An Introduction to Spiritual Practices for Dying & Death [Online]

“Death comes, obviously. You can never avoid death. Whatever you do, death occurs. But if you have lived with a sense of reality and with gratitude towards life, then you leave the dignity of your life behind you, so that your relatives, your friends, and your children can appreciate who you were.” 

-Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

About the session:
Join Chaplain Alley Smith in an online gathering to explore spiritual practices for dying and death. For some practitioners this may be unchartered territory. For others, this session will be an opportunity to voice your care plans, final wishes and personal reflections. This presentation is open to all practitioners with an emphasis on caregivers.  

This live session will include:

• Spiritual Care 101
• Supporting loved ones as they approach death
• Supporting ourselves as we approach death
• Essential advice for dying
• Essential advice for living a joyful life
• Q&A with Chaplain Alley and Death Doula, Meli-Tashi Happy
• Resources and more

What to Bring to the Session:

• Bring a journal for writing and reflecting
• Bring your mala beads 

Prerequisites: 
Refuge vows highly recommended. Not required. Open to all levels of experience 

Donations are welcome! Offer an amount of your choosing at registration.

Privacy:
This program will not be recorded to protect the privacy of individuals who want to share their deep and heartfelt experiences with death, dying, grief, loss and/or bereavement. 

Recommended Reading Material (not required):

• Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa. "Acknowledging Death," in Heart of the Buddha. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 
• Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition - A guide for those facing death and for their caregivers, including teachings from the great masters and useful advice on navigating end-of-life issues by Andrew Holeck

Shambhala Online Resource (recommended, not required):
Death & Dying: Practice & Ceremony Protocols
[Note you must be logged into your Shambhala Online account to access the resource]

About the Teachers:  

Alley Smith is an ordained Buddhist Minister of Religion (Chaplain) in the Shambhala Lineage. She also holds precepts in Zen Buddhism. She specializes in spiritual care, mortuary affairs and as a funeral clergy. Alley has been a student of Shambhala Buddhism and Zen since 1999.  She currently hosts, “Making Friends with Death & Dying: Support Group” with Shambhala Online. Email: [email protected] 
Teacher Bio on Shambhala Online

Meli-Tashi Happy is the End-of-Life Coordinator for Seattle Shambhala Center, a death doula, and somatic educator. Her Buddhist path began in 1997 in the Zen tradition, and in 2007 she found the Shambhala teachings. She’s taken Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows, and is a vajrayana student. She helps foster ‘community death care’ education and connections. 

Questions? Email Meli-Tashi Happy at [email protected]