From a walk in the park to smashing dishes to make something new, Chesapeake Life Center is offering ways for people in Anne Arundel, Charles and Prince George’s counties to head outdoors to find a path to healing from loss. But if you do your healing better indoors, the center has you covered, with a schedule of spring programs to help people in the community work through their grief in ways that best meet their needs.
• Grief through Expression is a writing and art workshop that uses creative expression as a way to promote healing and explore grief in a safe, supportive environment. How you choose to define grief and loss is up to you. By expressing our grief stories and sharing them, we no longer feel so alone. This workshop provides the opportunity to use therapeutic writing prompts and mixed media art to process and grow through your grief. It will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 2, at our Hospice of Charles County office, 2505 Davis Road in Waldorf, Maryland. The cost is $15.
• Walking through Grief offers two free opportunities to join other grievers on a peaceful spring walk. In each walk, participants will reflect on this season of new beginnings and nature’s capacity to provide healing in times of grief. Choose one or both:
- Quiet Waters Park, 600 Quiet Waters Park Rd., Annapolis, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
- Lake Artemesia Natural Area, 8200 55th Ave., College Park, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 13.
• Living with Loss: In Our Dreams will explore dreams and how they impact grief. Dreaming of a departed loved one is a common conversation among grievers. Dreams can serve as a powerful tool to help navigate one’s personal journey with loss. And if you haven’t dreamt of a loved one, you can wonder if you still have a connection. Learn more about the role of dreams in grief in this workshop which will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 2, in our conference center on our John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland. The cost is $10 and includes refreshments.
• Grief through Literature is a quarterly book group that uses literature to better understand loss. This quarter’s group will discuss “I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye” by ESPN commentator Ivan Maisel. In this book, Maisel shares about losing his son to suicide, how men’s mental health is often overlooked and learning to share his grief on his path to greater healing. The event is free and will take place in person from 10:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 11, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus in Pasadena. Participants must provide their own book.
• Nurturing the Grieving Heart through Yoga is a four-week workshop led by certified yoga instructor Cathy Rees that will be held in person on our campus in Pasadena. Participants will explore how grief shows up in your mind and body and learn breathwork, movement and meditation to help you compassionately journey through suffering toward a healing path. No experience is necessary for this gentle yoga, which will be practiced using a mat on the floor. Participants will need to bring a yoga mat, two yoga blocks and a strap. The group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on four consecutive Wednesdays, May 11 to June 1. The cost is $40 for all four weeks.
• Smash & Mend is a workshop that allows participants to engage in the cathartic process of smashing ceramics and then using the broken pieces to create something new in the form of a mosaic project. Our grief can leave us feeling shattered and broken. Through grief work and healing, after a significant loss, we begin to rebuild and redefine ourselves. This workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 21, at our Waldorf location. The cost is $25.
Attendance restrictions and requirements will be updated using the most recent Centers for Disease Control guidelines and organizational policies prior to each event.
Registration is required and can be completed by calling 888-501-7077 or emailing griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org. Visit www.hospicechesapeake.org/events for a complete listing of in-person and virtual groups and workshops for adults and children.
