December 8–13, 2026

Join Us on Maui

Grief asks so much of us, and it can be so lonely.

Here is a space where you do not have to hold it all alone. Where you can show up raw or tender or numb, and it is okay. Where the work is gentle and deep at the same time.

Grief asks to be felt. It will not be rushed or managed or neatly contained. It rises when it is ready, moves through you if you let it, and leaves something behind when it goes. A heart that has been cracked open and can hold more than it could before.

This is a place where you can let yourself fall apart. Where you can set down the work of holding it together. Where the messy, raw parts of grief are welcome.

You will be met where you are.

You may be in the rawest part of loss, where it is still hard to breathe. Or you may be further along, carrying something that has lived in you for years. You may have sat in circles, in therapy, on the cushion, or you may have never done any of that. All of it belongs here.

Wherever you are, you may notice your body asking for something more. For movement. For engagement. For a gentle invitation out of the familiar.

This retreat holds both. There is stillness here, circle and rest and quiet. And there is the ocean, the body in motion, and the page. For some people, grief begins to move when the body is given something to meet.

THE OCEAN

There are people who find themselves in the water. Who know that the ocean does something a room cannot. There is a particular kind of clarity that comes from being in it, moved by it, held and released by something that vast and that indifferent to everything you brought with you.

Water cleanses. It asks your body to be present in a way that thought cannot interrupt.

And surfing takes that further. It teaches you to read what is coming, to meet what you cannot control, to fall and rise again, to find moments of trust and rhythm inside something unpredictable.

Those lessons reach past the ocean.

If the water feels like more than you are ready for, there is still a place for you here. You can spend your mornings on the beach with the page instead. The ocean asks for what you can give it, and meets you there.

WRITING

There are also things that begin to take shape when we put words to what we have lived. When we write, we let something honest move through. We see our story outside of us. We loosen our grip on it, and begin to understand how it has shaped us, and how it might be asking us to move forward.

This retreat brings somatic grief work, surfing, and writing together on Maui. In the water, on the page, and in the circle.

We begin by arriving and giving space to your story.

From there, we gently explore what it means to meet the waves of grief, of fear, of change. Through the rhythm of the ocean, the intelligence of your body, and the clarity that can emerge through writing, we begin to notice what is shifting.

This retreat is about learning how to be in relationship with your grief, and discovering, in your own time, what it means to live forward.

Grief lives in your body.

And for some people, your body needs to move before it can release. It needs to be asked something before it will answer. It needs the particular demand of the wave, the paddle, the pop-up, the wipeout, before something held deep in the tissue has permission to loosen.

This is simply information about how you are built.

When your nervous system meets the ocean, when it has to be fully present or go under, something shifts. The mind quiets by necessity. Your body takes over. And grief, when met in that kind of immediacy, begins to move differently.

The ocean does not negotiate. It asks for all of you.

And for some, that is exactly what is needed. A contained challenge. A supported edge.

This is for the person who feels ready to be gently encouraged beyond their comfort zone, to meet fear and stay, to fall and get back up, to engage with life again.

It is for the one who senses that something new is trying to emerge, who may not yet have the language for it, but feels the pull toward re-creating themselves in the wake of loss.

It is for the one ready to let grief move, to let it shape them, to let it become part of how they live forward.

SURFING AS SOMATIC PRACTICE

I have written about the ocean as love. What I mean is this: the ocean holds without conditions. It receives whatever you bring. And surfing takes that further. It asks for your full presence in a way that almost nothing else does.

When you are on a board in moving water, the wave does not wait for you to be ready. It asks you to be here, now, completely, or it takes you under.

That demand is the somatic practice.

The body on the board is the grief work itself. The paddling, the wipeout, the moment when you catch the wave and something in your chest opens. That is somatic work. It just looks like surfing.

WRITING ALONGSIDE THE WATER

Writing is woven in as an enhancement to this process, a way to gently reflect on what your body and the ocean are already revealing. After time in the water and in the circle, the page offers a place to pause, to notice, and to give language to what is moving through you.

Sometimes what is felt in your body becomes clearer when it is named. Sometimes what the wave stirs can be more fully integrated when it is written down.

