Being With Dying

Being With Dying Synopsis

A caregiver to the dying herself, Zen teacher Joan Halifax shares her experiences and wisdom from thirty years of being with people who are in the process of dying or are taking care of someone who is dying. Based on Buddhist principles, her teachings point out that we can open and contact our inner strength, and we can help others who are suffering to do the same. Her seasoned, realistic approach to caring for and being present with people in the last stages of life is encouraging because she has seen so much death and grief, yet she remains open-hearted and inspired. Halifax observes that millions will have to deal with the loss of parents and loved ones and that we are largely unprepared emotionally for their deaths. She presents the notion that the process of dying is a rite of passage. Halifax offers stories from her personal experience as well as guided exercises and contemplations to help readers contemplate death without fear, develop a commitment to helping others, and transform suffering and resistance into courage. Topics and exercises include: Learning to see death as a rite of passage The guiding principles of bearing witness and how self-awareness can help us to relate more fully with others How to take care of ourselves when we're taking care of others Contemplation on the universality of death How to transform pain and fear with lovingkindness And much more. Coupled with a new foreword by Frank Ostaseski, a leader in the field of death and dying palliative care, the guidance and experiences represented in Being with Dying are invaluable in supporting and instilling peace as the journey of life unfolds and inevitably reaches not only an end, but also a new beginning.