Dying with Grace

Death has a funny way of freaking us the eff out.  It was never intended to be met with such fear.

I once facilitated a conversation for a family whose matriarch had just passed away.    The daughter sitting before me asked her mother what death had felt like.  Mama (on the other side) responded that it felt like an orgasm.  If you can give into the joy and let yourself relax, the return to God/Source is triumphant!  Probably not the message her family expected, but it brought me such clarity and delight I try to always share her perspective.

Jesus also taught us much about how to die with grace.  Though His legacy may sound frightening, He walked his path with courage, grace and certainty.  Fear was not a part of His journey, nor should it be a part of ours.  Death is a portal, afterall!  A gateway to our return to God.  And this return should be celebrated, even heralded, not fraught with fear and unease. 

When death can be embraced, it's magical.  A perfect bow on the finely wrapped gift of life.  When fear and regret seep in, death is ugly, prolonged trying and tedious.  The infamous death scene in Dark Crystal is an ideal example of how death can be greeted! the Skeksis holding onto greed and power wither in anguish and crumble into a pile of dust while the Mystics, a spiritual and peaceful race, dies with a smile and his body turns to light.

The wisest of us knows when to step back and rest in the arms of the Divine. 


To help those we love die with grace, we can:

- talk with them and create a safe space for sharing whatever they may need, allow a place to air regrets and make amends
- hold them in unconditional love and joy
- allow forgiveness (of self and others)
- talk about death and what they can expect
- give them permission to let go
- remind them of the friends and family they can soon reconnect with



Spirit has asked me to talk as much as I can about dying with grace.  How to greet it, how to embrace it and how to celebrate it.  I've done several presentations around Denver on the topic and love sharing my shamanic perspective on death and dying.  If I can share this with a group you love, please give me a holla!