… Retreat
Biodanza: The Dance of Life
23rd – 25th October 2026
with Niraj and Anna
When words are not enough, let the body lead the way
One thing that unites each and every one of us alive on this planet is the inevitable encounter with grief, loss and sadness.
When we experience loss, it's easy to become stuck — caught between two poles. We either avoid the pain through busyness and distraction, or we're consumed by it, unable to move or breathe.
Healing doesn't come from choosing one or the other. It happens in the movement between them.
This weekend, we practice the art of tending: creating a safe space to honour loss, while giving yourself permission to rest, and even to feel joy.
It's an invitation to go beyond the taboo — to let yourself grieve, to feel the sadness fully, and to dance with it, towards life.
Workshop Summary
Begins on:
Fri 23rd October at 17:00
Ends on:
Sun 25th October at 17:00
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Hosted by:
Niraj & Anna
Redirects to Workshop Angel
Why Biodanza…
We move beyond words: Biodanza is a non-verbal practice that allows you to express the full range of human emotions , including sadness, longing, or anger, safely through movement rather than explanation.
Utilising variously themed vivencias (2hr+ dance sessions) Biodanza creates a container dedicated to grief-tending practices, where we use movement to bridge the gap between "grieving" and "living."
In the dances, we don't have to find the right words, or any words at all, but simply allow our feelings space to express themselves, relieving "stuckness" and providing an antidote to distraction. We let the body lead and the emotions to follow until we find ourselves more fluid, resilient, and alive.
Grief is often isolating. Dancing in a group reminds you that you are part of a community, providing a sense of shared support and "affectivity"—the warmth of human connection.
Radical Permission for Joy: Biodanza emphasizes the Biocentric Principle, which prioritizes life, the instincts and pleasure. It gently teaches that feeling joy or vitality again is not a betrayal of your loss, but a vital part of the "back-and-forth" movement required for deep restoration and ultimately letting go.
Who is this for…
Curious newcomers ready to taste the joy and depth of Biodanza for the first time in a safe, held space.
Individuals navigating loss who feel "stuck" in their head or life and are looking for a physical, embodied way to process their emotions & reclaim joy!
Past students and graduates of the Dorset School of Biodanza or other schools looking to reconnect with the practice and the community.
Teachers and facilitators seeking personal nourishment, inspiration, and a chance to be "held" rather than holding the space for others.
Lovers of movement and music who believe in the power of dance as a tool for healing and human connection.
Supporters of the next generation of Biodanza facilitators, witnessing the growth of the practice through Niraj and Anna’s collaboration.
Anyone seeking "restoration"—those who need permission to laugh, rest, and feel alive again without the weight of guilt.
Your Facilitators
Niraj has been the Director of the Dorset School of Biodanza since 2006. Anna is Founder & Director of No One Dies Alone Cornwall, an intuitive and passionate Biodanza facilitator.
Niraj and Anna create a deeply supportive container for the Biodanza & Grief Tending weekend, blending decades of therapeutic wisdom with soulful facilitation.
Niraj & Anna: Masters of Energetic Flow
Both Niraj and Anna possess an intuitive gift for reading the room’s energy. They act as bridges, helping you navigate the delicate gap between your private, internal world of sorrow and the external support of the communal circle.
Niraj brings a masterful understanding of the Biocentric Principle—the impulse towards life. He senses exactly when the group needs to be held in stillness and when it is time to invite the "spark" of vitality back into the body.
Anna’s connection to the divine helps you move through emotional blocks and "stuck" energy, gently guiding you toward a place of inner wholeness and transformations in the heart.
By weaving together ritual grounding with Niraj and Anna’s energetic fluidity, we offer you a complete support system. Whether you are in a moment of deep release or quiet integration, the facilitators and the group are there to mirror your journey and hold the space for your transformation.
What to expect…
Friday: The Courage to Feel
Vitality & the Physicality of Grief
After a nourishing meal sourced from Leela’s organic grounds, we use movement to gently break the stasis.
