Death & Dying

From the breakup of a relationship to losing a loved one, people are often told to find “closure” after traumatic things happen. 

Repairing broken ceramics with golden glue is known as Kintsugi. By highlighting the fractures, we can see the beauty in brokenness. Kintsugi is a perfect map to guide you through loss of a loved one and beyond. 

The first time I reached past the sheer horror of the concept of death and wondered what the experience of dying may be like, I was about 15. I had just discovered gruesome aspects of the French revolution and how heads were neatly cut off the body by a Guillotine.

There were times when my mother's needs felt like a bottomless pit and an endless parade of critical events. In spite of how much I loved my mother, I often felt overwhelmed and trapped.

There were times when my mother's needs felt like a bottomless pit and an endless parade of critical events. In spite of how much I loved my mother, I often felt overwhelmed and trapped.

In October 2018 he expressed his wish, using gestures, to return to the temple in Vietnam where he had been ordained as a young monk. Devotees from many parts of the world had continued to visit him at the temple. Thich Nhat Hanh in a wheelchair at the Tu Hieu pagoda in Hue, Vietnam, in 2018.

Many of us have experienced the deaths of our animal friends, and the Covid-19 situation has made it all harder. Our animal family members may have been our primary support, companionship, and connection during this time, making the loss of these beloveds even more difficult.

When I look at the trees in my garden, I see how they fully express life in their changing seasons. The wind blows and they surrender.

When I look at the trees in my garden, I see how they fully express life in their changing seasons. The wind blows and they surrender.

The pandemic brought the longstanding issue of loneliness and isolation in the lives of older people back into the public consciousness.  

The pandemic brought the longstanding issue of loneliness and isolation in the lives of older people back into the public consciousness.  

Most people are so strongly habituated to death denial that when death appears they are caught entirely by surprise. Overwhelmed and confused, they tend to miss out on the extraordinary opportunity for peace and resolution that is inherent in the dying trajectory.

When my boy died, I had no belief that the dead could talk to us. At best, they seemed gone in another world, separated by loss and the deafening thunder of our grief. But then Jordan started speaking to me...

When my boy died, I had no belief that the dead could talk to us. At best, they seemed gone in another world, separated by loss and the deafening thunder of our grief. But then Jordan started speaking to me...

COVID-19 has affected many facets of our lives. Public health measures to stop the spread of the virus have impacted the way we work, connect with others and socialise.

The deepest truth of the universe is that love is eternal; our relationships to each other and the whole go on forever. We are always together (even though on Earth we forget), always united in love, always and irrevocably connected to all of consciousness.

The deepest truth of the universe is that love is eternal; our relationships to each other and the whole go on forever. We are always together (even though on Earth we forget), always united in love, always and irrevocably connected to all of consciousness.

A common rite of passage at midlife is the declining health, or death, of our parents. Those who brought us into the world are usually the ones to leave it first. They welcomed us when we got here; now we'll wish them farewell as they move on...

In addition to the emotional and spiritual aspects of funerals, there are always logistical and practical factors to consider. If you’re holding a backyard burial, you may be fully devoted to realizing your vision, but sometimes weather, burial containers, and humans, whether dead or alive, can ruin your planned-to-the-letter event.

Most of us have experienced the eerie feeling that goes with handling the personal possessions of a loved one who has passed away. Some very mundane things can produce surprisingly poignant reactions.  

Most of us have experienced the eerie feeling that goes with handling the personal possessions of a loved one who has passed away. Some very mundane things can produce surprisingly poignant reactions.  

Death is often the elephant in the room that everyone pretends isn’t there. This must change, because what ends up happening is that the person who’s dying feels very alone in this important time of their life, unable to communicate to their loved ones about what they’re...

We so often get in the way of grief; we try to suppress, truncate, postpone, or ignore it. We are afraid of being overwhelmed, of becoming nonfunctional: "If I start crying, I'll never stop:" But grief is more powerful than our resistance. In grief, it is natural to feel...