Honest Conversations about Death and Dying

THIS PROGRAM HAS STARTED... IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN starting next month PLEASE EMAIL ME DIRECTLY wendy@wendyhaynes.com No more applications will be accepted after the 5th May.

This six month program, consisting of seven sessions, offers the opportunity for authentic and engaging conversations and deep listening to ourselves and others on death and dying.

This is an opportunity to explore the topic of 'death and dying' in a supportive and ongoing group environment. There will be meditations, creative writing practices, engaging practices and conversations. There will also be extra resources and contemplations for in-between sessions if you would like to delve deeper. This is not a death doula or funeral celebrant training. This is about our dying, our living, our celebrating this one precious life.

Who is this workshop for?

Young and old people; individuals, couples, people with elderly parents, people with children, people who live on their own, people who are healthy or unwell. This program is designed to create a safe place where we can talk about death and dying in a friendly and relaxed manner. Talking about death doesn’t have to be morbid. It may be awkward or challenging and we get to explore how we can meet those difficulties. You will leave the session with tools, information and ideas about being a great ally to yourself, your friends and family when having these often hard conversations. You will have access to a wealth of resources to inspire and support you.

We will enter into topics that will bring clarity on what you want and what you can let go of. We will traverse through practical concerns such as end of life care, the funeral ceremony, disposing of the corpse, legal documents and also topics that will bring healing and renewal - life review, unfinished business, practices that support mindfulness and connection, releasing and belonging. You will find a greater understanding and knowing of your inner song by listening to yourself and to others.

Wendy Haynes and Chani Grieve will be your hosts. These will be confirmed during the program.

Wendy has been a family celebrant for over 27 years conducting weddings, namings, funerals, pre death ceremonies, memorials and more. Since 2003, she has offered professional development, mentoring and resources to celebrants Australiawide and internationally. She is the author of many celebrant related books and resources. Wendy's commitment has been to encourage mindful presence, compassionate communication, play, connection and care in ceremonies, circles and in our preparation for death and dying. She practices and facilitates programs based upon mindfulness and nonviolent (NVC) communication practices.

Chani Grieve has been a dedicated practitioner of meditation and body-centred modalities for over 15 years, sharing her experience since 2012. She works as a Feldenkrais Practitioner and meditation teacher, and as part of The dharmasphere Collective based in Nelson NZ, is deeply engaged in the cultivation of Awakening in Community. Chani has been involved in several programs on death and dying in Australia and New Zealand, including "A Year to Live" and "Celebrating this Precious Life" with Wendy Haynes, and "Making Friends with Death" and "Every Precious Moment" with Di Johnston. Chani brings a deep interest in and respect for each person's unique relationship to death and dying, and the intimate connection with life and living. She teaches classes, workshops and retreats in Australia and New Zealand.

This program, Celebrating this Precious Life brings together Wendy and Chani's areas of interest and expertise.

Come and be inspired!

DETAILS:

There will be seven group gatherings, on the first Friday of the month, starting on 7th April 2023 and finishing 6th October 2023. They will be held ONLINE using Zoom. 9am - 11.30am AEST (Sydney, NSW). (Please NOTE that for the final session in October the clocks change to Australian Daylight Savings Time AEDT. So if you are from another non-AEDT state or country, the session time will change by one hour. In October the session will start at 9am AEDT.)

This session is suitable for those in the time zones of Australia, New Zealand and USA. If you are wanting another start time for Australia, Europe and Asia click here

Our program is offered on a sliding scale to ensure equity of access. People ask me for guidelines. A suggested sliding scale for the 7 sessions is from $70- $350 however we don't want cost to be a barrier to attending so please offer whatever you can to enable this work to flourish. Working together, we can create a program that is sustainable for all.

We welcome everyone who is interested. Over six months (seven sessions) you will make some great friends from all walks of life and from all over the world.

I would like to pay respect to the original inspiration for this project, Stephen and Ondrea Levine's book, A Year to Live. This is an excellent read and preparation for this program. Also respect to my Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teachers, my Ongo teachers, Catherine Cadden and Jesse Wiens as well as the many individuals and families who I have had the honour to work with.

Once you register for this call you will receive an email with further information about what to bring and also the Zoom link that will be the same for each meeting.

I am looking forward to meeting you!

With love, Wendy

My contact: wendy@wendyhaynes.com + 61 422507517 www.wendyhaynes.com

Testimonials...

"There are not enough words to express how special this programme truly is. It is both gentle and powerful. Wendy is a remarkable person, with a soul that seeks to connect - and who succeeds in creating a safe space for others to delve inside themselves, to explore and enrich what living and dying means to them - and to learn what more they can do to connect with the earth - in life and death. I have benefitted greatly, and appreciate it all." Moira Hill End of Life Conversations End of Life Coach & Educator, England.

"I have loved the variety in the programme. The highlight has, however, been focusing my Life Review around the concepts of forgiveness and gratitude ... so powerful on so many levels, both personally and professionally!" Helen Rutledge, Celebrant, New Zealand

"Wendy Haynes is incredible. The challenge of considering ones imminent death is confronting however Wendy encourages openness, compassion, empathy and understanding of an individuals thoughts and beliefs. This program has allowed me to consider death openly, for myself, for my family and for others. Wendy's guidance has allowed me to embrace my passion of assisting others preparing for death. I confidently have the foundations to proceed with End of Life Doula training, thank you Wendy." Heather Hinton, Celebrant, NSW, Australia.

"The program and Wendys presence & guidance have benefited my life, relationships & decisions profoundly! I am 22 years old and I have learned so much about myself and my desires, perceptions and deepened the connection with myself and others. I have already shared and recommended the program to everyone around me. Because I started talking about death, suffering and disconnection with my family, friends & colleagues they got really curious and also inspired. I love the gatherings and practices that brought me back to myself and supported me to speak and listen from my heart: being authentic & present. Talking about death during the sessions, I started feeling during the month more & more alive and intensify my relationships. I could write so much more but i would recommend you to just trust and go on the journey, I promise that the programme will be a huge gift for you. Everyone will have their own unique experience and understanding." (Elisa, Student, Germany)

"Wendy's course is so full and rich. There's so much to learn about the practicals of the life journey, and to uncover the deep learnings that come from within. All in all - a very special uncovering of how it just might feel if you are given an 'end date'. I'm so grateful to be part of this group." Julie Weston - Celebrant, Australia