Facilitated by end-of-life doula and meditation teacher Dina Smirnova, How to Talk about Death & Dying is a light-hearted, interactive conversation that unveils the stigma of talking about “death and dying". How to Talk about Death & Dying provides access for individuals to learn about their options when it comes to deathcare and advance planning within a death-positive context.

How to Talk about Death & Dying is a gentle introduction to the often perceived-to-be challenging conversation around death and dying. In society, “death” is a topic that is avoided and considered taboo. Yet, with the growing population of elders and increased pressure on the Australian healthcare and deathcare systems due to COVID-19, it is more important than ever to normalise the topics of death and dying and provide accessible, death-positive spaces so that individuals, families and communities can reflect on, discuss and be inspired to make empowered, informed decisions for end-of-life.

This event is supported by Nillumbik Shire Council and Auspicious Arts Projects. It is part of the Victorian Seniors Festival that is hosted for the entire month of October each year.

You Can Expect:

- A simple, accessible meditation & breathing exercise to invite ease and relaxation
- An interactive conversation featuring tips about how to talk about death and dying
- Information about various options when it comes to death and dying, in addition to resources and death planning considerations sprinkled throughout the session (within a non-denominational context)
- Q&A and time to share with the group, should you choose

Online Support & Accessibility

Should you should need to seek support to join online, please contact any of the following organisations within Nillumbik (or your local equivalent, if outside of the Nillumbik Shire):

Your local libraries, including local libraries in Greensborough and Eltham (link to YPRL library contact information)
The Living & Learning Centres (link to Living & Learning Centres contact information)
Nillumbik Neighbourhood Houses (link to Nillumbik Neighbourhood Houses contact information)

This session has been designed to be accessible and inclusive for people of all abilities. If you have questions about the session, accessibility requirements or requests, or need additional information on how to join online, please contact hello@dinasmirnova.com or call 0410981884. We will do our best to accommodate all requests and appreciate notice (where possible) to make special arrangements.

Booking Information & Refund Policy

To enable this event to be available to the community, we are offering low-cost tickets at $5. For anyone unable to pay $5, there is the option to obtain a complimentary ticket. Full refunds, not including booking fees, will be offered up to 48 hours before the event should you be unable to attend. If you cannot attend or have questions about a refund, please email hello@dinasmirnova.com.

A Welcome Email will be sent to you within seven days of the event. This will outline any information you need before the event and include the link to join. Please ensure the email address hello@dinasmirnova.com is in your address book so that you do not miss this communication.

About the Facilitator

The session is facilitated by Dina Smirnova, a meditation facilitator and end-of-life doula with over 20 years of experience facilitating holistic practices.

Born in Azerbaijan and raised in the US, Dina is a Melbourne-based end-of-life doula and meditation teacher. Since age 11, she has intensively studied the body, voice and breath and draws upon her expertise and ancestral wisdom as the basis of her offerings. Through experiential guidance, she invites her students to embody The Art of Living and Being Present by placing a strong focus on psychosomatic awareness and how to masterfully work with the subtle energy of the breath and body. Throughout her experience as a facilitator and practitioner, the guiding principle has been to remind others that the most significant healing resides within.

To learn more about Dina's work, please visit www.deathdoulamelbourne.com