The Art & Skill Of Living & Dying

“Everybody has to die but I always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?”
William Saroyan, 5 days before he died

Participants in this class will work together to illuminate the unknown so we can limit the power it has over us. One of the foundational premises is that to live without daily accepting the idea of dying cripples our ability to live joyfully. Some of us will die unexpectedly or by accident, others by illness. This will be a week of reflection and learning the skills for soul work at the deepest level of living. All of us have a responsibility to those we love to prepare for end of life, yet we tend to spend more time getting ready for a vacation than for the literal journey of a lifetime. The magnitude of our friends’ and family’s grief at our loss is, in many ways, in our hands. To prepare ourselves is one of the greatest gifts we can give to those we love. There is the practical: a living will and planning early for the dispersal of possessions. We will reflect on how to generate happiness and even joy while facing the debilities of age: deafness, the growing frailty of our physical frame, blindness, vertigo, tinnitus and it goes on. In these ways and by exploring other approaches to living, aging and dying, we will bring depth, truth, ease and even delight to our being.

Local doctors and nurses will be invited to share their perspectives and insights, questions and concerns as fellow travelers on the journey. Couples who may provide end of life care for each other – whether friends, spouses or parents — are encouraged to attend together.