Health & Well Being, Introductory, Online Program
Dying & Death: Navigating Bereavement, Loss & Grief
In this session, we will explore bereavement, loss, and grief while unpacking some of our own unique vulnerabilities and fears. In addition, there will be opportunities to discuss how we might build a life alongside impermanence and change rather than seeking to push it away or overcome it.
In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart – Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
What You Will Gain:
- An opportunity to explore “impermanence” in a safe, compassionate, and contemplative community
- An opportunity to practice meditation from thecomfort of your own home and/or practice space
- An opportunity to make a heartfelt connection with others
- A guided “Self-Tonglen” practice
- Q&A and more
What to bring to this session:
- Journal
- An open heart & mind
Recommended Reading [not required]:
Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality by Judith L. Lief
Navigating Grief and Loss: 25 Buddhist Practices to Keep Your Heart Open to Yourself and Others by Kimberly Brown
How to Live When a Loved One Dies by Thich Nhat Hanh
This program is part of our monthly series hosted by the Before I Die group. We invite you to participate in an ongoing discussion about death and dying. Each month we will have an opportunity to explore our relationship to various aspects of death and dying through explorations of specific topics presented by guest speakers.
No prerequisites | Open to all levels of experience | Donations are welcome
Alley Smith is a board certified Buddhist Minister of Religion (Upadhyaya) Chaplain at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She also holds precepts in Korean Zen. Alley has been a student of Shambhala and Zen Buddhism since 1999. She specializes in spiritual care, mortuary affairs, and is a funeral clergy. She currently hosts “Making Friends with Death and Dying: Support Group” on Shambhala Online. [email protected]
Marilyn Moore has been active in the Los Angeles Shambhala community since 1997. During the past four years her focus has been on organizing—and often leading —on-line meditation. This experience has given her a deep appreciation for the sense of community that can be nurtured through this amazing technology. Since 2019, Marilyn has co-facilitated a monthly on-line “Before I Die” gathering that evolved from a workshop focused on practical preparations for death.
Marilyn has three grown children who do not live close. She currently enjoys somewhat frequent trips to London to receive hugs from her two-year-old grandson who lives there with his parents.