How it all fits together

What comes up in the water is held in the circle. What is spoken in the circle may then be deepened through reflection on the page.

Yoga is the special sauce that brings insight into a deeper learning, release, and integration.

The practices move together in support of one another, with the ocean and your body leading the way, and writing offering an added layer of meaning, support, and further integration.

MEET YOUR TEAM

Wendy Black Stern

Your Mindful Grieving Guide — Founder of Center for Somatic Grieving

I came to this work through loss. The loss of my son Noah cracked my life open and sent me searching for what could hold what I was carrying. I found it in yoga, in community, and in the body's capacity to move through grief when it is given the right support.

During COVID, spending extended time on Maui with my family, I found my way into surfing. My older daughter learned first, and I joined her as a way to connect and play. What I did not expect was what surfing would open in me. I am both terrified of it and drawn to it.

Over the past five years, being in the water has changed my relationship to my life. It has shown me new possibilities for living forward, for meeting fear, for surrendering control, for staying present even when it is uncomfortable. And it has given me another way to tend to my grief.

I designed this retreat because I believe that grief, and the ocean, and the body in motion can do something together that stillness alone cannot always reach. It feels like an honor to share that with you.

Sage Hobbs

Your Writing Guide — Guest Facilitator

Sage Hobbs is the author of Naked Communication and a trusted coach, facilitator, and speaker on communication, emotional intelligence, and the conversations most people avoid but need most. She partners with leaders and organizations to build stronger relationships and more human-centered cultures where people can do their best work.

A "retired" school counselor, Sage brings over 25 years of experience across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with a focus on maximizing human potential, building trust, and strengthening connections. She has hosted the "Race, Culture & Beyond" and "Principal Pep Talks" podcasts and lives for having truly good conversations.

At home, Sage is a mom of two awesome humans, a happy life partner, a cancer survivor, a beach-loving book nerd, and a kitchen dance party aficionado. She is obsessed with her people and believes our relationships and communities are our greatest accomplishments.

Your surf instruction: Maui Surfer Girls

We will be partnering with Maui Surfer Girls, a highly respected surf school on Maui known for their experienced, professional, and deeply supportive instructors.

Their team includes instructors who are skilled surfers and trained in trauma-informed approaches, meeting each participant with presence, patience, and sensitivity to their individual process.

You will be supported in the water by instructors who understand that the deeper work is meeting yourself, your fears, your edges, your breath, in a new environment.

Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience, you will be guided in a way that prioritizes safety, trust, and care. You will not be pushed beyond your capacity. You will be met exactly where you are. And you will be supported on the board, in the water, and in whatever arises along the way.

Dustin Tester

Founder of Maui Surfer Girls

Dustin Tester is the founder of Maui Surfer Girls, a co-ed surf school and teen girl and women's overnight surf camp on Maui. Dustin has surfed the ups and downs of her woman-owned small business for the past 22 years. Before starting Maui Surfer Girls, she graduated from Prescott College with a degree in Adventure Education, with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy and creative writing. She has put her education to work by facilitating confidence-building surf camp experiences for young women for decades in her hometown of Lahaina, Maui.

After taking courses in the shamanic healing arts from the Sacred Stream Healing center in Berkeley, California, along with writing her memoir, Dustin is inspired to expand her signature surf camp programs into the healing arts of writing, journeying, group process, bodywork, and yoga.

Cristiane "Kiki" Martins

Senior Surf Instructor — Maui Surfer Girls

Cristiane "Kiki" Martins has been a senior surf instructor for Maui Surfer Girls for thirteen years. In that time, she has taught and inspired hundreds of students how to surf with her deep respect for the ocean, while intuitively meeting her students where they are emotionally and physically with their new or existing surfing skills.

In 2022, Kiki became certified in Groundswell's Surf Therapy level 1 trauma-informed surf coaching model. She was part of the instructional team at two therapeutic surf programs with Maui Surfer Girls called Soul Retrieval Surf Retreat, and she has facilitated surf therapy clinics alongside Natalie Small, founder of Groundswell, for the nonprofit Surfing Moms in recent years.

What you take home

Grief is still yours when you leave. What will be different is what you now know your body can do with it.

