Grief Support Community - Lighthouse Circle 2026
Grief is hard, really hard. Your grief is also sacred and deserves to be honored and tended to with compassion. Lighthouse Circle is a grief support community that encourages you to tend to your grief in your own way and in your own time. Grief can be isolating, so our mission is hold space for people to grieve openly and honestly within a supportive community.
Structured to provide practical support that you can access anytime and anywhere, Lighthouse circle also offers you a place to feel heard and seen in your grief.
The six month program includes monthly 90 minute gatherings on zoom, as well as journal prompts, ritual prompts, guided meditations, videos, resource materials and more.
Is Lighthouse Circle Grief Support Group right for me?
Lighthouse circle is Personalized
Each person's grief is unique and personal. Lighthouse Circle provides support as you tend to your grief in your own way and on your own schedule with easy to access content and resources.
Lighthouse Circle is Holistic
Grief affects our mind, body and heart. We created a holistic approach to honor you as a whole person and to allow space for sorrow and joy to coexist. Everything belongs and nothing is judged.
Lighthouse Circle is Compassionate
Self compassion skills are encouraged as an essential part of grief care. Grief is hard and can feel isolating, but you are not alone. We hold you in loving kindness. We build community in meaningful and lasting ways.
What is Lighthouse Circle?
Online content will be presented in six main topics discussing various elements of grief. The lighthouse circle program also incorporates live group calls at 2 different times a month.
Witnessing Grief
Resourcing and Taking Refuge
Dealing with Difficult Emotions
Secondary Losses
Redefining Relationships
Integrating Grief
Within each topic there are six categories: journal prompt, ritual prompt, guided meditation, embodied practice, resources and community space.
Once you sign up you will receive an email soon welcoming you to Lighthouse Circle beginning in April 2026 we will open up the group and you will gain access to content.
Grief is never linear and this program is a gentle and caring companion
Journal Prompt
Writing about our thoughts, feelings and experiences in an unfiltered way provides a release for emotions, allows for reflection and offers insight.
Ritual Prompt
Often simple, rituals are intentionally performed to honor loved ones, connect to the sacred and tap into a source of inner knowing.
Guided Meditation
Mindfulness meditation helps ground us with kindness and build the capacity to feel our feelings without judgment.
Embodied Practice
Grief is held in our bodies. We offer simple ways to move, breath and self soothe as an offering of compassion and gratitude to ourselves.
Resources
A video of Gretchen and Sarah discussing each topic, as well as printouts, links and activities are included in each resource category.
Private Group area
You will receive access to a dedicated cohort Facebook page where we will interact, process and share things we have found useful. It’s a place for dialogue and downloading, for connecting and being together between calls. It will be live throughout the 6-7 month journey.
COST
6 monthly payments of ¥7,700 (approx. $50)
If you prefer to make a one time payment of ¥42000 (approx. $290) you can do so with button above or below or for bank transfer please contact us by email at info@sarahfuruya.com
Cancellation Policy - A full refund minus any service charges will be provided if requested by April 24th, 2026. After that we cannot offer any refunds. Please note that this is a six month commitment and out of respect for others and a desire to build trust in community, we ask that everyone keeps this in mind.
Financial Assistance is available if needed. Please contact Gretchen at gretchenmiura@gmail.com for more information.
Schedule and Cost
Two options for group calls - In general they follow this pattern.
A) 3rd week Tuesday of each month @ 8:00pm ~ 9:30 pm JST / Tokyo
OR
B) 3rd week Thursday of each month @ 9:00am ~ 10:30am JST / Tokyo
The calls are scheduled for:
APRIL: Tuesday April 21st 8pm JST or Thursday April 23rd 9am JST
MAY: Tuesday, May 19th 8pm JST or Thursday, May 21st 9am JST
JUNE: Tuesday, June 16th 8pm JST or Thursday, June 18th 9am JST
JULY: Tuesday July 21st 8pm JST or Thursday, July 23rd 9am JST
August is a rest month
SEPTEMBER Tuesday, September 15th 8pm JST or Thursday, September 17th 9am JST
OCTOBER: Tuesday, October 13th 8pm JST or Thursday, October 15th 9am *please note this is the second week of the month
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For locations outside of Japan, please check your local time and dates here at timezone converter.
If you are based in North America, the Tuesday call will be on your Tuesday mornings. The Thursday call will be on your Wednesday evenings.
We will have 6 group calls during a 7 month period because we take August off.
*A change because of Japanese public holiday
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For locations outside of Japan, please check your local time and dates here at timezone converter.
If you are based in North America, the Tuesday call will be on your Tuesday mornings.
There will be a private webpage with regularly updated resources, recorded interviews, journal and ritual prompts and group conversations that are accessible to members anytime throughout the program.
Meet your Guides
Sarah Furuya
Hi, I am Sarah and I live by the sea South of Tokyo, near the sacred shores of Kamakura, and from there I run my coaching business and Legends Podcast. The heart of my practice is the many ways to lead a life, and working with and telling people’s stories. I honor the influence of those passed and create space and ritual for them and their presence in my coaching spaces. I am passionate about looking at the taboos and lost traditions around death, mourning and grief.
