From Tragedy into Transformation and Taking Others with Me!
By Lindsay McKinnon
Navigating a life with deep grief is very disorienting. The sudden loss of our house, and our two children, Patrick and Logan in a tragic House Fire. (Insert deep breath right here… in fact, take two or three…) The impact of the event was (immeasurably?) intense. Fortunately, I had an enormous support system, and I did not hesitate to lean into those who held me and my husband. Ever and always grateful for the support I still needed more. And I needed something different. I needed the old and the ancient. I needed ritual and ceremony to keep me connected, to keep me humble, to keep me in tune with the subtle energetic bodies and benevolent beings that surround me, to keep me moving forward WITH the grief in a way that also nourished my Soul and renewed purpose.
A series of beautifully aligned cosmic events connected me to old and new friends and lead me to the Eagle Condor Council. And OH MY was that experience JUICY. Learning and actively participating in the mysteries of the shamanic path, rituals and ceremonies, while sitting in circles devoted to creating ayni, pulling and digesting hucha, and building sweet sami was the Medicine I needed, especially while carrying a growing baby inside of me. As my belly grew, so did I. My daughter is amazing, by the way, and was born in the water at our new home, between the last two EC Intensive Weekends.
Embracing the ‘phoenix rising’ metaphors we are all familiar with, I went through an initiation process of reinvention and rebirth in every way possible.
I also re-created a new business, and named it Soul Body Connect, where I focus on public speaking, individual and group coaching, as well as facilitating transformational retreats - infusing embodiment, movement, mindset, ritual and ceremony for maximum impact.
Many of the bereavement groups and grief support groups I have participated in since our house fire felt toxic, as though the groups were more interested in focusing on the loss and suffering, instead of what is possible because of the initiations we have lived through. I would come home feeling worse than before. I struggled to find a grief group that would help me flip the tragedy into transformation, integrating it in ways that could be alchemized into Medicine for my soul, as well as others. So, I decided to create my own, and invite others into this circle.
I call the group Soul Sessions. Our online Zoom meetings happen twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays at 7:30 pm EST. Our conversations are always rich and fulfilling, and we often have guest speakers who present fascinating content related to grief, followed by a Q&A discussion. Soul Sessions is not group therapy. we are a tribe of folks who have been impacted by grief in various ways, who acknowledge the path others have also taken {{those who have been stricken with tragedy?}}, and {{to serve those who want to?}}who take ownership and responsibility for their collective grief stories in order to grow. During our time together, we focus on the themes that are common to our experiences. I have been having so much FUN creating this group and engaging guest speakers, and I always look forward to the surprise ah-ha moments that drop into the conversation and ignite a new level of consciousness, causing deeper connection and healing.
I would love for you to check it out! Please use this link to join us! You might even recognize some of our upcoming Guest Speakers!
And, of course, I would love to stay connected to you. Here is a link to my latest Newsletter if you want more information, and my website: www.soulbodyconnect.com.
Always, and in All Ways, Lindsay