You will carry the ocean home, in your nervous system, in the memory of what it felt like to be fully present in something larger than yourself. And you will carry a new set of tools, rooted in your body and your breath, for moving through hard moments and staying with yourself when life feels uncertain.

You will also carry a deeper trust in your own capacity to fall and find your way back again.

And you will have the circle. The people who sat with what the water brought up. That kind of shared witness does not disappear when the retreat ends. It becomes a community you can return to, a reminder that you are not alone in what you carry.

Join Us on Maui
A woman practicing yoga outdoors near a body of water, standing in a meditative pose with her hands in a prayer position over her chest.

Meeting the Wave

A Somatic Grief, Surf, and Writing Retreat

Six days on Maui. Surfing, writing, and somatic grief work, held at the Wailea Inn in South Kihei, a private gated estate just 50 yards from the beach. It is the same location as the Awakening Through Grief Retreat. You wake up to the sounds of the island, steps from the water.

Dates: December 8–13, 2026
Group size: 10 participants maximum

What is included

  • Three customized surf sessions with instruction, so that the body has a practice that demands full presence and grief has a physical medium to move through.

  • Daily somatic grief work, so that what the water brings up has a held place to be witnessed and integrated.

  • Daily yoga and meditation, so that what surfaces has a path toward release.

  • Writing practices woven throughout the week, so that you can give language to your experience of loss and growth.

  • A small group of 10, so that the water and the circle stay intimate and you are known in both.

  • Six nights at the Wailea Inn in South Kihei, a private gated estate with a heated pool and indoor yoga studio, 50 yards from the beach.

  • Two to three daily meals, prepared with local, seasonal ingredients.

  • Bodywork sessions by request, so that your body receives direct support in releasing what it has been holding.

  • Open time for rest, the beach, and integration.

  • Complimentary concierge support for additional island activities.

Join Us On Maui
A backyard with a swimming pool, outdoor lounge chairs, a table with drinks and a fruit platter, green plants, tall palm trees, and a house with a balcony under a blue sky with clouds.
A neatly made bed with a beige tufted headboard, two pillows with starfish designs, and two matching lamps on bedside tables in a bright room with blinds and an air conditioning unit.
Tropical landscape with lush green trees and plants, tall palm trees near the coast, a small house, an ocean with boats, and mountains in the background under a blue sky with clouds.
Living room with white walls, a beige sofa, a wooden coffee table, a dining table with wicker chairs, a decorative plant, and large windows and glass doors letting in natural light.
Empty yoga or exercise studio with wooden floor, mirrored wall, shelving with yoga mats and Bolsters, and a Buddha statue on a small pedestal.
A bright, minimalist bedroom with a white bed, decorative pillows, a wooden dresser, a table lamp, large windows with white blinds, and a door with a glass panel, all with neutral tones.
Balcony view of a tropical backyard with a swimming pool, surrounded by lush green trees and palm trees, under a blue sky with clouds.
Empty yoga studio with three green mats, four rolled cushions, Buddha artwork, and a Buddha statue on a pedestal.
A bedroom with a white bed, beige pillows, a nightstand with a lamp, and a large painting of Buddha's face on the wall.
Tropical beach with palm trees, a rocky shoreline, and a sunset sky with clouds and vibrant colors.
Two beds with upholstered headboards, decorated with fish-themed pillows, a wooden nightstand with a table lamp, a window showing greenery outside, and framed fish artwork on the wall.
Sunset over a tropical beach with pink and orange clouds, palm trees, and calm waves reflecting the sky.
Bedroom with wooden furniture, a bed with white linens, a wooden dresser, a small black and white chevron-patterned ottoman, a painting on the wall, a beige armchair with a green pillow, and table lamps.

A Small Circle

This retreat is limited to 10 participants. The water work and the grief work both require a small circle, space for each person to be genuinely witnessed in both.

If you feel called to the retreat and are not sure about the surf, there is still a path for you to join. You can spend your mornings on the beach writing rather than in the water. All preferences are welcomed and honored.

If you feel the pull, reach out. We will talk about whether this is the right time for you.

