Portal of Tears Lament Retreat

This post is sent on behalf of our host for this retreat, please contact Julie directly if you are interested, her details are at the end of the message.

A Lament Retreat with Alexandra Derwen & Tuomas Rounakari

4th–7th December 2026 | Rosemerryn Wood, West Cornwall

We are deeply honoured to welcome Alexandra Derwen and Tuomas Rounakari, two of the world's leading teachers of the ancient art of lament, for this rare and powerful four-day retreat in the sacred landscape of West Cornwall.

For thousands of years, lament has been an essential part of human culture. Found in ancient traditions across the world, from Greece and Karelia to Africa, the Middle East and the Amazon, it is a profound practice of giving voice to grief, love, longing and the great transitions of life. Although many of these traditions were suppressed over the centuries, lament is now experiencing a beautiful revival as people rediscover its extraordinary capacity for healing, connection and transformation.

Lament is the meeting place of melody, poetry and authentic feeling. It is not about performing or forcing emotion, but about creating a safe space where the voice can naturally carry what the heart has been holding. Through gentle guidance, we learn to craft our own laments from the experiences, losses and thresholds that already live within us, allowing tears, sound and breath to become pathways towards release and renewal.

Traditionally, lament accompanied the great rites of passage, death, marriage, birth, separation and other profound transitions, helping both the individual and the community move safely through times of change. Today, many people are rediscovering lament as a deeply supportive practice for navigating grief, loss, trauma, illness, relationship changes, endings, and the continual cycles of death and rebirth that are part of every human life.

“Trauma is not what happened to us. Trauma is what happened inside of us... Once we recognize trauma as an internal psychological wound with its many manifestations, we can heal at any given time.”
Gabor Maté

This retreat offers a compassionate and carefully held space in which healing can gently unfold.

A Sacred Place to Gather

Our home for these four days is the beautiful Rosemerryn Wood, nestled within the ancient landscape of West Cornwall. You can see Rosemerryn Wood here… https://www.rosemerrynwood.co.uk/ 

Surrounded by woodland, flowing streams and the wild beauty of nature, Rosemerryn is a place of deep peace and timeless presence. At its heart lies an ancient Iron Age Fogou — a mysterious underground stone chamber that has held ceremony and ritual for over two thousand years. Close to the Atlantic Ocean and immersed in one of Britain's most ancient sacred landscapes, this remarkable place offers exactly the kind of quiet holding that this work asks for.

Together we will create a safe, compassionate and supportive community where every person is welcomed exactly as they are. Through lament, ritual, song, silence, time in nature and shared presence, we will honour what is ready to be released and discover the profound wisdom that can emerge when sorrow is given a voice.

Whether you are carrying recent grief, old wounds, life transitions, or simply feel called towards this ancient practice, you are warmly invited to join us for this deeply held journey of lament, connection and renewal.

“For all things born anew there must first be a letting go.”

Practical Information

Dates & Times

The retreat begins with dinner at 6pm on Friday 4th December, you are welcome to arrive, settle in and enjoy the beautiful place anytime from 1pm, and will finish at 11am on Monday 7th December 2026.

Accommodation

Accommodation at Rosemerryn is in comfortable twin rooms, shared with another participant.

If having your own room is important to you, there are also a number of holiday cottages and other places to stay nearby, and we would be happy to provide suggestions.

It is also possible to arrange additional nights at Rosemerryn after the retreat, subject to availability.

Food

Nourishing meals will be provided from Friday dinner through to Monday breakfast. 

Group Size

This will be a small and intimate gathering, with a maximum of 14 participants, together with Alexandra, Tuomas and the two retreat organisers — 18 people in total.

Keeping the group intentionally small will allow plenty of space and help us create the sense of trust, connection and safety that is so important for this work.

Contribution & Booking

We want to make this retreat accessible to people with different financial circumstances, while also ensuring that everyone involved in creating and holding it is properly supported.

We are therefore offering three levels of contribution:

Community Supported — £480
We are initially offering four places at this rate for those who would otherwise find the full cost of the retreat difficult to meet.

Standard — £660
This is the full contribution for the retreat.

Patron / Supporter — £750
For those who are able and would like to contribute a little more. Choosing this rate helps us to offer additional Community Supported places and makes the retreat more accessible to others.

All contributions include the full retreat programme, accommodation in a shared twin room and all the meals described above.

If additional Patron support makes it possible, we hope to be able to offer further Community Supported places.

Reserving Your Place

As this is a small retreat with just 14 participant places, advance booking is essential.

A £150 deposit will secure your place, with the remaining balance payable before the retreat. Full payment details and the balance due date will be provided when booking.

If you would like to join us, or would like to talk before deciding whether the retreat is right for you, please contact:

Julie Rose
julie@soulwave.co.uk

If you are interested in a Community Supported place, please feel very welcome to get in touch.