

Hearts in Healing: Grief Relief Retreat
4 Days of Love, Renewal, and Healing Grief
Grief is one of life’s most profound teachers: messy, unpredictable, and deeply human.
This February, in the season of love and hearts, we invite you to give your own heart the care it deserves. While Valentine’s Day often highlights romance, this retreat offers a different kind of love: the kind that honors your grief, nurtures your soul, and gently guides you toward healing.
Set in a sacred sanctuary, this four-day retreat is designed to help you step away from the noise of everyday life and into a carefully held space of renewal.
​
Guided by the depth of Bonnie Gonzalez’s experience as a registered nurse, grief doula, coach, and SoulCollage® facilitator, you’ll move through days filled with compassionate community, restorative rituals, intentional movement, deep rest, and creative expression. Each session is thoughtfully designed to meet you with gentleness, depth, and the wisdom of lived practice.
At the heart of our time together is SoulCollage®, a creative and intuitive process that gives grief a voice through imagery, symbols, and the wisdom of your inner self. Woven alongside this are practices of herbalism, aromatherapy, journaling, and ritual... each one crafted to soothe your body, mind, and spirit.
​
The vision for this Valentine season retreat is simple yet profound: to help you move from the weight of grief toward resilience, renewal, and the celebration of life while reminding you that love, in all its forms, is still here.

Date and Location
February 14-17, 2026
Lake Chapala, Ajijic, Mexico
This serene lakeside setting has been hand-selected to support deep healing and restoration. From tranquil natural views to beautifully appointed accommodations, every detail of your stay is designed for comfort, reflection, and nourishment.
Your Retreat Experience
A four-day sanctuary of healing where you’ll be guided through soulful workshops, restorative rituals, and the creative process of SoulCollage®. Surrounded by community and the beauty of Mexico, this experience invites you to honor your grief, find renewal, and reconnect with resilience.
​
-
Creative Expression: Build your own SoulCollage® deck to reflect your grief journey.
-
Rituals of Renewal: Heart-centered practices designed to release sorrow and invite peace.
-
Healing Practices: Herbalism, aromatherapy, and body-centered practices woven into daily sessions to soothe body and spirit.
-
Quiet Reflection: Spacious time to rest, journal, or walk lakeside to reflect on your own personal journey.
-
Compassionate Community: Share stories, be witnessed, and know you are not alone.
-
Cultural Nourishment: Authentic Mexican cuisine prepared with local ingredients, infused with flavor and tradition. Custom menus available for vegetarians & vegan guests.

Tentative Schedule
Arrival and Opening
Day 1
-
Seamless check-in to boutique accommodations
-
Welcome Circle: Naming Our Grief, Honoring Our Love
-
Gentle heart-centered breathwork & reflective journaling
-
Dinner of authentic Mexican cuisine shared in community
Listening and SoulCollage
Day 2
-
Sunrise meditation and lakeside walk
-
Workshop: Understanding Grief as Love Unspoken
-
SoulCollage® Session I
-
Afternoon sharing circles with compassionate listening
-
Evening Firelight Vigil with storytelling, music, and heart-centered reflection
Movement and Renewal
Day 3
-
Sunrise yoga or mindful hiking along the lake
-
Workshop: Transforming Heartache into Heart Wisdom
-
SoulCollage® Session II
-
Afternoon embodied practice (movement, drumming, or mindful walking)
-
Guided meditation "Moving Grief Through the Body"
-
Evening: Community Music Circle with rhythm and song
Rest and Celebration
Day 4
-
Morning gratitude journaling & meditation
-
SoulCollage® Session III
-
Workshop: Carrying Love Forward
-
Celebration Circle of laughter, movement, and honoring resilience
-
Closing Ceremony: Circle of Healing for the Heart
-
Farewell lunch featuring regional Mexican specialties
What's Included?
-
4 days / 3 nights premium lodging (double occupancy)
-
All-inclusive meals & beverages: authentic Mexican cuisine with customizable options (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)
-
Daily grief-healing workshops with Bonnie Gonzalez
-
Three SoulCollage® sessions, all art materials provided
-
Ritual ceremonies & guided meditations
-
A Grief & Renewal Toolkit journal + a hand-selected personal touchstone gift
-
Complimentary e-book copy of Blindsighted by Grief by Bonnie Gonzalez
Exclusions:
-
Flight arrangements to Guadalajara International Airport​
Our team will gladly assist in booking these experiences to make your journey seamless.