Peace & the Grief Body

"This is the real work of the peacemaker, to find the soft spot & tenderness in that very uneasy place and stay with it." - from Practicing Peace in Times of War by beloved Buddhist nun Pema Chodron

What if your peace isn't meant to be separate from your grief?

At my core, I have always known an almost insatiable craving for peace.

So much so, that my first dream job was a toss up between garden gnome (mud pies for the win) or an ordained religious. When neither proved a viable option, I found myself clinging tightly to the stories of those who made peace. The souls who ushered her in. Completely in awe of the presence, compassion, courage, and strength visible through and in their work.

I may never know whether I chose peace or peace chose me...

But, I do know it is in my DNA.

My ancestors and roots are of Tikkun Olam - a calling to The Repair of the World. Raised in the Catholic social justice movement, I spent my high school and college years with low income youth, unsheltered and at-risk families, and disabled earth siblings. And, I was planted (perhaps divinely) in a life that would require me to confront the idea of peace daily.

My diagnosis journey with life-threatening allergies, dysautonomia, and connective tissue disease began at the age of ten.

Boundaries were violated by people I thought I could trust.

I lost a sibling.

And then, there are the generational hurts. Pains that crossed expansive plains to land in these cells forming a not-so-perplexing relationship with grief.

Grief is also in my DNA.

Which is why I built my professional life here.

For over two decades, I have been a student of peace at the intersection of grief in a wide variety of spaces - in veterinary medicine; at a nonprofit dedicated to prematurity, pregnancy, and infant loss; as a trauma informed yoga teacher and caregiving body for birthing people; and, most recently as a soul midwife centering grief, trauma, illness, parenting, and loss.

From these experiences, there are a few things that ​I can speak to as truth...

1. Your grief does not suddenly disappear.
2. Peace does not replace grief.
3. Both deserve our attention

And, it is only in holding the both/and dichotomous nature of life that we actually get to thrive again.

Cultivating the ability to hold both has transformed my life.

In 2024, grief rose to the surface again in this body of mine. And, with a twenty-year practice of inner awareness - what I call Peace Consciousness, I found myself okay. Able to hold my despair in one hand and Everything Still Good in another. I wrote about that experience in the poem The Darkest Night.

Because I know peace, the darkest night found me and it did not swallow me whole.

This is what I want for all of us. And, while I cannot promise that you can meet yourself in your grief without effort, I can promise you there is the potential of peace only when we choose to move toward it.

Peace & the Grief Body

My work as your soul midwife, grief doula, and guide is to be with you as you access the wisdom that is already within you. I get to sit with you as you notice the peace that doesn't cease to exist. Peace & the Grief Body is a 30-day guided experience, an Anam Cara (soul friend) group, and a safe and sacred container to be seen and held you as you find a new-old way forward with conscious inner dialogue centering both peace and grief.

What to know:

🕊️ Opening & Closing Gathering 🕊️

We will have an opening and closing circle. These will be on Google Meet, with a separate guided recording available within 24 hours so that you can create your own sacred container for your practice.

Opening Circle is Monday, January 19th at 5pm MST

Closing Circle is Tuesday, February 17th at 12pm MST

🕊️ Telegram Gathering Space 🕊️

Here, we're building peace consciousness in community. You can expect a daily contemplative question that we will return to over and again. (Because consistency is Queen.) And, you can plan to respond in the group chat in any way that honors you and your path. Poetry or prose. A picture of your meditation or walk. A piece of art. A brief synopsis of a conscious conversation with a beloved or friend. A journal entry. A mandala. A journey.

The encouragement we offer one another matters, so know that you are invited to show up for 5-10 minutes each day in our Telegram chat beyond your personal practice.

Important notes:

Secular, spiritual, and religious souls are welcome. This is a safe and sacred space for all women. While our group chat launches Monday, January 19th on Telegram, you can join anytime before or after we begin.

All gathering links can be found in your welcome email and on Telegram 10 minutes before we connect. If you are not able to be live on our calls, please check Telegram for a recorded practice. This will be similar to our live gathering, but without the conversations shared from live participants.

We believe in personal responsibility and grace around here. Take what you need, give what you can. Miss a day? We're judgement free. You can always pick up where you left off...

Finally, this experience is uniquely yours. Decide what you want & dive on in.

🕊️ Since this is our pilot program, you can join us this round for $33 🕊️

There is something so special about building consciousness in community, beloved. I can't wait for you to experience it yourself.

Get to know J.

Jennifer Magnano aka J. is a (capital “m”) Mother, soul midwife, spiritual writer, doula, poet, mystic, community builder, Ayurveda-aficionado, and artist. Additionally, she is the the author of children's book Bliss & Blue. Fluent in the language of bodies, Jennifer thrives post cancer and with chronic illness. She offers group workshops on grief, trauma, illness, and loss; and, writes the publication Grief Body for a growing number of like hearts with wandering, pondering souls.