Making death the most conscious experience of your life. 

Welcome to the Academy of Living and Dying, where you receive artful guidance for preparing for the end of life, moving through grief, and creating a legacy that truly matters.

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The Institute is designed to help
those who want to prepare for the inevitable moment of death and know its better early than later, those who are facing mortality and want support now, and those who want to become death doulas themselves. 

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Did you know?

  • The global average life expectancy is 73.4 years. In 1950, it was about 46 years.

  • Research from hospice and palliative care shows the most common end-of-life regrets are not living authentically, working too much, hiding feelings, losing friendships, and not doing what makes them happy.

  • In Tibetan Buddhism, some advanced practitioners are believed to enter tukdam. This is a meditative state after death in which physical decomposition may be delayed.

  • The world is experiencing the largest mass death transition in human history as Boomers age. Never before has such a large generation entered old age simultaneously, creating unprecedented strain on healthcare, caregiving, and death systems.

  • The Tibetan Book of the Dead teaches that consciousness continues after the last breath. Death is described as a process with stages, not a single moment. This is what the 12 weeks of the ART of DEATH teaches.

  • According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, awareness is highly sensitive after death. Guidance, sound, and intention are believed to influence the transition.

  • Many cultures practice natural burial. The body returns to the soil instead of being preserved.

  • About 60 million people die every year worldwide.

  • More people die alone today than at any other point in history.

  • In 1900, most people died at home. Today, over 60% die in institutions.

  • Cultures with visible death rituals have lower fear of death.

  • Only 1 in 3 adults has a will.

  • A typical human cremation releases around 250–540 kg of CO₂ - about the same as driving a car 470–600 miles.

  • In the U.S., 5,000 Baby Boomers die every day. That’s one every 14 seconds.

  • Baby Boomers are the largest aging generation ever because of high birth rates and longer life expectancy.

  • Caregiver burnout is at crisis levels due to longer lifespans and under-supported care systems.

  • Green burials are rising fastest among Boomers because they want meaningful and ecological death options.

  • Grief is now considered a public health issue because unresolved loss affects mental and physical health.

  • The dying often withdraw socially days before death; this withdrawal is biologically programmed.

  • Neurochemical shifts reduce external engagement, allowing attention to turn inward for emotional and physiological completion.

  • Hearing is often the last sense to go.

  • The body releases natural psychedelics at death, including endorphins and DMT-like compounds. Same as Ayahuasca.

  • At the end of life, relationships are what matter most.

  • Traditional burial can slow decomposition for decades. Conventional Coffins prevent nutrient cycling back into the earth for more than a decade. They isolate the body from soil organisms that would otherwise transform it into nutrients. Natural burial returns the body to soil in 1–2 years. Without chemical barriers, the body decomposes efficiently and reintegrates into the ecosystem.

  • In the Netherlands, “burial forests” (boomgraven) allow families to choose a tree seedling instead of a headstone, which grows over the grave.

  • Embalming fluid use in the U.S. is estimated at 800,000 to 4.3 million gallons annually, often containing formaldehyde-based chemicals that can leach into soil.

  • Academy of Living and Dying helps demystify death and guides people so that the passage out of life feels natural, peaceful, and integrated into the story of living.

  • Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964) are rapidly aging, with the oldest turning 80 in 2026. They were born during a massive post–World War II birth surge caused by returning soldiers, economic expansion, housing booms, and renewed optimism about the future.

  • Many cultures practice natural burial so bodies return to soil quickly and nourish ecosystems rather than being preserved. These practices view death as a regenerative act, allowing the body to feed land, plants, and future life rather than being chemically halted.

  • Mushroom-based mycelium burial pods are now being used in several countries; they can break down the body while detoxifying soil.

  • By 2050 deaths worldwide will outnumber births in many countries: Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, South Korea, China, Poland, and Hungary are all projected to experience more deaths than births due to aging populations and low fertility rates.

  • Options like tree burials, reef memorials, and seed urns give families an ongoing connection with life and ecosystem renewal.

  • Human composting reduces carbon footprint by ~75%. It avoids cremation emissions and concrete burial materials while producing usable soil instead of waste.

  • New Death is not cheapThe median cost of a full funeral with viewing and burial in the U.S. is about $15,000$ List Item

Where are you on the death journey?

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PREPARING FOR DEATH

Someone I love is aging or sick and I want to support them in this transition or I want to plan ahead for myself and my loved ones.

The Art Of Dying COURSE
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FACING DEATH

I am / a loved one is transitioning soon and I want support during the actual passing.
Book a death doula now to be by your side.

15-mins consultation
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INTEGRATING DEATH

A loved one recently passed and I want support in moving through the grief.

THE 12 GATES OF GRIEF COURSE
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Free Toolkits to help you navigate grief and mortality:

Grief Toolkit

A compassionate toolkit designed to help people to navigate grief with grace and

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Pre-death Toolkit

A practical guide to prepare emotionally, spiritually, and practically for death.

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When grief feels overwhelming or death feels near, you do not have to walk through it alone.

These are sacred and vulnerable moments. Having experienced, professional support can bring steadiness, clarity, and deep care during these times of transition.

Investing in this work may be one of the most meaningful commitments you make to your emotional and spiritual well-being.

You may also choose to offer these sessions as a gift to someone you love who is navigating grief of any kind.

Personalized Support Sessions
Grief Integration & End-of-Life Preparation.

“Only when we truly understand death can we truly understand life.”

-Gabrielle Bonneville

Personalized Support Sessions - 1:1 ($USD)
$150.00

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Upcoming Death Doula Training 2027

Want to become a Death Doula?

We are creating an incredible 7-month professional training beginning January 1, 2027, which will equip students with the skills, ethics, and presence required to support end-of-life transitions.

Registration is now open for those ready to work at the edge of life with clarity and integrity.

How We Are Set Up

The Academy of Living and Dying is a registered Canadian-based NGO dedicated to education and public awareness surrounding death, dying, grief.

The organization operates through online education trainings designed to make end-of-life knowledge and emotional support more accessible to diverse populations. We are a repertoire for those who are dying to find proper death doula support. The organization aims to be a registered tax-exempt charity by 2028.

The Academy functions through donations and contribution-based support models. This is our way to expand accessibility to as many people as possible.

You can choose what fits your budget so you can prepare for yourself, or gift to someone you love to learn how to die or find proper grief therapy

The Academy of Living and Dying operates as a non-profit initiative focused on death education, grief support, and end-of-life preparation. We are currently not a registered charity, and donations made to the organization are not tax-deductible at this time.

All contributions are used directly to support the development, delivery, and accessibility of our programs, including training, accompaniment, and grief integration work. This structure allows us to remain independent and focused on the integrity of the work as it evolves.

Financial Accessibility

For this reason, we offer a range of payment options based on individual financial capacity.You will find a spectrum you can choose when completing payment for the courses

We recognize that access to this work should not be limited by financial circumstance. Wherever possible, we aim to create flexibility so that those who feel called to engage. 

It is also our motivation to have any given person go through the wave of experience: pre death (12 portals of artfully dying), in person death doula and post death (12 gates of grief) for the loved ones who remain.