TEMPLES OF SORROW is a series of events for collective grieving. All forms of grief are welcome, whether it’s heartbreak, the loss of loved ones, pets, or cherished plants, major life changes, moving, illness, or something else entirely. You can join in at any time.
In keeping with the season, TEMPLES gently offers inspiration and highlights several themes—the loss of what we love, what we wish we were but are not, world-weariness, grief over fate, the search for identity and belonging, or simply growing older, change, and letting go. In this way, the events provide spaces for (self-)discovery and knowledge. Movement, dance, stories, and songs are integral parts of these gatherings, enriching the evenings.
Grief is a gateway to vitality, life force, beauty, and courage. Every grief has its own intelligence; it is its own medicine. It is a love letter to life, or as Toko-pa Turner writes in her book *Belonging*:
“We mourn the loved ones we have lost. We mourn the abilities we have lost to illness or old age. We mourn the loss of faith in our religion. We mourn our children leaving home. We mourn the paths we did not take. We mourn the family we never had. We mourn the suffering on our planet. Yet even though grief may seem like an expression of pain that serves no purpose, it is in reality the soul’s acknowledgment of what we cherish. Grief is the honor we bestow upon what is dear to us. And only through our connection to what we love can we know how to move forward. In this way, grief is a movement.”
March 3, 2023
Everything I thought I was getting
, but didn't get
Expectations and resolutions, wishes and goals. Which of these were we able to realize, and which were we not?
In grief, we learn to endure unbearable emotions alongside feelings of love, joy, and awe, and so on. Perhaps that is the magic of life—that it allows us to be both ruined and flourishing at the same time. Martin Prechtel said in one of his books that we must be ready to fail spectacularly. And that is not something passive; it is much more a breaking away, a bursting forth, an acceptance, a song with which we dare to step out of line—to ultimately connect with everything that is there: failure, loss, grief, death, life, and love.
It is still the dark season; the seeds are still in the ground, dreaming of what they want to become in the summer. It is not unusual that it is difficult to truly dare to dream of who we are while accepting where we stand. Often, this acceptance comes with a profound sense of loss that is difficult to feel and bear on its own. In this space for grief, we come together to address these unfulfilled wishes and expectations. And as with all such spaces, the same rule applies as always: all grief is welcome, no matter what the topic at hand may be.
An event presented by >> JANNA SCHNEEWITTA REHBEIN
The Temples of Sorrow explore themes of loss, upheaval, and reorientation—which are often painful. I recommend taking good care of yourself in the days leading up to and following your visit to the mourning room. Some helpful questions to ask yourself might be: What are resilience practices? What might be walks in nature for one person could be movies, good food, dancing, or singing for others. These can all be things that help you find your center and restore your balance, both before and after the grieving process.
The TEMPLES OF SORROW are spaces for experience, not therapy. They require that you be able to move through them consciously and independently and maintain your presence. For people with bipolar disorder, psychosis, severe unresolved trauma, or other mental health conditions, this is therefore usually not an appropriate place. If you have any doubts or concerns, please discuss them with a therapist beforehand. The TEMPLES are drug- and substance-free spaces; furthermore, you should not have consumed drugs or worked with psychoactive substances for some time prior to visiting a Temple.
If you have any questions or concerns about these topics, feel free to reach out to Janna.
SCHEDULE
Fri, Mar. 3, 2023 - 6 p.m. -10pm
LANGUAGES
, German, English
Choose your ticket price based on your own assessment.
With our Low(er) Income Tickets, we want to give low-income individuals the opportunity to attend our events.
We cordially invite high earners to make it with a higher contribution possible for us to make this offer.
With that in mind, we thank you in advance for your solidarity.
For people with particularly low incomes, there are usually additional options available for even lower prices.
Please don't hesitate to write to us and ask any questions. We'd love to have you join us!
PRICE PER PERSON
CHF 110.00
Low(er) Income Tickets
I – CHF 95.00
II – CHF 80.00
III – CHF 65.00
I Supporter Tickets – CHF 125.00
II – CHF 140.00
III – CHF 165.00
Please also read all further info below, too.
Further informations
NOTES ON THE EVENT
The goals of our events are collaborative learning within the group, supporting shared processes, and personal development. Couples and all other types of partnerships or arrangements are welcome, but you should be aware and open to the fact that the courses are not designed as partnership experiences and that we address each person as an individual. For example: To involve all participants equally, we usually work with randomly assigned partner combinations during the exercises. This means there will be both same-sex and opposite-sex pairings. Participants should generally be open to working with any person and any body. Exceptions can be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or membership in marginalized groups such as BBIPoC, migrants, refugees, LGBTQIA*, people with disabilities, etc., are not criteria for registration or participant selection.
We expect you to act with care, be communicative, prioritize consent, and be mindful, and we encourage you to respect your own boundaries and take personal responsibility.
Hate speech will not be tolerated. Please bring “Candy Speech” with you.
We reserve the right to ask participants to leave the workshop if their behavior is harmful or problematic, and we reserve the right to do so without explanation—although we will likely try to explain our decision. Workshop fees would then be refunded in full. Any further claims are excluded.
We do our best to accommodate different needs, but our resources are limited. Please contact us if you have any questions.
You can read more about this topic here.
PRICES AND IF SOLD OUT
With our Low(er) Income Tickets, we want to give low-income individuals the opportunity to attend our events. We warmly invite those with higher incomes to help us make this offer possible by contributing a bit more. With that in mind, we thank you in advance for your solidarity.
For PEOPLE WITH PARTICULARLY LOW INCOMES, there is usually the option of even lower prices. Please don't hesitate to write to us and ask. We'd love to have you join us!
Is the event sold out on the ticketing platform? Contact us! There may be a waitlist or another way for you to attend after all.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations are free of charge up to eight weeks before the course begins; up to four weeks before the course begins, a cancellation fee of 20% of the course fee applies; and up to two weeks before the course begins, a cancellation fee of 50% applies. Later cancellations and refunds of course fees are not possible. However, participants may find replacement participants to take their reserved spots. If the organizer cancels the course, the full course fee will be refunded. No further claims are permitted.