A group of people practicing yoga in a calm indoor studio with wooden floors, yoga mats, blocks, and bottled water, some with hands extended forward and heads down, in a resting pose.
Woman in bikini holding a surfboard on a concrete patio in a backyard with tropical plants and palm trees.
Five women practicing yoga on a sandy beach near large rocks, with palm trees, ocean, and mountains in the background, under a blue sky with some clouds.
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A sea turtle resting on the sandy beach during sunset, with the ocean and clouds in the background.
A person with long black hair, wearing a white shirt with rainbow sleeve stripes and a beige hat, stands on a sandy beach facing the ocean during a colorful sunset, with clouds and mountains in the background.
A kitchen countertop decorated with a small Buddha statue adorned with a purple and white flower lei, a large wooden salad bowl filled with mixed greens, a plate of tropical fruits including pineapple, and a vase with pink protea flowers, among other
A woman practicing yoga outdoors on a lush green lawn surrounded by tall palm trees, with a partly cloudy sky overhead.
A group of women and girls in colorful clothing hugging on a sandy beach at sunset, with ocean waves and surfers in the background.
Woman practicing yoga on a sandy beach during sunset, performing a side plank with one leg raised, near rocks by the ocean with a view of the horizon and a visible moon.
Group of women with tattoos and swimwear practicing yoga on a beach with sand, rocks, and ocean blue water under a partly cloudy sky.
A tropical beach with black rocks and sandy shore in the foreground, blue ocean water, palm trees along the coast, a mountain in the distance, and a partly cloudy sky.
A woman in a swimsuit practicing yoga on the sandy beach near the ocean, with palm trees and a blue sky with scattered clouds in the background.
Woman practicing yoga in tree pose on a sandy beach with rocks and ocean in the background, under a cloudy sky.
A woman stands in ankle-deep water on the beach, watching the sunset over the ocean with clouds in the sky. There is also a person in the water to the right, possibly surfing or swimming.
Four women smiling on the beach at sunset with ocean waves, rocky shoreline, and mountains in the background.
A table decorated with tropical leaves, flowers, and an assortment of foods including eggs, sliced fruits, salads, and condiments, with a Buddha statue and a purple flower garland in the background.
Assorted tropical fruits on display, including sliced starfruit, papaya, banana, lychee, and a plate of small oranges or tangerines with green stems, arranged on a wooden board and a ceramic plate.
A lush green lawn with tall palm trees, a house with a balcony, pink flowering bushes, and mountains in the background under a bright blue sky.
A woman practicing yoga outdoors on a green lawn with tall palm trees and cloudy sky in the background.
Group of people standing on a sandy beach at sunset with tall palm trees in the background, dressed in casual and summer clothing.

TESTIMONIALS FROM RETREAT PARTICIPANTS

  • "Perhaps I was naive to think after going through a few programs my transformations would lessen. "

    Was I ever mistaken. This work, the powerful facilitation and content cracked me open in the most necessary, beautiful way. Allowing me to finally see the joy and possibility after so much strife and despair. I pray I can continue to participate in these retreats as this is one of the most radical acts of service/care I can provide to myself. I am so very grateful.

    — ASHLEY

  • "This retreat exceeded my expectations on every level."

    As someone who has completed the 9-month program and the yoga therapy program, I thought I knew what to be prepared for. As I sat in the seat of participant, I felt how deeply needed a community with a common thread of grief, held by a loving, nurturing, passionate teacher was. The love and thoughtful care taken in every step of the retreat was awe-inspiring. The food by an incredible woman , the massage by a thoughtful intuitive man, the warm, nurturing support from the retreat assistants, all added to the beautiful experience.

    — Ashley

  • "Thank you, Wendy!"

    Since I've been home from the retreat, I've been constantly thinking of how I can integrate more of this kind of grief work into my own life (both personally & professionally)...other than just moving to Boulder and becoming more involved with CSG. You are truly an amazing person and I'm so happy I met you. The work you do has inspired me.

  • "This work is the deepest of all of the work."

    If you feel as though anything in your life is requiring change, whether it feels HUGE or small, or in between, this is the space to allow the change to begin.

    — Angie

  • "Gillian's incredible food nourished me in ways I didn't even know I needed."

