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Mikyö Black-Wangmo

@mikyo.black.wangmo

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Grief Tender, Facilitator, and Educator
Death Doula, Somatic Healing Arts
2 Spirit, Queer, Lover of Life 🌸🌈🌌

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Wild joy. 🌸

I’ve been contemplating wild joy recently. This joy that is found in the places we would least expect it: as a loved one is dying, whilst in the depths of grief. In a random, ordinary moment of our life, while we are doing the dishes or paying our taxes. Joy that has no particular reason to arise, other than it’s who we are. It’s an intrinsic expression of our wild beingness, or as Martín Prechtel would call it, our indigenous soul.

This is why I love working in the depths of grief and death, for myself and with others. Some may think that it’s heavy and dark. And it is in the ways that it is. Yet the radiance of wild joy to be found in these places far outweighs the challenges. The beauty of people’s authentic beingness is so apparent. All pretense is stripped away and we are as we are. Broken open, messy, and insanely beautiful and whole. It brings me to tears thinking about it. Tears of wild joy.

As I’ve come out of the 2 year portal of my mom and Xena’s death I’ve been following the threads of sustainability. We are all in this for the long haul. In a collective portal of death and deep grief. With many consistently facing their own personal griefs and deaths. To meet this responsibly, grief medicine and my own Essence have been asking me to make this work more sustainable, for myself and for others.

All of this work is held in the larger context of wild joy. That’s what Subrosa Santo is about. We must become trackers of wild joy as we navigate the depths and darkness, recovering our innate capacity to transform pain into more aliveness, creativity, and love. We have even more opportunities to do so as we are slowly coming out of the depths of winter, being bombarded with the insanity of a dying hegemony divorced from soul. May the grace of wild joy find us when we least expect it!

Come see the ways of wild joy that I’m in devotion to! 🔗 in bye-oh

#grief #petloss #petlosssupport #petlossgrief #griefjourney #griefsupport #griefislove #griefrevolution #griefwork by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Bout to host our monthly Death Cafe here at Anvoi Hospice in Taos. Luna Joy is a wonderful co-host.
✨🖤✨

They show amazing artists! This is Domingo Rocche, a Tz’utujil Mayan artist.from San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

Happy Friday! by @mikyo.black.wangmo

2 years ago Sirena and I were spending time at the Yuba River listening in preparation for our first grief ritual retreat in Taos. It was end of April and Mama Yuba was high, rushing, and wild. The time of year where if you fall in you likely won’t come out alive.

We were having absolutely magical experiences. One of them being coming upon the heavenly scent of flowering sweetpea trees. Whose nectar had attracted hundreds of gorgeous butterflies. These butterflies were literally drunk on the delicious nectar. We could pet their fat, fuzzy little bodies and hold them. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, being there with them, her, the river. Sun-kissed skin in the soft pre-dusk light. Such nourishing medicine after losing my mom and sweet Xena kitty only 9 months previously.

The next day we were on a different part of the river. We saw thousands of lady bugs. Came upon very potent snake medicine. I was aware of Sirena’s wildness and ease in nature. In awe of it, while also feeling unusually inept. Being used to identifying as the most adventurous, at ease in nature person in most situations.

After we cold plunged in a safe area she rock hopped down river to be her feral self communing with the waters. At some point I decided to join her. Some unconscious part of me wanted to prove that I was wild and feral too. I thought it would be fun to wade on the side of the river to get to her. The water was less than knee high, I was on my hands and knees. What could go wrong?

Luckily some wiser part of me was tracking that question, because before I stepped foot in the water I prayed to the river, “Mother River, please don’t kill me.” I was wading along just fine until the current picked up. Sirena saw me coming and noticed the speed and panic on my face. I was hitting rocks and didn’t see the white of the rapid right before the rock she was on. Before I knew it, I was getting sucked out into that deadly river.

To be continued…

See more in comments below 🦋

#griefjourney #griefrevolution #griefandgratitude #grief #alive by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Hello dear community of social media worlds! I’m back from three weeks of retreat with my teacher here in Taos. Integrating, embodying, getting to know this changed being of Mikyö.

I’m so grateful to have the focus of the series Asher and I are offering, Clearing the Path, Becoming Vast: Grief and Dharma Together! It’s one of the aspects of my life that I light up about the most, this intersection of grief and path of awakening. It feels good to pour all I’ve received and deepened into this offering.

I love the way life and nature weaves into my work. The magpie medicine feels like an auspicious blessing. I’m continuing to learn about their ways. If anyone knows about them please do share!

That same day I also saw 12 vultures roosting in a tree near my house. Which I’ve spoke before about vulture medicine and grief. In Vajrayana Buddhism Padmasambhava, the tantric Buddha wears vulture feathers in his hat symbolizing the Dzogchen teachings.

