Death Nesting


Book Description

A practical and compassionate guide to physically, emotionally, and spiritually caring for the dying • Shares practices for emotional soothing, breathing techniques to reduce anxiety and pain, ways to reduce stress during the active dying process, and techniques to physically care for the dying, including methods to assist bedridden individuals • Explores ceremony and energetic boundary guidelines, Reiki and ancestral support techniques, and herbal care for nourishing and healing on a spirit level • Presents self-care methods for moving with grief, ideas for “things to do” when there is nothing to do, mindfulness practices for contemplating your own mortality, as well as guidance for talking with children about death and dying • Winner of a 2020 Independent Publisher “IPPY” award Just as we might prepare a nest for one about to give birth, so can we lovingly prepare a nest for one who is dying. In this practical and compassionate guide, death doula educator Anne-Marie Keppel incorporates ancient and modern techniques, mindfulness practices, and herbal support to show how anyone can care for the dying, whether at home, in hospice, or even in the ICU. She demystifies the dying process by explaining what the body goes through during end of life and presents practices for emotional soothing and other ways to reduce stress and anxiety during the active dying process. The author provides techniques to physically care for the dying, including methods to assist bedridden individuals. She shares ceremony and energetic boundary guidelines, Reiki and ancestral support techniques, and herbal care for nourishing and healing on a spirit level. Providing support for caregivers and loved ones as well, Anne-Marie explores self-care methods for moving with grief, ideas for “things to do” when there is nothing to do, and mindfulness practices for contemplating your own mortality. She also offers visualizations and techniques for talking with children about death and dying. Sharing glimpses into the world of spirit to reveal the poignancy of the dying process, the author shows that death is a sacred rite of passage we all experience.




Death Nesting


Book Description

Death Nesting incorporates ancient and modern death doula techniques, mindfulness practices and herbal support to physically, emotionally and spiritually care for the dying. The focus is on "whole being" caregiving for home deaths but can be implemented into other settings such as acute care to create a more holistic experience. Basic physical care for bedridden individuals, anecdotal vignettes and glimpses into the world of spirit emphasize the poignancy, yet lightheartedness, of the dying process. The mindfulness practices, while profound, are also simple and can be done by anyone new to meditation. Throughout the book, references to nature inspire the understanding that death is part of life-a part which we all experience. Techniques for moving and bathing a bed ridden individual * What the body physically undergoes during the dying process * Practices for emotional soothing * Ceremony and energetic boundary guidelines * Reiki, timeline and ancestral support for the dying * Supporting the senses through the dying process * Herbal care for nourishing and healing on a spirit level * How to talk with children about dying and death * Self care for moving with grief * Basic mindfulness practices for contemplating your own mortality * Differences between Ancient and Modern Death Doulas




The Nesting


Book Description

A perfect atmospheric thriller for this Halloween . . .




The Death of Faefolk


Book Description

The Death of Faefolk intertwines lessons in death education, ordinary magic, otherworld travel and healing through ancestral lines. Walk deep into a land where innocence and elderhood meet- where the real work of examining your bones is discovered. Four young adults and a mysterious young man are brought together through the death of their beloved dog only to discover that death and life are inseparable and living is more precious because of it. Magical, humorous and emotionally moving, The Death of Faefolk is the story of life after the Great Virus where death education have become essential to understanding how to live. ****** "Anne-Marie Keppel's delightful book The Death of Faefolk offers the reader an enchanting story that masterfully weaves in themes of loss and grief along with factual information about death. This book is an essential tool for educating young adults about death as a key to the cycle of life and presents the information through a comforting and non-threatening tale. I highly recommend it for readers of all ages who want to get in touch with the gift of our mortality."--Karen Wyatt MD, Author of 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying, Host of End-of-Life University Podcast ****** "Perfectly timed and with a plethora of social justice messages for teens rolled into one captivating fantasy novel."--Lee Webster, funeral reform advocate and thought leader, National Home Funeral Alliance, National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, Green Burial Council ******* "Anne-Marie Keppel displays an extraordinary honesty and sensitivity in this work in the way that she weaves the ancient Irish tradition of Keening through a modern American tale. While not shying away from the details, young people are taught to maintain the dignity of the bereaved, honour the deceased and accept death as a fact of life. This initiation into death rituals is an important (although often neglected) element in any young person's education. What a gift!" -- Dr. Mary Mc Laughlin, Irish Singer, Teacher ******* Anne-Marie Keppel's first book, Death Nesting: Ancient & Modern Death Doula Techniques, Mindfulness Practices and Herbal Care which won a 2020 bronze medal in New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.




