Online Only.
Dates: TBD
August 4 - September 1 (3 Tuesdays, every other week)
August 4, 18 and September 1
5:30–7:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Note: This class is being rescheduled (see note below)
Side by Side in Dying was scheduled for August 4, 18, and September 1 but the classes have been postponed because of some exciting news!
When Lama Lekshe was in Ashland, Oregon, with help of sangha, she met with two women hospice workers with three decades of experience who have created some awesome care booklets for tracking patient care when you are engaged as a friend or family member. They have also created more than 700 videos to help people learn the caregiving skills they need, on a just-in-time basis. They really struck up a great planning session and they offered to spend some volunteer energy integrating themselves and their resources into our learning. We have our own nurse cadre at Dekleing, and several of them have offered to help, as well.
So the Side by Side in Dying classes are on hold and will be replaced with several new opportunities in the fall. This is really exciting and will get us to our learning goals.
The Death and Dying cohort groups will meet on schedule, in the same way and time. If you have taken or are taking any of the program classes, come to the cohort group. Consistent participation there will help build a capable and intimate care community across time, so come as often as you can... it's only 1.5 hours per month.
Being present with a dying person is one of the most profound things a human being can do. And yet, most of us have never been taught how.
This three-session course focuses on the relational and practical skills that allow us to be genuinely useful — and genuinely present — with someone who is dying. We will cover:
Truth-telling: how to be honest without being brutal, and present without being absent
Unfinished business: recognizing it, creating space for it, knowing when to let it rest
Forgiveness and letting go — for the dying person and those around them
Creating an environment that supports rather than agitates the dying process
Offering compassion without projection, pressure, or sentimentality
This is not grief counseling or hospice training, though it complements both. It is dharma-informed companionship — the art of being a steady, loving witness to one of the most important transitions a person will make.
Tuition (pay what you can, help support others)
- $60.00 - Supported
- $110.00 - Standard
- $165.00 - Pay it Forward