The Art of Dying
Death is seen as a natural transition, a moment of enormous clarity and a test of awareness. To prepare for death is to train the mind to recognize what is happening, to stay aware, and not panic.
Death is a vast mystery, yet two things can be said with certainty: it is absolutely certain that we will die, and it is uncertain when or how we will die.
This uncertainty of the hour of our death is often used as an excuse to postpone facing death directly. We are like children who cover their eyes in a game of hide and seek-
A simplified Instruction manual for dying.
The intention of this container is to offer support and a comprehensive guide, drawn from many sources, primarily the Tibetan Book of the Dead, to the four bardos and the stages of death and dying.
This will serve as a simplified Instruction manual for dying. You can expect to find practical tools, potent exercises, spiritual practices which set out to help both ourselves and others through life, dying, death, and through what follows after death.
The Academy of Living and Dying is structured around three progressive containers to face Death.
Together, these offerings guide participants through the full arc of the death journey:
The three containers are:
The Art of Dying:
Preparing for Death
(3 months, in person & online)
In-Person Death Doula Support at your Death Bed
The 12 Gates of Grief:
Post-Death Integration (3 months, in person & online)
Each week in The Art of Dying container includes
One live group call (1:1 style) with Gabrielle
A guided teaching space where the theme of the week is transmitted, taught, and grounded. We go through the meditations and explain the exercise of the week.
One daily meditation (5 minutes)
A short, precise practice to be done every day. These meditations train familiarity with the theme of the week.
One teaching from the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Presented in an easy-to-read, modern, online format. The teachings are introduced slowly, easily, focusing on direct applicability to your life and the moment of dying.
One Legacy Exercise
Each week participant are introduced to one legacy exercise to begin gathering your gold nuggets and prepare your story, values, and lived wisdom to exist without your physical presence
Don’t Wait to Prepare for Death
The Art of Dying is an 3-month online container to help families with aging or sick members prepare for the transition, ensuring when they do go they are in peace that their affairs on an emotional, spiritual, and logistical level are in order - leaving behind clarity and calm not chaos.