By Jan Booth "As living human beings, the most rewarding purpose of our lives is to awaken to our deepest reality, to unfold our most powerful energies of love and compassion. The study of and preparation for death may be the greatest opportunity towards … [Read more...]
Creativity and Grief: Holistic Companions
By Claudia Coenen When I was growing up, creative expression was as natural as breathing. The arts guided me through whatever happened. The darkest times found expression in dance pieces that explored those events and theater, poetry and music awakened in me … [Read more...]
Alumni Spotlight: Tara Sroka
1. What drew you to the Integrative Thanatology Certificate program at the Open Center? The 2013 death of my mother changed the course of my life, and I was on a journey to find meaning in her death as well as to find more purpose in my life. Witnessing her … [Read more...]
Walking Each Other Home
by Mirabai Bush After breakfast, [Ram Dass and I] go upstairs, where [he] has his bed, a bathroom, his office — a wall of books, photos of friends, an altar with Maharaj-ji’s picture, a phone, an intercom. Lakshman, who helps care for Ram Dass, moves him from … [Read more...]
A Woman of a Certain Age
By Nancy Slonim Aronie Personal narrative and memoir can be about anything. Emotional truth and vulnerability are essential when writing your story. This one I just wrote so now you know aging and dying are on my addled brain. Remember when your kids were … [Read more...]
Making Friends With Death: A New York Open Center Opportunity
By Catharine DeLong Anne Lamott, the American novelist, non-fiction writer and full-of-grace real life philosopher was interviewed during Reimagine End of Life in San Francisco last month. “Death sucks, AND it’s holy,” she explains as she describes being at … [Read more...]
10 Components of a Good Death
A renowned scientist and prolific author, Dr. Edwin Shneidman, believed life is enriched by the contemplation of death and dying. He later wrote a paper titled “Criteria for a Good Death.” Here he lists ten components of what he called a ‘good … [Read more...]
Grieving Through the Holidays
By Claudia Coenen Everyday grief is hard enough, but when special dates loom, what is a bereaved person supposed to do? How will you approach these days, which usually involve celebrating with family, when someone important is now gone? Should you keep time … [Read more...]
Enriching Our Cultural Experience of Dying
By Ruby Parker In modern society, death is often a source of fear and anxiety. The dying may be afraid of the great unknown they are about to face—what will it be like, will they be aware of what’s happening, will it hurt? If they are in a nursing home or … [Read more...]
Let’s Talk About Death (over Dinner)
By Michael Hebb From where I sit, the writing is on the wall. It is time to face the inevitable, and we need a grassroots movement--we need to face our mortality as a village, not as isolated individuals. Funerals, law offices, and hospitals shouldn't be the … [Read more...]
