Death as the Ultimate Rite of Passage

with Roy Remer

Overview: Life is a series of passages. Whether you are preparing to support a friend or loved one in their dying experience or preparing for your own death, the traditional initiation model is a supportive way to reframe the end-of-life experience. This reframe helps to find meaning in the experience and ease the anguished heart.

Workshop Details: This workshop offers an opportunity to look at death as the final rite of passage, capping a lifetime of passages. Participants will explore the three phases of initiation: severance, threshold, and incorporation, and understand how they apply to the dying experience.

What You Will Learn:

• Three Phases of Initiation:
  • Severance: Understanding the process of letting go and saying goodbye.
  • Threshold: Navigating the transition and embracing the unknown.
  • Incorporation: Integrating the experience and leaving a legacy.
• Purpose-Inspired Death: Exploring the concept of a purposeful death as a way of manifesting Bodhisattva vows until the final breath.
• Supporting Loved Ones: Contemplating how your dying experience can support those you leave behind, knowing they too will face death someday.

Activities:

• Presentations: Insightful talks on the phases of initiation and their relevance to the dying experience.
• Meditations: Guided sessions to help you reflect and connect with your inner self.
• Breakout Discussions: Small group discussions to share experiences and insights.
• Interactive Activities: Engaging exercises to deepen your understanding and application of the workshop concepts.

Join us for this profound workshop to transform your perspective on death and discover how to live a more meaningful life, right up to the final breath.

Roy Remer trained to become a volunteer caregiver at Zen Hospice Project in 1997 and served at the bedside for 13 years. He served for six years on the board of directors of ZHP and joined the staff in 2010. After working in various roles, he now serves as Zen Caregiving Project’s Executive Director. Roy is the lead instructor of Mindful Caregiving Education for ZCP and teaches throughout the US and internationally. He is a certified instructor of Compassion Cultivation Training and a dedicated practitioner of Soto Zen Buddhism, receiving his lay ordination at the San Francisco Zen Center in 2018. Roy also serves on the board of directors of Enso Village in Healdsburg, CA and leads wilderness rites of passage programs for EarthWays LLC based in Sebastopol, CA.

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FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS with Annette Jo'E Lille

Participants also will have the chance to join Stone Creek priest and former hospice and hospital chaplain JoE’ Annette Lille to go through the practicalities of preparing for our end of life and the resources available to us. 

Saturday, August 17 and Saturday, August 24 10:30am-12pm. 

You may come to one or both follow-up sessions. Different aspects of end of life planning will be covered in each. 

More information will be coming soon.