KATE BAST | nature + forest therapy guide
A GENTLE DAY TO NOURISH TENDER HEARTS
September 13, 2026 | 8:30am-5 pm | Private Farm, Lake Mills WI
.png)
This small-group retreat
offers compassionate space for reflection, connection, and gentle healing.
Where grief is honored — and light is invited back in.
You are welcome exactly as you are — whether your loss is recent or many years old.
Let this day be a balm for your soul — an invitation to pause, breathe, and be gently cared for.
Step away from the demands of daily life and spend time in the peaceful rhythms of nature, surrounded by others who understand the quiet weight of loss.
There is nothing to fix here.
No timeline to meet.
No expectation to be anywhere other than where you are.
Just a day to be held.
ABOUT THE RETREAT
Grief changes us.
It softens some places and hardens others. It can feel isolating, exhausting, and invisible to the outside world.
Together, we will explore how sorrow and light can coexist. How love remains present even in loss. And how moments of steadiness, connection, and quiet lightness can still find their way in.
"It definitely gave me a sense of lightness and
how to deal with my grief in a positive manner."
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
Throughout the day, you’ll be guided through supportive practices designed to care for your body, nervous system, and heart.
Creative Expression & Journaling
Reflective prompts and quiet space for personal expression. Journal provided.
Grief Yoga®
Gentle movement to release emotion and reconnect with the body. No experience required. Chairs available.
Guided Forest Therapy Experience
A slow, sensory-based experience outdoors that calms the nervous system and reconnects you with the rhythms of nature.
Kintsugi Art Project – The Art of Mending with Gold
A symbolic creative practice honoring the beauty that remains even in what has been broken.
Meaningful Conversation & Quiet Reflection
Optional sharing circles, gentle connection, and time for solitude.
Moments of Lightness
Because grief and warmth can exist side by side.
Interaction with Sunset Acres Menagerie and Landscape
The farmette’s animals entertain and soothe, as do the winds across the corn fields, the beautiful gardens and the other charms in the small, welcoming woods.
.png)
"The Kintsugi was such a metaphor for our continued grieving experience, and I like that I have it to take with me as a continual reminder that I'm doing the best I can and to soften my edges a bit."
Nourishment & Care
A plentiful, nourishing lunch will be thoughtfully prepared and shared in community.
Morning tea and coffee will be available upon arrival, along with seltzer water and light snacks throughout the day.
We will close with a simple tea ceremony and guided closing circle, offering space to reflect and gently integrate the day.
There will also be a soft invitation to reconnect with your body through optional light movement and laughter — a reminder that grief and joy can exist side by side.
Honoring Your Loved One
You are invited to bring a photo or small memento for our Memorial & Resource Table — a sacred space created to honor the lives and light of those we carry in our hearts.
You may also include your loved one using this form:
INVESTMENT
We keep this retreat intentionally small so each participant receives care, attention, and space to process their experience. To preserve safe space, familiarity and connection, the retreat is limited to 16 participants.
-
Early Bird Rate: $159 (Register by July 12, 2026)
-
Standard Rate: $179 (Register July 13 – September 7)
-
Supporter Rate: $225
To help keep Light After Loss accessible, we intentionally keep our standard rate as low as possible. If you are able to contribute more and would like to support a scholarship for someone in need, we are deeply grateful.
Registration closes September 7, 2026.
Two partial scholarships are available. If cost feels like a hardship, please reach out.
.png)
“This retreat provided me with a day where I was able to stop all the noise in my head - all the planning and worrying about what I need to do or should do. I was able to put this all aside and simply enjoy the stillness and peacefulness of the day. Thank you for this!”
WHAT’S INCLUDED
-
Morning coffee & tea
-
Tote bag
-
Nourishing lunch & snacks
-
Personal journal
-
Guided retreat experiences
-
Kintsugi art project to take home
-
Closing tea ceremony
-
Materials to continue guiding your grief journey
WHAT TO BRING
-
Comfortable layers that allow you to move easily
-
Yoga mat or blanket (chairs available)
-
Full water bottle
-
Rain gear & shoes that can get muddy
-
Allergy medication if needed
-
Any required fast-acting medications
HOST FACILITATORS
This retreat is lovingly created by grief companions and facilitators who have walked this path themselves. They feel deeply called to share the practices and perspectives that have supported their own healing, and to hold space for others navigating loss.
Michelle Kullmann – Co‑Creator & Grief Yoga® Facilitator
Kate Bast – Co‑Creator & Forest Therapy Guide
LaDonna Radel – Journaling Guide
Annette Kruschek – Location Host
Grief is love that continues.
And while the path of loss can feel lonely at times, you do not have to walk it entirely on your own.
This day is offered as a gentle place to pause, breathe, and be supported among others who understand.
If your heart is nudging you toward this day, we would be honored to welcome you.
.png)
.png)