This intersection of grief and dharma is so rich. How it’s alive in my world currently is only a speck of what’s possible. This week our free exploration session will be focusing on refuge. Come be with us in discovery of what’s possible when utilize all that life has brought to our path

Becoming Vast: Exploring the intersection of Grief and Dharma
Tuesday July 14th 5:30pm pst online
🔗 in bio

#grief #griefjourney #griefsupport #griefislove #griefwork to be more and more free and alive. by @mikyo.black.wangmo

You are cordially invited to this "exploration session" for our upcoming series: "Clearing The Path, Becoming Vast: Grief and Dharma Together." The session is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14th at 5:30pm PDT and will run for approximately 90 minutes. There is no cost to attend. You will find a link to register in the bio.

This Tuesday will partly be an opportunity for my co-facilitator, Mikyo @subrosa.santo and yours truly to share a little bit about what inspired us to offer this nine-week series and also to introduce the shape and rhythm of the thing, so you know what you are getting into. There will be a brief meditation, a little mindful movement, and a supported group discussion focused on refuge, specifically a reworking of the classical three refuges of Buddhist thought and practice.

Traditionally, the three refuges are taught as "Buddha" or the inborn capacity for liberation/awakening, "Dharma" or the teachings and practices that lead to awakening, and "Sangha" or the community of wise practitioners that support and inspire each other on the path. We are going to take a collective look at an adjacent triad: "Essence," "Beauty," and "Togetherness," as sources of stability and nourishment while we navigate grief's choppy waters.

Perhaps most importantly, this session will be an opportunity to meet others who are interested in bringing their spiritual lives and journeys with grief into meaningful dialogue with each other.

DM with any questions. We're really looking forward to spending this time with you.

Wishing you all well.

#grief #meditation #refuge #beautymaking #buddhism by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Free Becoming Vast Exploration Session ✨

We’re going to be playing with sound in this intersection of grief and dharma! We’ll be doing some sound and meditative practice, having time to share our experiences, and time to be holding and moving our grief together.

Come play and explore in how grief and dharma practice can be supportive of each other in bringing us home to our true nature.

Tuesday 5:30-7pm pdt
🔗 in by-o

#grief #meditation #griefsupport #griefrevolution #griefjourney by @mikyo.black.wangmo

It’s feels stretchy for me to be bringing this into being. Simultaneously it’s something I feel deeply clear and delighted to be offering.

Part of why this has me edge walking is that it’s deeply personal to my being. Walking a path of awakening through buddhism, daoism, and other esoteric lineages is central to what enlivens my being and is core to who I’ve become and am becoming. It’s as close to home as it gets for me!

My journey with grief medicine has been held in the context with my dharma practice and studies. That’s what gave me access to feel deeply. Helped me to navigate the darkness, to tap into the underground rivers, open to the wild and raw energies, stay with my body, and surrender to Great Mother Unknown.

The dharma showed me how to grieve and grieving showed me how to more fully embody the dharma.

It’s such a rich and fertile intersection. My favorite conversations are here. I’m so grateful to have a few people in my life who are dedicated dharma practitioners and grief tenders.

We are in times of intensity where we need all the help, support, community, and upliftment we can get. Spaces where we cultivate the capacity to be with the depths of suffering with agency, curiosity, and the paradox of joyful aliveness. Where we can embody the full spectrum of our humanity in surrender to things as they are. Accessing our creativity and interbeing-ness with each other and all of life.

Let’s play here together!

Asher and I are offering 2 free exploration sessions to get a sense of what we are offering in our longer series. We’d love to have you join us!

Check out bye-oh for 🔗

#grief #griefsupport #meditation #griefjourney by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Return to Mother: Community Praise Ritual

Where we put our attention matters.

Micaiah shared with me today the work of Sherri Mitchell, who created the 80/10/10 rule. We put 10% of our attention on the problems and where harm is coming from. Then another 10% in actively protecting from harm coming towards us. And 80% on creating, living, and embodying the kind of world we want to live in.

Being in praise and gratitude for the earth and for life has been such a part of my unfolding. Wild rose is one of my teachers, kindred plants, and ancestral connections. They are at the heart of how grief medicine flows through me. Their medicine is awakening wild joy and aliveness where we have become apathetic, stuck, lost to ourselves. They continue to teach me so much about how important it is to cultivate joy and intimately know our place in the web of life.

That’s the kind of world I want to live in. Where we prioritize gratitude for being alive and focus on the bountiful abundance the earth and all of creation offers us everyday. Not disconnected from the suffering, along side it as an act of love, agency, and empowerment. Giving back to what matters. Literally. The root word of matter being mater, meaning origin, source, mother. Feeding life with our grief and joy, tears and laughter, in connection and community.

This is going to be an beautiful gathering. Our dear friend Emma will be support facilitating with Micaiah. They both have so much to offer, and their connection to the earth is palpable and inspiring. If this calls to you I highly recommend.

Return to Mother: Community Praise Ritual
May 8-10th Los Padres National Forest, Big Sur, CA

🔗 in bye-oh

#earthlover #motherearth #mothersday #gratitudeadventure #gratitude by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Tomorrow is the dark moon and we’re starting our Taos Community Grief Ritual, Resting with the Cracks.

