The Death Doula

Check out this conversation about living & dying that I had with Noor on her podcast

✨https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chaos-in-the-attic/id1541569722?i=1000586088182

thanks for having me, 🙏

"The Universe is Change: every Change is the effect of an Act of Love; all Acts of Love contain Pure Joy. Die daily! / Death is the apex of one curve of the snake Life: behold all opposites as necessary complements, and rejoice!"
– Aleister Crowley

Who’s ready for fall!? 🍂 It’s late August and autumn is just around the corner! This crisp and cozy season is my favorite time of year :) and our autumnal equinox retreat is just 1 month away! I hope you can join us for some fall season magic. Here is the link for more info and to register 🙏✨ http://tri.ps/equinoxretreat

One thing that’s definitely not going away for any of us is death. So we might as well start listening to what it has to teach us now, while we are very much alive.

Everyone you know is going to die. When you really accept and feel into this reality, how does it change your priorities? For me it’s a gift. It makes me more compassionate, forgiving, and grateful. It puts my suffering in perspective and helps me to be present with the suffering of others. It increases my capacity to Love unconditionally. It’s an ever evolving process.

"We are not given any promises that, because of our noble intentions, everything will be okay. ⁠ In fact, there are no promises of fruition at all. ⁠Instead, we are encouraged to simply look deeply at joy and sorrow, at laughing and crying, at hoping and fearing, all that lives and dies. ⁠We learn that what truly heals is gratitude and tenderness.”⁠
⁠- Pema Chodron⁠

Late November 2020 ♥️🍂✨

When does the beginning start to become the end? When does the end give way to a new beginning? All transitions are sacred.

"To feel the anguish of waiting for the next moment and of taking part in the complex current of affairs not knowing that we are headed toward ourselves, through millions of stone beings – of bird beings – of star beings – of microbe beings – of fountain beings, toward ourselves." ~Frida Kahlo

Not sure how i feel about the new term "death disruptor". Perhaps what they really mean is "death denial disruptor" or "funeral industry disruptors"...

A fertile time for death disruptors: 'People are finding meaning in these new rituals' An increase in death literacy, and the impact of Covid-19, are accelerating changes to our grieving ceremonials, and letting in more light

I’ve been thinking a lot about the archetype of the wounded healer lately, and how traumatic experiences can actually become portals to our highest potential for liberation, freedom, and actualization. Isn’t that really what death is? The ultimate opportunity? It is the one thing that is certain for all humans, so surely death is not just some unlucky curse. Perhaps it is actually the hidden source of everything you’ve ever searched for...

There's a woman who adorns dead animals and photographs them as a way of honoring their lives. Here is a caption from her latest memorial:

"I’m sorry. It’s what I say to each one. Not just for me, or for the driver who hit her, but for all of us, our cruelties and harms, intentional or not, our indifferences and blind eyes to the other beings. I adorn her and take a photo each time, not just to honor her, this one, with beauty, but to honor all the beings we fail to see. May the color and light from the flowers, branches, weeds, and leaves surrounding them in death help us to see them all. All of them."

Amanda St***za is an elephant conservationist (http://www.ecoexistproject.org/). I highly recommend following her at www.instagram.com/amandastronza on IG. She takes plenty of amazing photographs of live animals as well.

All photos ©Amanda St***za

It’s Time To Stop Avoiding Death You can’t have the life you want without letting go of the life you have

“If I die, I want the people who matter most to me to know how I really feel. To every extent possible, I intend to joyfully celebrate life and the people I love in the very face of death.”

This Pandemic Is Personal Why I'm using my confinement to reach out to people I care about, focus on gratitude, and be in the present.

Fascinating article on how we define medical death and why it can be tricky.

Why medics and the law clash with family in brain death cases – Sharon Kaufman | Aeon Essays The body is warm, but the brain has gone dark: why the notion of brain death provokes the thorniest of medical dilemmas

What is most precious today?

“Thinking about your death can really help you get clear about your life,” says Sarah Farr, a trained death doula. “It’s a hard thing to do but the idea is to see where your pen and paper take you, and run with it.”

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today … to write our obituaries People are imagining their place in posterity as the ‘death positivity’ movement sweeps America

“We’re trying to help people become less death adverse,” Guertin said. Because of media coverage and death education she thinks the public is more aware. People are hearing about it and “it’s piquing their interest,” she said. Rather than it being macabre, why not look at death with curiosity, she posed."

How death doulas offer emotional support, education during final stages of life (copy) Death. It’s a taboo topic for many — some avoid the topic altogether. But there are those who confront it head on and help the rest of us do so,

After all 💙

“Creating new traditions can be helpful in memorializing the anniversary of your loved one’s death, and can provide you with opportunities for connection and reflection. For example, consider participating in an activity that they cared about. If they were interested in a particular cause (i.e. maybe they loved animals, cared about the arts, or enjoyed the outdoors) perhaps get the family together to volunteer for a day for one of those causes. If a particular place was meaningful to your loved one, consider holding a small ceremony at the location each year.” ~

Hospices Engage with Death Doulas to Support Patients - Hospice News Doulas have long been present at one of life’s most important milestones: the birth of a baby. Now, some are trained to provide support during individuals’ final moments as End-of-Life Doulas (EOLD). As the number of EOLDs grows, hospices are increasingly coordinating their efforts with provider...

How Death Doulas are working to change the way people view death It's like being a Birth Doula but on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Organic Burial Pods Aim to Replace Coffins and Transform Graves Into Trees Being buried in a big wooden box is slowly becoming a thing of the past. A new project is being developed in Italy that has a unique approach to the concept of death. Advertisement The idea of having your body become the seed of a tree after passing was developed by Italian designers Anna Citelli...

Welcome! I am so glad you have found your way to this page. My name is Sonya Genel Dresser and in addition to being a Teacher of Yoga, I offer my services as an End-of-Life-Doula (EOLD) also known as a Death Doula or Death Midwife.

A Death Doula is a person trained to provide non-medical holistic support to a person and their family during the end of life. By considering each person’s unique situation and wishes, a death doula provides guidance through all of the emotional, practical, legal, and spiritual issues that arise.

Services Include: 🌹 Help navigating the logistics of End-of-Life (i.e. advanced directives, funeral options, legacy planning)
🌹 Provide comfort, presence, and spiritual support
🌹 Advocate for the dying person’s wishes
🌹 Help plan vigils, rituals, and ceremonies
🌹 Educate patients and families on the new and progressive options of home funerals and Green burials
🌹 Support the family and loved ones before, during, and after death.
🌹 Produce resources for bereavement and grief support

Please follow me and stay in touch about great end of life services and education. If you feel that you or somebody you know may benefit from these services please contact me via DM to set up a free consultation.

Did you know that embalming is unnecessary and not required by law? There are non-invasive, non-toxic alternatives. There are places in the Bay Area that allow burial in a shroud or simple pine box. Most cemeteries require a concrete vault to be buried along with a casket. However, there are more environmentally friendly alternatives. A movement is growing to return to the natural way of burial. Are you interested to join it?
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