Grief Stone Amulet Workshop: A Somatic Workshop to Release Grief through Sound + Clay
What are the ways we hold grief? What are the ways we release grief?
This two hour immersive workshop guides participants on an intentional and slow exploration of releasing anxious energy through a guided vocal toning meditation* followed by time for journaling and personal reflection, and an active clay meditation to create your own Grief Stone Amulet.
This workshop is an invitation to ground in our bodies and clear our energetic channels. It’s an offering to exhale, to ground, to play.
Workshop Dates:
Sunday, January 26th, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sunday, February 9th, 3:00-5:00 PM
Thursday, February 27th 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: Fishtown, Philadelphia (exact location will be shared after registration)
Price: $36 - $54 sliding scale + $15 material fee (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
About Vocal Toning:
Vocal toning is a practice of circular breathing with lengthened, vocalized exhalations to utilize the voice as an attunement mechanism. It is a way to activate your voice to cleanse and clear the channels and cavities of your body on a vibrational level.
About Grief Stones Hamsas:
Grief Stones are a ritual object intended for times of grief and heartache. Inspired by the Jewish tradition of placing stones on the headstone of a gravesite, Grief Stones are an alternative to the pebbles when you want a more embodied connection. The stone is imprinted with a gesture of a squeeze, like holding hands with your ancestor. The hamsa is a palm-shaped symbol that is used as an amulet for protection, warding off the evil eye in both Jewish and Muslim cultures. A Grief Stone squeeze is like an embodied hamsa. The act of gripping clay can simultaneously release anger — a fist — and comfort — like wrapping your fingers around a loved one. Grief Stones Hamsas serve as talismans of comfort in stressful and difficult times, something to keep in your pocket when you need a squeeze of strength and comfort.
About Meirav:
Meirav Ong (she/they) is an Ashkenazi-American transdisciplinary artist researching embodied prayer in relation to grief, Jewish mourning rituals, and Genetic Memory through textiles, clay, sound, performance and social practice. She draws from her Jewish heritage as a framework to conceive of an embodied prayer practice that exists as an alternative to Judaism’s patriarchal structures. Meirav received her MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from University of Michigan. She has exhibited at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, CA, The Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY, among others.
Meirav has been offering vocal toning meditations for the past 5 years and has shared this practice with communities and organizations around the country including Lab/Shul (NYC), Zekelman Holocaust Center (Detroit), Chautauqua School of Art, and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
