“Being a part of Surviving Stigma was so special, but in this next chapter of Expansion, I have truly felt and experienced so much support, love and positive change…”

I can say that in this group, I found my community that I have been searching for over the last 3 years.  With Julia and my community of widows in this group, in every meeting, safety and a sacred space was created where we could honor our grief and the different experiences we were encountering as we continued to move forward.  

The model of the Expansion program that Julia has created, where widows who have experienced deep and profound loss and trauma can receive coaching, knowledge and guidance as they navigate what their next chapter in life could look like has been a special gift and privilege to be a part of. I truly feel like I have transformed as a human in the most positive way possible due to Expansion; I am incredibly proud of where I stand today.  To feel fully seen, heard and supported through our weekly group sessions, yoga classes and one-on-one sessions have helped me learn more about myself in such a special and deep way.  Expansion has helped me nurture, infuse compassion, and regulation into my relationship with myself and my grief.  This is something that I have not had the capacity or time for in years.  The relationships and bonds that I have created with the other women in this group are so sacred and special.  While our stories of loss were unique and different, there were so many common experiences and feelings that connect us, and I am honored to continue to make this journey with them after Expansion ended.  I feel like I have gained genuine friends out of the most heartbreaking life experiences that we have endured.  

Expansion has helped me learn more about what I want for myself in this next chapter of my life.  I hadn't had much capacity or ability to really sit with this prior to starting this group.  What did I really want for myself personally as well as professionally?  What was important to ME and what did I value in this next chapter?  Did I want to work on a solid financial plan for myself?  A possible career change?  With Julia's compassionate and knowledgeable guidance, she was able to meet me where I was, support and brainstorm ideas based on what I wanted to achieve, and hold me accountable in a gentle way.  I had the opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings with Julia every week in order to explore the physical and emotional symptoms I was experiencing in my grief.  Based on what I was encountering, Julia created a plan that was individualized to me, and manageable.  My plans included items such as somatic work , energy work, breath work, morning and evening meditations that were personalized by Julia herself for me to start and end my day, while checking in with my nervous system and body.  Julia introduced me to habit stacking, where I could slowly introduce new small habits in manageable increments that supported my grief and nervous system.  In our one-on-one sessions, I could receive support in what was going on for me as I worked toward my goals and we could check in and adjust my personal plan as time went on.  I greatly valued this time where I could work on these things in a safe space.  We also talked a lot about my health, nutrition and supplements as this was really important to me and what I was going through over the last year.  Julia has extensive knowledge in somatics, grief and the body through her education and training, but also as a fellow widow and her own personal life experience.  I genuinely valued her guidance, compassion and knowledge to help guide me on this part of my journey.  She truly is an amazing teacher, coach and confidante.  I've never so felt witnessed and supported in my grief and life goals as I have while working with Julia, as well as the Expansion widow community that she created.   

I always looked forward to our regular group coaching sessions.  In these virtual sessions, we as an Expansion group had an opportunity to check in on how we were doing individually that week and what we were working on.  In a series of regular meetings, Julia educated us on different topics such as grief and the seven chakras, trauma and the way it impacts the nervous system.  Julia also invited an astrologist to join a few of our sessions where we were able to receive astrology readings to learn more about Sideral Astrology and how this connects to us as individuals, the past, present and future.  I really enjoyed this experience.  I feel like I learned so much from these group coaching sessions; I have the content to look back on when I need to in the future.  

Julia led regular restorative yoga sessions over Zoom with whoever from our group was available or up for joining.  In these sessions, she tailored the poses to where we hold grief in our bodies, as well as what individual physical symptoms we may be experiencing that week.  I greatly enjoyed these sessions to restore my body and mind.  It was another wonderful benefit of Expansion that I looked forward to myself as a novice yogi.  

I am eternally grateful for this community and coaching container that Julia has created for widows who are looking for their next step on their journey.  Through our time together Expansion has shown me that there is hope for a life that I have the agency to create for myself, and how to support grief with many new skills and care.  I highly recommend you join this container today.  You are deserving of this support and community, and what you will gain is worth its value beyond measure!

• Rachel Fox B.