes purpose. To let our hearts crack open and flow onto the earth to give water to seeds that feed a time beyond our own; and the possibility of peace.

What we see currently has been happening for generations it is time for the grief to be metabolized into a new flowering of actual life giving beauty. We are inviting a ritual to come together, to heal and to feel more!

When we grieve deeply there is a clearing of space an allowance for us to hold what feels unbearable and take action with measured boundaries and compassion. To let our grief and emotions flow so that something else can grow from the compost of intergenerational trauma that is not ours to hold. This must be done collectively and with ritual, so that we are not alone in our grief. Sobonfu taught grief as a collective field that needs tending in any community. We are the seeds of generations of love and the wildest dreams of our ancestors, we call upon all the resilience of our ancestors, guides, the elementals, earth spirits to let our grief feed a flowering of new life.

This one-day ritual event will be held on the coast near Bodega Bay, CA, on a sacred spot at the feet of our majestic Grandmother Ocean. The ritual will be held in the healing lineages taught to Coby by Sobonfu Somé, Malidoma Somé, and Martín Prechtel. Madeleina may join us for this ritual but she is dealing with pressing medical issues and will need to play it by ear.

Our focus is on creating a solid container of trust and safety to access our personal and collective grief, rooted in traditional practices that were gifted to us. The container we hold is also rooted in many years of community anti-oppression work and a stance of being anti-war/cease fire. We ask folks to come with curiosity and care for holding a container of collective co-liberation. We offer and receive in service to ourselves, our beloveds, our communities, the elements, and the Wild Holies of Nature.

Online preparatory class

To allow some of us to approach the deeper layers of our grief leading into the ritual we will be offering a four week 2hr class on Mondays from 6-8pm. Each week we will be focusing on a different layer of grief work; Elemental (water, fire, earth, nature, mineral), ancestral, collective structural power, and connection to spirits and guides. We will be joined by a few guest speakers including Alwyn Thomas and from the Dagara community, Malidomas brother, Didier Somé.

$200-$300 sliding scale

Dates- Mondays, Feb 5, 12th, 19th, 26th 6pm-8pm

For more details and to register email- communityritual@gmail.com

Community Grief Ritual Event date:

Sat March 2nd arriving at the ocean by 9:45 am, going until 5:30-6ish

Detailed workshop information and directions will be sent once registered.

To Register

1)Eventbrite Tickets here

https://www.eventbrite.com/.../community-grief-ritual-at...

Or

Pay by Venmo to @Coby-Leibman

*** We require email communication upon Venmo payment, sent to communityritual@gmail.com to confirm payment.

2) Please also confirm in an Eventbrite message or to communityritual@gmail.com that you have watched/listened to the video and youtube links below as a pre-requisite to attending this Grief Ritual. A one-day event, especially at the ocean where it can be difficult to hear, isn't adequate time to share the traditions and context of the lineage of this ritual. We care deeply about honoring our teachers and their ways. Sharing their voices with you is both an offering of resources and an essential pre-requisite for attendance.

3)We ask that you please share with us any ways that we can support you during the grief ritual and if you feel you’re navigating a large grief what type of current support you have in place. Please kindly let us know if you believe yourself to be in a mental health crisis. Grief Rituals are tremendously healing, and are not a replacement for therapeutic treatment. We care deeply that this is an appropriate choice for all who attend.

A confirmation and preparation email will be sent once payment and communication affirming the pre-requisite is received. Please register as soon as possible if you are planning to attend. We will not accept registration requests after Oct 22nd

Scholarships and reduced rates are available for BIPOC and other marginalized communities. Affinity groups will be available if requested. Please contact us directly for inquiries at communityritual@gmail.com.

15% of the proceeds will go to A Dagara Water Project- https://support.thesonderproject.org/fundraiser/4625276

All CDC-issued covid protocols, including respecting social distancing for those who wish, and testing will be required. ***We will require proof of a negative PCR or at-home covid test upon arrival at the site.***

Grieving Resources and Ritual pre-requisites Sobonfu on Grieving:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtUqMwRXvhYSobonfu on community:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R56s7KymWTk

Malidoma on prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHbmbTk9-lY

Martín Prechtel on Griefhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwewfPPSbE&t=22s

From the book 'The Smell of Rain on Dust, Grief and Praise' by Martín Prechtel: (available on Audible, highly suggested) what’s new >

Hosted by Coby Leibman www.cobyleibman.com

and the Grief Ritual Team

Daylong Ritual

October 28th arriving at the ocean by 9:45 am, going until 5:30pm

Detailed event information will be sent once registered.

Cost: $100-200, sliding scale

Scholarships and reduced rates available for BIPOC and other marginalized communities. Please contact us directly for inquiries at communityritual@gmail.com.

20% of the proceeds will go to the Dagara Community building wells in the community

We will follow CDC Covid outdoor protocols for this event

Hike in Pomo Canyon- connecting with the plants and wild ones of the canyon while engaging in practices to calm your nervous system and create connection to the wider cycles of life around us.