The grief portal opened in me today. It was tender and raw. A few waves of grief moved through quite intensely after spending the morning at the hotsprings and river. It reminded me the potency of what’s possible when we allow the raw energies of grid to move through.

I could feel the stories about the experience I was grieving falling away. My heart was cracking open. The places I have been feeling stuck and hard soften and moved. I became more present in my body and able to surrender and rest into a deep sense of peace and creativity about the situation.

What instigated this opening was being held. No words, no platitudes. Being in nature and my dear friend staying present with me as the tears began, which allowed me to open more and let the deeper layers of grief move through.

We really need each other to grieve fully in ways that clear us out and make space for more life to flow through.

I’m delighted to hold this space tomorrow with Micaiah, an amazing support team, turkey vulture, and these powerful lands. Listen to the whisper of your soul… if you’re called we’d love to have you join us! We welcome the medicine of your sorrows, love, joys, and everything in between.

Resting in the Cracks: Community Grief Ritual
April 17-19 Taos, NM
See 🔗 in bye-oh by @mikyo.black.wangmo

DATE CHANGE ༶ 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙛𝙚⎯ 𝙏𝙖𝙤𝙨 ༶
April 12th 4-6pm
Optional potluck at 6pm

Where is grief trying to crack us open, like a seed bursting towards the warmth of the sun? What has been buried in us that wants to be released?

This Noria explores our relationship with grief as a force of life and what becomes possible when we stop resisting it. Together we will give grief the space to be. We will explore through movement and story, using curiosity to welcome what we have been unable to feel on our own. And we will have space to share our tender hearts with one another, to be known and loved.

Please RSVP for venue directions at subrosasanto@gmail.com or text Mikyö at 575-224-6611.

𝗠𝗶𝗸𝘆ö 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗺𝗼 (they/them) is a devotee of the Great Mystery, reclaiming indigeneity, the esoteric arts, and of the wisdom of the body. They are based in, and in love with, the Red Willow lands of Northern New Mexico, otherwise known as Taos.

They are committed to the evolution of grieving and dying as a communal path to joy, freedom, and aliveness. That currently comes into form through facilitating grief rituals, embodied grief trainings, and retreats, individual grief support, rituals to connect with the lands, elements, and ancestors, and multiple modalities of body and energy work.

You can learn more about their offerings through Subrosa Santo at www.SubrosaSanto.com

They are also offering a Community Grief Ritual, Resting with the Cracks, in Taos, April 17th-19th. Link in their bio @mikyo.black.wangmo by @mikyo.black.wangmo

In a talk in Asheville many years ago, Sobonfu Somé told the audience, ‘If you’re here right now, some part of you is really alive.’ She was speaking to how being open to grieve or even just attending a talk about grief requires our aliveness to be online.

Grief ritual is so alive. It’s one of the many things I love about it. To be alive in a culture that purposefully overwhelms, numbs, oppresses, and deadens us is an act of great courage and integrity. When we are more alive we care more. We love more. We have more capacity to feed the life in others around us. Let’s be more alive together!

Resting in the Cracks: Community Grief Ritual
April 17-19th, Taos, NM
Deets in bye-oh

#grief #griefislove #griefrevolution #griefjourney #griefsupport by @mikyo.black.wangmo

Tonight is a full moon. An initiation into the energy of Aries. Bringing the possibility of new beginnings.

In two weeks on the new moon we go into community grief ritual on these beloved lands of Taos.

Much needed rains have been blessing the lands today. Skies changing from cloudy to raining to hailing to sunny to thundering to raining. Winds wailing through. The elements are so raw and powerful here in the high desert mountains.

When I first moved here I lived on the Hondo Mesa near the gorge. It was vast, spacious, silent, and exposed. Every storm or strong wind vibrated through the structure of my home, with nothing to around to buffer from the elements. I loved it. It’s ultimately where I want to live… in a vast sea of sage and sky, wild elements, sky so dark you can see the Milky Way.

So akin to grief. Being exposed, raw, nothing to buffer from the direct intensity of love, life, and loss. Each memory or longing for what was shaking the whole nervous system. Floating in the vast liminal space of the Unknown as our bodies and minds try to make sense of a reality that no longer exists. Moments of beauty and love shining brighter in the darkness of heartbreak.

These lands and wild elements have been teachers to me for how to hold and move grief in ways that are life giving and liberating. I’m so delighted to be having another ritual here. To gather at the gorge and rest into the vastness of love present there. To cry and laugh together. To listen to the eagles call and watch the swallows fly. To simply be.

Grieving is never about doing. It’s being.

Come be with us at the gorge, at the grief altar. Grief is not the end. It’s the pause before the new beginnings. A place to BE with ourselves and others, just as we are. Raw, messy, finding a sense of beauty and rest within the intensity of sorrow. Together.

Resting with the Cracks: Community Grief Ritual
April 17th-19th, Taos, NM
🔗 for more deets in by-oh

Pics 1-7 by @elijahraelphotography_nm - highly recommend his amazing photography!

#grief #griefjourney #griefsupport #griefislove #griefrevolution by @mikyo.black.wangmo