    Every meal was intentional and filled with love. She shared every ingredient with us before each meal, so we could even more fully enjoy the experience. I've recreated a few of her dishes since being home, and though they aren't as magical as when made by Gillian, I'm so happy to be able to fuel my body at home with healthy and delicious options.

  • "WOW. Zach's bodywork was hands-down the best bodywork I have ever experienced."

    I'm still, almost 2 weeks later feeling the realignment he created for me. Zach is so professional and had me feeling safe and cared for from start to finish. It was clear he understood the powerful work we were doing throughout the day and he helped deepen the experience and learning through his work. This is not just a "lovely treat" added to the retreat — it is essential. I felt completely renewed and realigned after my session with Zach.

  • "Throughout the entire retreat and every day since, I've thought, 'Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, needs this retreat.' Don't hesitate."

    I would (and will) go to this retreat again and again — gaining something completely new each time. It's a beautiful gift to give yourself, no matter where you are on your journey, no matter what it is you are grieving.

    — CHELSEA

This is your moment to step into a space where radical self-care, inspiration, and personal growth intersect beautifully. Secure your spot now and be part of this extraordinary journey.

Six days of somatic grief work on Maui

Six nights at the Wailea Inn, 50 yards from the beach

Three surf sessions with instruction

Daily yoga, meditation, circle, and integration

Two writing days with Sage, plus beach journaling throughout

Two to three daily meals, local and seasonal

Heated pool, indoor yoga studio, and outdoor estate spaces

Bodywork sessions by request

Complimentary concierge support for island activities

A small circle of 10 participants

Single Room

Monthly Payment Plan
$825 x 6 Months

Save with Pay in Full
$4,799

Double Room

Monthly Payment Plan
$678 x 6 Months

Save with Pay in Full
$3,950

BOOK YOUR SPOT

AFTER YOU BOOK

Once your payment is received, you will receive a welcome email with everything you need to begin preparing.

You will receive information about the Wailea Inn, what to pack, what to expect in the water and in the circle, and any physical preparation that would be helpful before you arrive.

We meet for the first time on December 8. The ocean is waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions.

  • Surf instruction is included. You just need to be willing to try. Previous surfing experience is not required. Lessons are geared toward first-time surfers, and instruction is available for those who are ready to go to the next level. You will be met where you are.

  • The ocean asks for full presence in a way that very few things do. When you are on a board in moving water, there is no room to be somewhere else. That demand for presence, which grief often resists, becomes the practice. What surfaces in the water is held and integrated in the grief sessions that follow. Yoga helps us integrate and work out the lessons we learn in the water. It is all connected.

  • It is hard work to paddle out and learn how to catch the waves. You will be tired at the end of the day. And there is so much space in the retreat for rest and self-care.

  • The Awakening Retreat is stillness-based: circle work, somatic practice, the ocean as witness. This retreat puts you in the ocean as an active practice. Both are held at the Wailea Inn. Both are grief work first. The difference is in how that grief work moves.

  • Luxurious shared accommodations are provided. We cater with local, nourishing meals to support your retreat experience.

  • Yes. The Wailea Inn is about a 25-minute Uber from the airport, typically around $35. We can help coordinate shared transportation if needed.

  • We recommend keeping your schedule flexible. While there is free time, the retreat’s immersive nature might influence your desire for additional activities. To create a strong container, please do not miss scheduled group sessions.

    If you’d like to do day-long adventures, please schedule additional days and accommodations before or after the retreat.

  • Check-in at the Wailea Inn begins at 4:00pm on December 8, and you can drop luggage off from 2:30pm. We close by 12:30pm on December 13, so please plan departure flights from 3:00pm onward. If you have a later flight, we can store your luggage so you can spend the day at the beach before you go.

  • Book a free 30-minute call with Wendy. It is a good way to talk through whether this retreat is right for you right now.

  • There are no refunds available if you need to cancel. Payment plans are a courtesy and are required to be paid in full regardless of your participation. If scheduling allows you can defer your participation to another CSG retreat.

JOIN US

Grief needs somewhere to go.

The ocean is one of the few things vast enough to hold it.

If you have felt the pull toward the water, toward motion, toward something that asks your whole body to show up, I trust that.

This retreat is built for exactly that.

Come. We would be honored to have you in our circle.

Join Us On Maui