Holistic Death Doula

From Being to Light — Holistic Death Doula You were one of my beloved teachers, an instructor of Somatic Bodywork, movement, and dream exploration. After you passed, a wake was held at your home, a sacred space was created for our community to come together for a final farewell. My best friend and I attended together. We walked into the qui

Join us live NEXT THURSDAY with eco-friendly funeral director Mike Mitchell! In this free Q&A style livestream, Mike will be available to answer any questions that you may have about how to offer green burial services and/or what the green burial process looks like for families. Both funeral providers and consumers are invited to call in with the link below!

About Our Guest Mike Mitchell:
In 2007, Mike became a licensed funeral director in Michigan, bringing ten years of environmental work experience, including work as a Naturalist Assistant at Old Faithful Station, Yellowstone National Park. Mike has a passion for Green Burial and is one of the only licensed funeral directors with an environmental science degree. For the last 17 years he has assisted families with Green Burial and in-home funeral services in Michigan and consulted throughout the country.

He attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and Michigan State University. Michael served three years on the Board of Directors for the Green Burial Council and assisted with many of their existing standards for funeral homes and cemeteries. He is currently serving as a committee member of the Global Green Burial Alliance.

Michael and his wife Stacey reside in Chelsea, Michigan where they have raised their two sons. Mike is passionate about fly fishing, floating the rivers of Michigan in his drift boat, bird hunting with his black lab Lily, hiking in nature with Stacey, birdwatching, and the environment.

Event Details:
Date: August 8th, 2024
Time: 2 PM PDT, 3 PM MDT, 4 PM CDT, & 5 PM EDT
Location: YouTube & Facebook Live

Use this Link to Join: https://www.youtube.com/live/j7jZ5RzD7ko?feature=shared

Here's another piece from my blog, a collection of love letters to the dearly departed. This one is to James Stewart, beloved teacher and master level wise weirdo.

From Being to Light — Holistic Death Doula You were one of my beloved teachers, an instructor of Somatic Bodywork, movement, and dream exploration. After you passed, a wake was held at your home, a sacred space was created for our community to come together for a final farewell. My best friend and I attended together. We walked into the qui

https://www.holisticdeathdoula.com/blog-2/tu-y-yo

I've been writing about my experience as a death doula on my blog at www.HolisticDeathDoula.com

I write these pieces as love letters to the dearly departed folks I've had the honor of sitting with in their final days. All names and private details are omitted to retain privacy for my clients.

Holistic Death Doula Holistic Death Doula- Holistic Support during End of Life, Holistic Death Doula and Death Planning

What a year.

Here you see the results of what 2020 gave me. Bones, manure, food scraps, yard trimmings- all turned into lush, dank fertility.

This is my offering- to Earth, to Gaia, to Goddess. This is the best I've got.

Big thanks and bow to for encouraging and supporting me in the construction of this epic composting system she has named Karma, the Soil Breathing Dragon.

Twenty years in End of Life care has taught me one thing for sure- Americans struggle daily with an inability to grieve.

Its not our fault as individuals, we've been born into a culture that fears death and dying so completely we ignore our process and trudge through life carrying that burden in our bodies.

I don't have the answers. I'm not going to tell you how to grieve, or that this root or that crystal will free you from your pain.

I will sit with you, unafraid, open hearted, and wait while you find your own way.

I invite you to join me in the cultivation of this skill set in a community setting.

Grievers Unite is a free community support group for anyone experiencing grief. Together we stand shoulder to shoulder, learning to be better listeners, meeting one another without judgement, sharing in our pain so as to gain deeper understanding of how we can support each as we grieve.

This is a free virtual gathering (until this summer when we can gather around the fire together) on the 3rd Sunday of every month.

Check the link in my bio and visit my website for details about support groups and the End of Life services I offer.

There are so many faces of death.

Sometimes the experience is serene and quiet. A falling into place, letting go into peace.

There are as many ways to honor and support death as there are ways to experience it.

This little Jizo represents a great heartbreak but also a great healing for me, a tiny death that meant so much and changed the trajectory of my life.

The Jizo statue represents Jizo Bosatsu, a divinity in Japanese Buddhism who protects children who have died before their parents.

Caregiving is the backbone of human culture. Everything in our bodies is wired to actively engage in mutual aid. The role can be taxing and exhausting and often within the construct of current cultural norms, we find little emotional support or comradary.

