Why Holdfast?
The holdfast is a beautiful feature of strength and adaptability in our natural world that anchors kelp to the sea floor. The kelp, found in dense groupings, provides food and shelter to other species, supporting the diversity of life.
We think of the art of grief tending as our holdfast, a steadying practice that we can return to again and again, to help anchor us when the waves of grief are fierce.
The Holdfast Story
Chris and Daria met at a grief circle in Calgary when they identified themselves as apprentices to grief tending. With a desire to change the experience of grieving in our community, they felt the spark kindred spirits often do.
Francis Weller, author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow, challenges us to imagine the feeling of relief that would flood through us if we knew that when we were in the grip of sorrow, our village would know how to respond.
Despite differences in how they arrived at grief, Chris and Daria found a connection in Weller’s vision of the village, which became Holdfast's vision.
Through connection, communication, and embodied practices, they invite others to a grief journey that reduces loneliness, isolation, fear, and stigma.
They hope to serve a community that nourishes grievers.
Daria with her mom, Janice
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Founder, Holdfast
Daria Soltysiak is a caregiver, yoga practitioner, professional communicator, and tender-hearted human living with her children and partner in Calgary, AB.
In early 2024, she completed Francis Weller’s six-month grief ritual training and also participated in the Human Venture Institute, a program focused on reducing waste, suffering, and injustice. Brought to grief work after the death of her mother and love of her life, Janice Holloway, Daria works to hold a container for grief to be seen and moved, aiming to help fellow grievers develop a steadying practice and stay upright when the winds of grief are fierce. While the work is deeply personal, it’s sustained by her love and sense of responsibility to the living and those within it. For Daria, grief work is not for self-improvement, but instead how we might find our way back to each other.
Daria and Christina of Holdfast
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Christina Tulloch founded Hiraeth Grief in 2024 when she began holding space for grievers in Circle. Her experiences with grief inspire her to help others experiencing the heartbreak of loss. She apprenticed to grief tending with Sophy Banks and has earned certifications as an End-of-Life Doula and in Grief from Douglas College.
Chris values working in community to support others and relies on her background in teaching, facilitation, and leadership when holding space for others.
She makes her home by the Bow River in Calgary with her rescue dog and cat, enjoys family time, and loves to travel.
Holdfast belongs to a network of collaborators and co-creators hoping to change how the world approaches grief.
“So it’s definitely safer not to grieve in the modern situation. But the modern world is not as sane as it thinks it is to have lost the arts of grief and praise. There has to be a way”.
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