Gretchen Miura
Hi, I'm Gretchen. I live in Japan with my family where we run DAIRYUJI Zen temple. Making grief support and mindfulness accessible for everyone to nurture well-being and a sense of belonging is my life's work. I studied with David Kessler to become a grief educator and under Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield to gain my mindfulness meditation teachers certificate. I love leading workshops, classes and retreats. My brother Chris died when I was five years old which deeply influenced my views on death and grief, ultimately guiding me to this calling. Drawing on many years of exploration, learning and unlearning, I am passionate about bringing elements of ritual, spirituality, creativity and mindfulness to create a supportive atmosphere at Lighthouse Circle.
FAQs
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Lighthouse Circle is for anyone needing support as they grieve a loss. Grief is the natural, emotional response to a loss. We never judge, minimize or compare grief at Lighthouse Circle. Your grief is your grief.
The grief you are experiencing is valid. You are safe here to honor and express that grief.
There are many kinds of losses including the death of a family member, a loved one, friend, neighbor, acquaintance or co-worker.
Other types of loss include relationships ending, job loss, pregnancy loss, death of a pet as well as loss of lifestyle due to injury or illness. Caring for elderly parents, being estranged from loved ones or anticipating a loss are all acknowledged here.
Lighthouse Circle is also a space to tend to older, unresolved grief or grief that has been passed down generationally.
We are also experiencing a sense of collective grief with current world issues.
While much of the language reflects a physical death, please make any adjustments to fit your personal situation.
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Within a few days of signing up you will receive another email welcoming you to LC and explaining the program. You will have access to the Introduction and Witnessing Grief content online soon after.
We recommend taking some time to first go through the introduction section to get acquainted with the format.
If you have any trouble at any stage please reach out to info@sarahfuruya.com for troubleshooting.
The six topics are:
Witnessing Grief
Resourcing and Taking Refuge
Dealing with Difficult Emotions
Secondary Losses
Redefining Relationships
Integrating Grief
Each topic has five categories including:
journal prompt
ritual prompt
guided meditation
embodied practice
resources
We suggest watching the videos (in resources) each time we begin a new topic. We explain the theme and often discuss it within the context of our own grief. We want you to know that you are not alone in your grief. We will cover the same topic during our monthly zoom gathering.
We encourage you to keep a grief journal for the journal prompts, various activities and anything else that comes up. Writing is a very powerful tool.
There are other engaging elements such as ritual, meditation and activities, so think of the content as a jumping off place. You can do as much or as little as you like. Lighthouse Circle is a source of support to use however you like.
Gretchen and Sarah are always available if you have any questions, concerns or requests.
Lighthouse Circle has monthly 90 minute meetings. In addition to that you may want to set aside time to go through content and prompts.
Grief drains our energy and motivation, so we do recommend setting aside a set amount of time in a regular interval to help create a routine.
For example, you could dedicate one hour per week every Sunday afternoon or 10 minutes a day before bed. Make it easy on yourself. Perhaps combine reading content or doing prompts with a favorite drink or do it during a time of day that feels most calm.
Grief is hard enough as it is so we don't want Lighthouse Circle to ever feel like a chore. We also know that you cannot control grief and there may be times you really don't care about the content. That belongs too. It is ok. We hope Lighthouse Circle can be a source of support that holds space for you to tend to your grief even (or especially!) when it is messy.
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Two options for group calls - In general they follow this pattern.
A) 3rd week Tuesday of each month @ 8:00pm ~ 9:30 pm JST / Tokyo
OR
B) 3rd week Thursday of each month @ 9:00am ~ 10:30am JST / Tokyo
APRIL: Tuesday April 21st 8pm JST or Thursday April 23rd 9am JST
MAY: Tuesday, May 19th 8pm JST or Thursday, May 21st 9am JST
JUNE: Tuesday, June 16th 8pm JST or Thursday, June 18th 9am JST
JULY: Tuesday July 21st 8pm JST or Thursday, July 23rd 9am JST
August is a rest month SEPTEMBER Tuesday, September 15th 8pm JST or Thursday, September 17th 9am JST
OCTOBER: Tuesday, October 13th 8pm JST or Thursday, October 15th 9am *please note this is the second week of the monthFor locations outside of Japan, please check your local time and dates here at timezone converter.
If you are based in North America, the Tuesday call will be on your Tuesday mornings. The Thursday call will be on your Wednesday evenings.
We will have 6 group calls during a 7 month period because we take August off.
There will be a private webpage with regularly updated resources, recorded interviews, journal and ritual prompts and group conversations that are accessible to members anytime throughout the program.
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Lighthouse Circle is a 6 month grief support community that has monthly gatherings on zoom. The topics, categories and content are the same as Evergreen. We run Lighthouse Circle twice a year. Participation is limited to protect privacy and foster a sense of connection.
Evergreen is entirely self paced. You can join anytime and will have unlimited access to content. There are no group meetings in Evergreen.
You can sign up for Evergreen HERE