I was called to this work early and have spent over 20 years as caregiver- in the role of sole provider and single mother, as well as professional massage therapist and In-home health aide for elderly and quadriplegic folks. Along the way I have met countless caregivers who are burnt out and in need of support.

My hope now is to open a space for those who give care and seek an opportunity to share and discuss the complexities and unique experiences of being in service to others. This support group is free and open to all who spend their time caring for others- mothers, nurses, teachers and home health aids. Please feel free to share widely.

Our first virtual group is on Wednesday April 14th at 7pm Pacific time.

You can join by simply heading over to my website (link in bio) for the Zoom link.

Sitting in silence and holding most of my precious moments close these days. I will always share a part of myself in this virtual space and I'm finding great benefit in keeping my personal life private.

I am here to continue to grow and heal together and invite you all to join me in any of the 3 free classes I'll be offering beginning in April. I'll post details on the New Moon this weekend.

New Moon in Pisces this weekend brings the full gestation of my baby, Holistic Death Doula.
I'm not great at business things, technology stuff or marketing blah blah.

I struggle to promote myself in the digital realm, instead I prefer the company of animals, time with hands too dirty for smart phones, and being present for another's vulnerability with empathy and compassion.

But here I am, in need of dollars for rent and electric bills and soon, my son's college tuition.
Luckily I am able to share a set of skills that has taken me decades to integrate and offer to others.
None of what I'm doing now is new to me, I've just found a new way to share.

Coming up in April I'll be hosting FREE monthly group discussions

(virtual,for now, then around a fire just as soon as we are able)

🫂Grievers Unite- a collective space for processing and learning together how to hold space for one another's grief. We will cultivate our active listening skills and compassionate communication techniques. Open to all.🫂

🤝🏻Caregivers Support Group- a space for sharing about our personal experiences of caring for others- open to ALL who provide care for others including moms, nurses, teachers, home care providers🤝🏻

☯️In person TAI CHI instruction for beginners available in small group classes and one-on-one.☯️

All the details coming with the New Moon

It can be challenging to speak about death, to imagine what the end of our lives might look like.
The details can be overwhelming, especially when the unexpected occurs.
What a gift to our friends and family to make those arrangements ahead of time with clarity and provide our loved ones with a guide.
As a Death Doula, I can support you at the time of your death as a Holistic practitioner, or years before to complete your Advanced Health Care Directive and plan for your future.
Please visit my website for more details and to schedule a free consultation.

www.HolisticDeathDoula.com

Stay tuned for free support groups coming in April for grieving and caregivers!

Thank you all for joining me here on my new page. If you are curious about end of life planning for yourself or a loved one, please feel free to reach out with questions.

Completing my studies as a Community Death Steward, organized by Caroline Arnold My grandmothers hands. I spent a lot of time holding these hands … Caroline Arnold needs your support for Completing my studies as a Community Death Steward

http://link.email.dynect.net/link.php?DynEngagement=true&H=d7QrxTRFtn4lczhQRTDXwgc4URJi9f%2BHxNXLgmTH3ThcQI%2BoY9gNmGApTBFc8%2BHq%2FSNsqseTHtZM06BhPdi6s3XEstPjxe4kzIb2GuoTqPnkvWNJ1fQYYtZyZfgkVirE&G=21&R=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gofundme.com%2Ff%2Fcompleting-my-studies-as-a-community-death-steward%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dproduct%26utm_campaign%3Dp_email%252B4904-welcome-wp-v5&I=20201001160007.0000004520e0%40mail6-58-usnbn1&X=MHw3NzY2NjI6VEVNUElEXzQ5MDQ7MXw3NzY2NjM6UVVFVUVJRF8yMzMzMzUzMjQwOzJ8Nzc2NjY0OkRPTUFJTl9nbWFpbC5jb207&V=3&S=YksO--vrxObQ_Wr07XP3XV2woc-HSnQIKOF3oaGeGaY

Completing my studies as a Community Death Steward, organized by Caroline Arnold My grandmothers hands. I spent a lot of time holding these hands … Caroline Arnold needs your support for Completing my studies as a Community Death Steward

Holistic Death Doula updated their business hours.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/to-die-well-we-must-talk-about-death-before-the-end-of-life?fbclid=IwAR1keDhV4F5sFhyEK2irA3-7CKIUAznRAKUiNVA79SbF52MD2z-dd1NxJgg

To die well, we must talk about death before the end of life Research shows that as many as one third of seriously ill, hospitalized older people are receiving invasive treatments they don’t want at end-of-life, because no one has talked to them about their wishes for future care.