GRIEF SUPPORT
LIGHTHOUSE CIRCLE GRIEF SUPPORT
An important part of our work at Dairyuji is supporting temple members during times of loss. Zen, in particular, places an emphasis on honoring one’s ancestral lineage.
As an extension of this work at the temple, we offer an online grief support community in English for anyone to join.
Grief is hard.
Your grief is also sacred and deserves to be honored and tended to with compassion in your own way and in your own time. Grief can be isolating, so our mission is hold space for people to grieve openly and honestly within a supportive community.
We two main programs:
Lighthouse Circle is a support group that runs for six months twice a year. There are monthly group calls, engaging content and online community support.
Our current group is full and we will begin a new round in summer 2025.
EVERGREEN is a self paced online program that you can join anytime.
Both programs are structured to provide practical support that you can access anytime and anywhere, offering you a place to feel heard and seen in your grief.
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What are SOME ways to tend to our grief?
Journaling: Writing about our thoughts, feelings and experiences in an unfiltered way provides a release for emotions, allowing for reflection and insight.
Rituals: Rituals like setting up an alter or making our loved one’s favorite meal can be performed to honor loved ones, connect to the sacred and tap into a source of inner knowing.
Meditation: Mindfulness meditation helps ground us with kindness and build the capacity to feel our feelings without judgment.
Embodied Practice: Grief is held in our bodies. Simple movements, breathing exercises and self soothing techniques can be used to offer compassion and gratitude to ourselves.
Resources: There are more and more resources available including books, podcasts and support groups.
Connection: While you may be grieving your deeply personal loss by yourself, please know that you are not alone in your grief.
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Meet Your Guides for Lighthouse Circle and Evergreen
Gretchen Miura
Gretchen lives in northern Japan with her family and together with her husband she runs Dairyuji Zen temple. As a grief educator and meditation teacher, she is dedicated to making grief support and mindfulness accessible for everyone to nurture well-being and a sense of belonging. She loves leading workshops, classes and retreats. Her brother Chris died when she was five years old which deeply influenced her views on death and grief, ultimately guiding her to this calling. Drawing on many years of exploration, learning and unlearning, she is passionate about bringing elements of ritual, spirituality, creativity and mindfulness to create a supportive atmosphere in which people can grieve.
Sarah Furuya
Sarah lives by the sea South of Tokyo, near the sacred shores of Kamakura, and from there she runs her coaching business and Legends Podcast. The heart of her practice is the many ways to lead a life, and working with and telling people’s stories. She honors the influence of those passed and creates space and rituals for them and their presence in her coaching spaces. She is passionate about looking at the taboos and lost traditions around death, mourning and grief.
FAQ
Who is Lighthouse Circle and EVERGREEN for?
Lighthouse Circle and Evergreen are for anyone needing support as they grieve a loss. Grief is the natural, emotional response to a loss. We never judge, minimize or compare grief at Lighthouse Circle or Evergreen. Your grief is your grief. The grief you are experiencing is valid. You are safe here to honor and express that grief. There are many kinds of losses including the death of a loved one, friend, neighbor or co-worker, a relationship ending, job loss, pregnancy loss, death of a pet, loss of lifestyle due to injury, illness, caring for elderly parents, estrangement, anticipating a loss or the feeling of loss due to world events and more. Lighthouse Circle and Evergreen can also serve as a space to tend to older, unresolved grief or grief that has been passed down generationally. While much of the language reflects a physical death, please make any adjustments to fit your personal situation.
What is the difference between Lighthouse Circle and Evergreen?
Lighthouse Circle is a 6 month grief support community that has monthly gatherings on zoom. The topics, categories and content are the same as Evergreen. We run Lighthouse Circle twice a year. Participation is limited to protect privacy and foster a sense of connection. EVERGREEN is entirely self paced. You can join anytime and will have unlimited access to content. There are no group meetings in Evergreen.
Quotes from our Lighthouse members
