Grief Labs: Returners (Monthly Jan-May 2027)

Grief Labs: Returners

A Community Practice for Love and Loss

Dates:
4th Thursday of month, Jan-May:
Jan 28th (Thursday)
Feb 25th (Thursday)
Mar 25th (Thursday)
Apr 22nd (Thursday)
May 27th (Thursday)

Time: 7–9pm
Location: Birdwood House, Totnes
Price: Pay-What-You-Can

Returners is a monthly community grief practice for those who've already been to Grief Labs: Essentials, or who come with equivalent experience of grief tending.

It's the same practice, at a different pace. Less intro, less framing, more time inside the work itself - more ritual space, more time to connect to grief, more integration at the close.

Why we're offering this

When we asked Essentials participants what they wanted next, nearly everyone who reflected asked for a track like this - one with less setup and framing, more time in the practice itself and deeper work. Returners is our offering for this.

Reflections from previous Grief Labs participants:

"An opportunity for some grief tending in a short space of time, with a very skilled facilitator who holds a safe space, with no pressure - but it goes deep."

"A safe, well-held supportive space to be in grief in community without anyone giving you feedback or advice. Simply witnessing others in their grief and being witnessed in my own - a contained space, which is very powerful and resourcing."

"I love the idea of a short and regular community grief tending in which people are self-regulating and can let go. Bring it on."

Who Returners is for

• You've attended previous Grief Labs: Essentials , or
• You have equivalent prior experience of grief tending with Embracing Grief or others.

If you're new to this kind of work, Grief Labs: Essentials is the better starting point. Essentials runs monthly alongside Returners, so there's always a next session.

How Returners differs from Essentials

Same principles, same safety, same rhythm of touch and return. The difference is in the pacing and the assumed foundation:

• Less intro/framing - we move more quickly into the practice
• More time connecting to grief - guided ways into feeling
• More ritual space - the heart of the two hours
• More integration - a slower, more spacious close

Choice of depth, return paths, witnessing as full participation, and clear agreements all remain central. Nothing is dropped from the container; the shift is in where we spend the two hours.

What to expect

• A brief arrival, agreements, and orientation
• A short embodied landing
• Guided gateways to meet grief in different forms
• A structured grief-expression ritual, with more space and time than in Essentials
• Return paths woven throughout
• Spacious integration and closing
• An aftercare / integration handout

Agreements

• Everything is optional
• Confidentiality
• No fixing, advising, or coaching each other

Who it may not be for

You're looking for therapy, clinical treatment, diagnosis, or acute crisis support. If you're in acute crisis or need urgent support right now, a dedicated support service will be a better fit than this group workshop.

Practical details

• Duration: 2 hours
• Group size: ~20
• What to bring: water, layers, anything that helps you feel steady
• Accessibility: chairs available; you can stand/move; you can step out anytime

About the facilitator

Bilal is a co-founder of Embracing Grief (griefsupport.org.uk), and since 2019 they have facilitated 80+ grief-tending events and workshops with 1,500+ participants. His work explores what it means to be alive, and how we relate to loss, change, and what we carry.

Alongside open spaces, Bilal has also created and delivered workshops specifically for people of colour and for those identifying as men. In the past Bilal has run programmes on confronting death and trained as a Death Doula with Red Tent End of Life Doulas.

Outside of Embracing Grief, Bilal is the Managing Director at Mycelium (myceliumgroup.co), where he leads award-winning programmes in nervous system resilience, inclusive leadership, and healthy workplace culture.

FAQs

Do I have to speak?
No. You can witness and be part of community support the whole time.

Is this only for bereavement?
No. Bereavement is welcome, and so are any other forms of loss: endings, change, world grief, inherited or long-held sorrow.

I often feel numb - does this still fit?
Yes. Numbness is a valid way grief can show up. There's no pressure to feel anything specific; and we explore ways to work with our numbness.

What if I don't do it "properly"?
There's no right way to take part or playbook for "right-feeling". We are re-learning the ways to connect to ourselves and each other, whilst remaining always in our choice.

What if I get overwhelmed?
The practice is designed with return paths and explicit choice points. Stepping back, slowing down, or staying at the edge is part of the practice.