The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning


Book Description

*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions* A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.




Making Friends with Death


Book Description

Drawing from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, a Buddhist teacher “provides [readers] with the essential guidepost for embarking on the journey of life and the journey beyond” (Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing) In Making Friends with Death, Buddhist teacher Judith Lief, who's drawn her inspiration from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, shows us that through the powerful combination of contemplation of death and mindfulness practice, we can change how we relate to death, enhance our appreciation of everyday life, and use our developing acceptance of our own vulnerability as a basis for opening to others. She also offers a series of guidelines to help us reconnect with dying persons, whether they are friends or family, clients or patients. Lief highlights the value of relating to the immediacy of death as an ongoing aspect of everyday life by offering readers a variety of practical methods that they can apply to their lives and work. These methods include: • Simple mindfulness exercises for deepening awareness of moment-by-moment change • Practices for cultivating loving-kindness • Helpful slogans and guidelines for caregivers to use Making Friends with Death will enlighten anyone interested in coming to terms with their own mortality. More specifically, the contemplative approach presented here offers health professionals, students of death and dying, and people who are helping a dying friend or relative useful guidance and inspiration. It will show them how to ground their actions in awareness and compassion, so that the steps they take in dealing with pain and suffering will be more effective.




A Safe Journey Home


Book Description

Have you ever sat with someone as they were dying and wished that you could make it a better experience? Helping others face death with dignity and positivity is an act of profound kindness that also helps give the caregiver a chance to come to terms with this critical moment in our life’s journey. Felicity Warner reveals her guide to the unique experience of death in A Safe Journey Home, based on years of experience in hospice care. This essential guide will tell you all you need to know to help a loved one or friend to die gently and with dignity once medicine has reached its limits. You can honour their experience and nurture it, by giving them all your attention, kindness and love. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations that will act as a comfort to all those experiencing death or bereavement, this book is a powerful guide to a subject that affects us all.




Diary of a Death Doula


Book Description

Sooner or later, everyone eventually asks questions about end of life. What happens to me when my physical body dies? Is there an afterlife? If so, where do I go? Do my loved ones meet me? Will they usher me to the next plane of existence? In Diary of a Death Doula, psychic medium, and near-death experience researcher Debra Diamond presents the story of life as a hospice 'Death Doula', revealing 25 critical life lessons from those at the threshold of the afterlife, and those who have already crossed over, ultimately revealing a new way of understanding death.




The Humane Gardener


Book Description

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.




Caring for the Dying


Book Description

Caring for the Dying describes a whole new way to approach death and dying. It explores how the dying and their families can bring deep meaning and great comfort to the care given at the end of a life. Created by Henry Fersko-Weiss, the end-of-life doula model is adapted from the work of birth doulas and helps the dying to find meaning in their life, express that meaning in powerful and beautiful legacies, and plan for the final days. The approach calls for around-the-clock vigil care, so the dying person and their family have the emotional and spiritual support they need along with guidance on signs and symptoms of dying. It also covers the work of reprocessing a death with the family afterward and the early work of grieving. Emphasis is placed on the space around the dying person and encourages the use of touch, guided imagery, and ritual during the dying process. Throughout the book Fersko-Weiss tells amazing and encouraging stories of the people he has cared for, as well as stories that come from doulas he has trained and worked with over the years. What is unique about this book is the well-conceived and thorough approach it describes to working skillfully with the dying. The guidance provided can help a dying person, their family, and caregivers to transform the dying experience from one of fear and despair into one that is uplifting and even life affirming. You will see death in a new light and gain a different perspective on how to help the dying. It may even change the way you live your life right now.