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“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Rumi
Compassion is not for the faint-hearted
how can we be truly compassionate if we have not explored our own responses to the very things we wish we could run away from?
We are quanta
Quantum physics is that sense of oneness. made into scientific theory. So why is it OK to say one believes in ideas of quantum physics, yet the idea of working with the oneness of energy in Nature as a way of healing, such as the feeling you get in a forest or by the sea has been regarded as somehow woowoo? How did we get so unhitched from the world around us?’
Crow… the language as dementia tightens its grip
What happens as dementia robs those we love of language?
How we care for others in life and at the end of life
Ultimately, with this training we bring death and dying back to its natural place in life and living. We see ourselves as part of Nature and supported by Nature, in life and after death. Students have included hospice nurses, therapists, healers, people caring for loved ones at home, funeral directors and people wishing to enter the growing field of end-of-life doulas and death midwifery.
Song for a Friend
I explore things left unexplored and the beauty and sadness of the things we discover only after we lose someone we love.
Ten Ways to Care
A few days ago, someone asked me what advice I would give to someone who was about to lose someone. Here are ten suggestions I have based on my own experiences of being with people at the end of life.
What a Near Death Experience taught me about Consciousness
This is a gentle exploration into consciousness and letting go.
Ashes to ashes - navigating the death of a pet
How Dying Wishes can be a Guide to Life
How writing a book of guidance for wishes as the end of life draws near, can actually be an inspirational manual for living.
Sacred moments and messengers
A beautiful thing happened on the weekend and I’d love to share it with you because it was just so magical. Sometimes the beauty of mystery appears when we least expect it.
What my dog is teaching me about dying
What animals teach us about being there as the end draws near
Dreaming of Sleep - the music of the cosmos
In Ancient Greece, temples to the god Asclepius were created and people went there to sleep, to incubate via dreams, the cure and comfort they needed in daily life. Maybe Max Richter’s performances can be seen as turning venues into modern-day Asclepian temples of healing. I like that idea.
What do you do when the Doctor calls and you don't have a plan?
Meditation for the animals we love
Touching Oneness - an interview with Jackie Butler
Interview with Jackie Butler
Dancing around the Circle of Life
A deeply touching conversation with Joanna Huriwai about life, love, family and death.
Reconnecting Māori to traditional EOL customs
Here in New Zealand, a number of distinguished people have working on reconnecting Māori to Māori customs and traditions at the end of life. Dr. Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou), is lead researcher on Pae Herenga, which was a three year study on traditional Māori end of life care customs and contemporary adaptations.
Conscious Dying in a Death-phobic Society
As a society our reluctance to confront death and dying leads to an unconscious phobia about discussing the things that can bring comfort when the end comes. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Thomas Moore on caring for Soul at the End of Life
I talk with the renowned writer, therapist, musician and former monk Thomas Moore about caring for the soul at the end of life.