Pathways through Grief
A 6-day grief retreat
- For those who have lost someone dear-
Algarve. Portugal
How You Will Go Home
After six days of slowing down, being held by nature, rest, reflection, ceremony, movement and shared presence, you will go home changed. Not because your grief has disappeared, but because you have learned to hold it differently.
You will have given your love and your loss the space they deserve, and discovered ways to stay connected with your loved one in everyday life. You may notice that your body feels softer, your breath deeper, your heart a little more open. That you can meet your grief with more gentleness, rather than resistance.
You will carry home the quiet knowing that your grief and your love belong and that they can move with you, not against you. This retreat is not about letting go; it’s about weaving what was lost into how you live forward, with more presence, compassion, and strength.
An Invitation
If something in these words touches you, trust that gentle pull.
Pathways through Grief offers a space where you don’t have to do anything or be anyone other than who you are right now.If you feel ready to give yourself this time, to pause, to listen, to honour what matters, you are warmly invited to join us in southwest Portugal.
Weekly Program in a nutshell
This week is a deeply nourishing journey, held with care, skill, and heart.
- Each day begins in mindful presence: guided meditation, reflection, and gentle griefwork with Elisabeth. These morning sessions invite calm, awareness, and honesty, a quiet tending to what lives within you.
- Afterwards there is time to rest and enjoy: receive a nourishing massage (included in your stay), wander through the gardens, swim in the pool, or walking the road to a remote beach.
If you have a car, you might explore the wild coastline or simply sit beneath a tree and listen to the sounds of nature. - Later, we gather for explorative sessions of movement, gentle yin yoga, sound, creativity, and expression - ways for the body and heart to open and integrate what words cannot say.
We touch the elements, water, earth, fire, and air, through ritual, ceremony, and shared presence. These circles are alive with both depth and lightness: laughter and silence, connection and rest, moments of discovery and renewal.
Our homey retreat house, surrounded by the wild beauty of southwest Portugal, offers both shared and single rooms where you can wake to birdsong, feel the morning sun, and rest deeply at night.
If you see yourself here, breathing more freely, feeling the earth under your feet, laughing with others who understand, know that this week is an invitation to give yourself a rare and meaningful gift: time. Time to remember, to restore, to reconnect with life in its wholeness. You will go home with a softer heart, a steadier breath, and the quiet knowing that you are not alone and that life can once again move through you with grace and light.
The Team of Pathways Through Grief retreat.
- Elisabeth Tiesinga will be your main host, facilitator and companion. I love to guide spaces where grief, tenderness and renewal meet and to support others in finding meaning, expression and life again. Read more about me here.
- Catarina Silva will support me in holding the space throughout the retreat with her grounded and deeply present energy. She will also bring the gifts of gentle Yin and Nidra yoga, sound, and voice to guide moments of connection and inner listening. Her presence invites calm, openness, and a sense of being safely held.
- Our culinary team, Ana and Xana, see food as much more than what we put into our bodies. It’s connection, creativity, and care in action. As passionate food activists, they bring seasonal, local ingredients to life with imagination and heart, offering meals that nourish not only your body, but also your spirit and sense of belonging.
- Each participant receives a well-deserved massage with Ivana, one of the most gifted holistic practitioners I’ve met. Her deeply restorative touch invites relaxation, helps release what the body has been holding, and supports gentle integration through care, presence, and skill.
Guest Facilitators
Throughout the week, we are joined by talented guest facilitators whose artistry and presence beautifully align with our shared journey through grief. They offer unique sessions that deepen connection through movement, sound, stillness, ritual, and ceremony - such as meditative harp concerts, Qi Gong practices, sweat lodge ceremonies, and nature rituals.
Each experience is designed to gently support integration, renewal, the finding of meaning, and a sense of belonging.
Guest sessions may vary depending on facilitator availability and the season of the retreat.
Reviews
Shaini Verdon
Founder of Yogaion retreats & Soulsculpt
“When I started hosting retreats, almost 15 years ago, I was working mostly on my own. Inviting Liz to join was one of the best decisions I ever made. With her background as a KLM purser, she brought incredible organisational skills, but what truly makes her extraordinary is her presence with people.
Liz is one of the best listeners I’ve ever met. As a friend and as a facilitator, she has a rare ability to truly see and hear the person in front of her. During the retreats, while I was often leading classes, Liz was the one who created those quiet, intimate spaces where women felt safe to open up. She connected deeply with each participant, and her warmth and attentiveness touched everyone.
Her mindfulness sessions were simply spectacular, grounded, heartfelt, and full of gentle clarity. She combines a hands-on, can-do attitude with a deeply centred, mindful presence. With her background in doula and grief work, she holds space with grace and strength, making her a truly remarkable retreat host and facilitator.
It’s an absolute joy to work alongside Liz. She brings both structure and soul to every retreat. I highly recommend joining Liz her grief retreat. ”
Nadja
“Through Liz her gentle guidance and deep listening, I was able to connect with my emotions in a new way – not to fix them or move past them, but to acknowledge them, feel them, and begin to understand how to live with them.
A very meaningful moment was a grief ritual by the ocean. That ritual became a quiet, intimate moment of connection – not just with myself, but with my late husband. Surrounded by the sound of the waves and the openness of the horizon, I felt calm and close to him.
During the grief ritual that followed, my tears came freely, and with Liz by my side, they were met with compassion and care.
Liz has helped me shift how I relate to my grief – not as something to push away, but something to hold with softness. And she has taught me how to breathe.
Our conversations continue to support me deeply, offering both comfort and quiet insight.
Thank you, Liz.”
Paula
"Liz holds a beautiful and safe space. I felt carried, understood and safe while sharing. She offers great tools to take home with.
I felt I am not alone, I felt a lot lighter and in peace with myself and my grief, which is part of me."
Christine
" Liz is kind, knowledgeable, understanding, and made me feel very comfortable sharing my feelings. Grief is part of the circle of life, but being able to share my thoughts with others who are also grieving, makes the process a bit more manageable. It takes a village".
Maria
" Grief is something that is alive in me, some days more then others, and doesn’t always get the attention that it should.
The grief group gave space for this and it felt heartbreaking although comforting to hear other peoples stories.
We can support and help each other, listen and create space to grief together (instead of always alone).
Liz is an amazing coach with a lots of knowledge, tools and exercises that helped me a lot in my journey".