Through the line of Vitality, we begin to find the rhythm of our own heartbeat again. We move not to “get over” the pain, but to create a body strong and fluid enough to carry it.
This is the foundation: remembering that, even in sorrow, we are still pulsing with life.
Saturday Morning: The Permission to Bloom
We begin with a sharing circle, offering space to express our feelings and have them witnessed by the group, followed by:
Creativity & the Art of Living
Grief can make us feel as though our story has ended. Through Creativity, we begin to explore the movement back and forth between the old life and the new.
We use the line of Creativity to express what words cannot. This isn’t about making “art”; it is about creating a moment of beauty, or discovering a new way of moving despite the pain.
We give ourselves permission to innovate our lives, finding new shapes and expressions for our existence in the wake of change.
Saturday Afternoon: The Reclaiming of Self
There will be time for rest and recuperation, with the option to spend quiet time in nature or journal for reflection and discovery, followed by:
Sexuality & the Sensual Soul
In Biodanza, the line of Sexuality relates to our capacity for pleasure and our desire to live. This is often where much of the guilt around grief can reside.
We reclaim the right to feel the sun on our skin, the beauty of the music, and the simple pleasure of togetherness and being alive.
By re-sensitising the body to pleasure, we generate the restorative energy needed for the long-term work of grieving. We move to remember that joy is not a betrayal of those who have died, but a celebration of the life they shared with us.
Saturday Evening
An open space for whatever the group most needs in that moment. This may include more dance, more sharing, a ritual sauna or a bonfire to support further release.
This will be decided together on the day.
Sunday Morning: The Heart That Holds Everything
We bring together Affectivity, our ability to love and be loved, with Transcendence, our connection to something greater than ourselves.
Through the dance, we move from the personal “I” to the communal “We”, discovering a sense of belonging that reaches beyond our individual loss.
Together, we create a ritual space where our love for what we have lost becomes a gateway into a deeper connection with all of life.
Why This Workshop Matters
Grief is universal — every one of us will experience loss. Yet in the West, we're not taught how to handle it. There's little space to express it, or even talk about it. We're expected to keep calm, carry on, and not let our feelings show.
But when we don't let grief out, it doesn't disappear. It gets trapped in the body, and over time, this can affect our health and wellbeing.
This weekend, we come together with one shared purpose: to honour our feelings of loss, and give them space to be expressed. Together, we can find a new way to process grief — one that opens a path to healing.
This work matters because it offers a way back to feeling whole. It's an invitation to stop simply surviving your grief, and start moving with it — reclaiming your right to feel fully alive.
Grief is not a problem to be solved, but a landscape to be navigated.
Workshop & Accommodation Costs
Start weekend: Friday October 23rd @ (Arrive from 5pm on the Friday to settle in, dinner is at 7pm, the training commences at 8.15pm)
End: Sunday October 25th @ 5:00pm
Price weekend: £310 (includes workshop & food)*
Early bird till October 2nd: £280
Note: You can make a payment plan, the total price should be full paid before the retreat is starting.
*Accommodation is not included in the price and can be selected separately during checkout via the booking link.
Payment Plans
We understand that everyone's financial situation is unique, so we've designed our payment plan with flexibility in mind.
Secure your place by spreading the total cost into manageable instalments. We offer the option to pay a deposit and spread the balance over the remaining months before the payment deadline which is a few weeks before the start of the event. Payment plans are free, and payment dates will be clearly outlined when you book.
Cancellation & Refunds
Our cancellation and refunds policy can be found by clicking here
Redirects to Workshop Angel
Food at Leela
All food is vegetarian, drawing inspiration from cuisines from around the world. Garden produce is used when available including green salads and culinary herbs.
There is a separate tea making area with a wide range of beverages which include herbal teas, coffee, decaf, green and black teas, hot chocolate, plus cow’s milk and alternative milks.
We cater for the following diets …
Dairy-free / Egg-free
Gluten Free
Sugar conscious
Vegan and vegetarian
Food is prepared in a shared kitchen where allergens are present. See our food information page for details.
