Room for Grief - Thanksgiving Edition

Hosted every third Thursday of the month, the Reimagine community opens its arms to those navigating loss with our Room for Grief sessions. Facilitated by volunteers, these peer-led, drop-in gatherings are for you, whether you’re looking to learn about grief or seeking support in your journey. We leverage art, creativity, and prompts to foster conversation and introspection. Designed for adults across generations, Room for Grief is your safe space when you need it.

Host/Facilitator

Rhyena Halpern is a professional End of Life Doula, Death and Dying Educator, and board-certified Wellness Coach. Rhyena received certification from the University of Vermont’s Lasher School of Medicine Professional End of Life Program in 2020. She earned board certification as a Wellness Coach from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches in 2019 and was trained by the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. She is also a crisis counselor for the national Crisis Text Line. Rhyena leads weekly, virtual Death Cafes for the Elizabeth Kubler Ross Foundation and Mission Hospice. The Cafes are free and open, supportive conversations about anything related to death and dying. She also teaches classes including “Spiritual Dimensions of Nearing Death” and “End of Life Intentions for Dummies, Seekers and Pragmatists” and leads study groups on classic books such as Frank Ostaseski’s “The Five Invitations.” She loves giving presentations about doula work and conscious dying. Rhyena is a member of the Chochmat Halev’s Chevra Kadisha and is especially interested in serving the Jewish community in the East Bay where she resides. She works with other Chevra Kadishas and does home taharas. Her work is an expression of her spiritual path and she is most inspired by people who want to live and die with intentionality.

In the last five years of her professional career in arts management, Rhyena began designing her own Third Act. A seed of an idea developed into an exciting plan that continued to germinate. At retirement she embarked on her Third Act full of anticipation and excitement and is now living her dream of becoming a Doula and Coach. Having her plan in place made all the difference and she is happy to work with other people to design their Third Acts.

She identifies as a JewBu, a proud ally of the LGBTQI community, and a committed social justice advocate.

Rhyena actively volunteers, studies, teaches, facilitates groups and gives presentations on the End of Life community. She writes on Medium and LinkedIn on all things related to end of life, navigating life’s transitions, dating and sexuality later in life, spirituality, and holistic health and wellness. 

She is a former documentary filmmaker, public television producer, adjunct faculty member, and an arts manager in the public sector advocating for the arts and artists. In earlier years, she also worked as an artist and therapeutic massage therapist.

https://www.endoflifeguidance.org/

Community Touchstones

Confidentiality

What’s said here stays here, what’s learned here leaves here.

Everything invitational

See these questions (and this whole experience) as an invitation, not a demand. If you are moved to answer a different question than one we have listed, go for it. If you’re moved to sit and listen, that’s ok too - just being here is participating.

Speak from the heart

We’re used to speaking what we think we should, what we think others want to hear, or from ideas or stories we’ve told ourselves over and over. See if you can take risks to root into what is true and to share from that vulnerable place.

Listen from the heart

See if you can be fully present to what’s here, listening with compassion to whoever is speaking. Try on turning any judgement that arises (including judgment of yourself!) into wonder. “I wonder what brought her to this belief?” “I wonder what I don’t get?” “I wonder what my reaction teaches me about myself?” See if it’s possible to set aside judgment to listen to others—and to yourself—more deeply.

No one right way

There’s no one right way to grieve, to do this retreat, or to express yourself (for example: totally ok to cry, and totally ok not to cry). Try to reserve judgment, of others and of yourself.

Trust the silence

Take a few breaths before even thinking of responding or offering your own words. Learn to trust the silence, and to notice what arises in it. Take your time.

Cool is the enemy

Try on the idea that you (and everyone else here) totally belong. Let’s try to be an easy crowd for each other. That means presuming welcome, and extending welcome. What if we all let go of “cool”? Cool is the enemy. ;)

Share air time

Take space & make space. Groups work best when everyone has their eye on this.

Self-focus

Speak your truth in ways that respect other people’s truths. Consider using “I” statements so that you can speak from your center, instead of generalizing or making assumptions about everyone else.

No fixing, saving, advising, correcting

No need to jump in to fix anything, save anyone, or offer unsolicited advice. Trust folks’ own processes.

Focus on stories about loved ones

This is a space in which we center stories and support. If you are here to challenge or argue the safety practices of others (e.g., masking in public, vaccinations), this is not a space for you.