Mike Familant of Sussex, New Jersey, has collected casts of suspected Bigfoot prints from dozens of sights since he began researching the cryptid in 2011.
Nathan Miller
Familant said during his talk that getting friends and families outside is his biggest inspiration.Nathan Miller
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Transforming collective healing
Nov 13, 2024
Rebecca Churt
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Rebecca Churt, a grief and death doula based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, got her MBA at The MIT Sloan School of Management during Covid and immediately joined a Buddhist monastery.
“I think getting my master’s degree was an exercise in highlighting just how much of the current way of doing things isn’t working, is not meant for what needs to be happening going forward,” Churt explained.
Churt’s own journey into grief work has been shaped by personal experience, including moving from Germany to the United States at a young age. “Grief has kind of been a lifelong companion to me in lots of different forms,” she explained. This early experience introduced her to the nuanced ways grief can manifest. The pandemic deepened her commitment, highlighting the urgent need for collective grief spaces. Then, her time at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and her exploration of the concept of “hospicing modernity” (a thought-provoking guide to facing global pandemics, climate change, and other modern crises as outlined in the book by Vanessa Machada de Oliveira), influenced her to embrace a model of grief work centered around presence, not answers. Her new company, The Grievery, was born.
The Grievery is a communal approach to grief, primarily a virtual space where people can navigate sorrow collectively rather than bearing the burden in isolation. Her philosophy and methods represent a rethinking of this work, aiming to transform individual pain into shared healing. “As a death doula or grief worker, I don’t interject solutions, I don’t interject a potential outcome. The idea is for a community to get there together,” said Churt. “Whether you’re experiencing the loss or you’re in the process of dying, the reality is we don’t do any of it alone. We can’t do it alone.”
The Grievery is mostly virtual to accommodate people’s busy schedules and minimize financial barriers, but there’s also a deeper purpose behind this very intentional choice. Churt spent years holding space at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, among other locations, and shared that “part of the idea behind The Grievery is that we want to remove the sense of someone else having mastery over another person’s experience. That’s very common in traditional therapy sessions, which is really the only other place that people can have time to tend to their grief.” Churt went on to describe a possible power imbalance in those traditional settings where “it’s also more within a setting that tends to pathologize grief, where there’s an intended goal or an objective to help a person get over something.” At The Grievery, there is a set of community guidelines that are reviewed at the beginning of every session— there’s no fixing, there’s no saving, there’s no implied approach to advice giving. “Most often, the way in which people respond is either with a hand on heart or a ‘thank you for sharing,’ and then they go into sharing their own personal experience,” said Churt.
In addition to communal gatherings, The Grievery also offers a specialized program called “The Grievery at Work,” which provides grief support within professional environments. Recognizing the complex, often unacknowledged grief many healthcare workers face, Churt’s team helps integrate grief literacy into workplaces, particularly in healthcare settings where grief training is often absent.
Upcoming offerings include an eight-week workshop exploring the “Gates of Grief,” a framework inspired by Francis Weller’s book, “The Wild Edge of Sorrow.” With five established gates—everything we love we will lose; the places that have not known love; the sorrows of the world; what we expected and did not receive; and ancestral grief—Churt adds a sixth gate, exploring the harms individuals and society have caused, inspired by the work of Rachael Rice.
Through The Grievery, Rebecca Churt not only offers solace to those grieving but is also actively contributing to reimagining grief care itself. Her mission is to build a future where grieving together is normalized, where grief itself becomes a gateway to belonging, wholeness, and communal strength.
For more information, visit https://thegrievery.com
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Dan Harris will join the Luminaries Series at Troutbeck in Amenia, New York, Sunday, Nov. 24, at 3 p.m. for an engaging discussion with Sascha Lewis on harnessing the mind's potential to improve overall well-being.
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Troutbeck’s Luminaries Series continues this fall with a special appearance by acclaimed journalist and meditation advocate Dan Harris on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 3 p.m. in the Manor House Ballroom. Harris, a former news anchor who famously chronicled his journey to mental well-being in the No. 1 New York Times bestseller “10% Happier,” will explore the power of meditation, a practice he credits with fundamentally reshaping his life.
The event promises an engaging discussion between Harris and Sascha Lewis, Troutbeck’s director of culture and commerce. They will discuss harnessing the mind’s potential to improve overall well-being, blending the timeless principles of meditation with insights from modern neuroscience. Harris’s own journey to mindfulness began after a highly publicized on-air panic attack in 2004 as Former ABC news anchor, prompting him to confront his inner struggles and seek tools for mental clarity and resilience. His experiences ultimately led him to write “10% Happier,” which offers an accessible approach to meditation and self-awareness. Harris also developed the popular podcast and meditation app of the same name.
In addition to the conversation, the event will feature a brief guided meditation led by Harris, followed by a Q&A, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of his approach to mindfulness. This event builds on the success of a previous Luminaries Series gathering, the recent talk by Ian Tattersall, Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History, who, in August, shared insights on human cognition and its evolution in conversation with Dr. Scott A. Small of Columbia University.
Tickets for Harris’s appearance are priced at $30-$40 and can be purchased through the Troutbeck website. Guests booking a room at Troutbeck for the evening will receive complimentary tickets to the event, enhancing the immersive experience. Troutbeck, known for its historic role as a gathering place for thinkers and visionaries, provides the ideal setting for Harris’s exploration of meditation’s benefits.
With the 2025 Luminaries Series calendar forthcoming, Troutbeck continues its tradition of hosting distinguished figures, drawing on its rich history as a hub for intellectual and cultural exchange.
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Swing music and dance will take center stage on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the American Mural Project (AMP) in Winsted, Connecticut, as Eight to the Bar brings its energetic mix of 1940s jazz, 1950s jump blues, and Motown to the artsy club atmosphere. Founded in 1975, the band carries a legacy of family swing music, making every performance a lively celebration that’s sure to have attendees on their feet.
Kicking off the night, Nate Evans of Hartford Ballroom will lead a swing dance lesson at 7 p.m., catering to both beginners and seasoned dancers. AMP’s unique space, housed in a renovated mill and home to the world’s largest indoor collaborative mural, offers three levels for dancing and mingling, along with a cash bar and food from The Colebrook Store. The mural itself, a five-story tribute to American workers, adds an inspiring backdrop to the event’s lively atmosphere.
Founded in 2001, the American Mural Project (AMP) honors American workers through a massive, 3D mural—120 feet long and five stories high—depicting a century of work and dedication. Inspired by Boeing’s 747 plant, artist Ellen Griesedieck created this unique artwork to inspire and involve young people, partnering with schools, nonprofits, and organizations like NASA and Habitat for Humanity. AMP has engaged over 15,000 students nationwide in creating the mural and offers year-round educational programs.
Tickets to Saturday’s event include the dance lesson, and a limited number of balcony seats provide elevated views of the mural and the stage. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for an unforgettable evening of swing music in one of Connecticut’s most unique art spaces.
Tickets: www.americanmuralproject.org
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