This opening session invites participants to approach death as a sacred transition rather than an ending. Designed for individuals who wish to prepare proactively for their own inevitable death, for those walking beside a loved one on that journey, and for clergy or spiritual companions who counsel others in times of uncertainty, this conversation offers spiritual grounding and clarity. Drawing from Integral Yoga and universal spiritual wisdom, we will reflect on forgiveness, meaning, life review, and practices that bring peace to the heart. We will explore how prayer, mantra, breath, steady presence, and a deeper understanding of “what dies” can support both the dying and those who love them. This session gently prepares the heart — not the paperwork. 🌿 About the Full Series of End-of-Life Preparation Death is a natural part of life — yet most of us feel unprepared to face it, whether for ourselves or for someone we love. The End-of-Life Preparation Series is a thoughtfully designed journey offering practical guidance, emotional resilience, relational clarity, and spiritual reflection. Through expert conversations, compassionate dialogue, and structured preparation, participants are supported in replacing fear with understanding and uncertainty with steadiness. This is not a morbid series. It is a […]

🌿 About the Full Series of End-of-Life Preparation Death is a natural part of life — yet most of us feel unprepared to face it, whether for ourselves or for someone we love. The End-of-Life Preparation Series is a thoughtfully designed journey offering practical guidance, emotional resilience, relational clarity, and spiritual reflection. Through expert conversations, compassionate dialogue, and structured preparation, participants are supported in replacing fear with understanding and uncertainty with steadiness. This is not a morbid series. It is a life-affirming one. When we prepare thoughtfully: • Anxiety decreases • Families communicate more clearly • Decisions become less reactive • Love becomes more fully expressed 🌿 Who Is This Series For? • Individuals preparing for their own future with intention • Caregivers supporting aging or ill loved ones • Ministers and spiritual companions • Families wishing to reduce confusion and conflict • Anyone seeking peace of mind around life’s final chapter No crisis is required to begin preparing. In fact, preparation is most powerful before crisis arises 🌿 Our Intention This series is offered in a spirit of compassion, education, and empowerment. By facing what is inevitable with openness and wisdom, we often discover something unexpected: We begin to […]

Join Estate Planning Attorney, Thomasina Thornton, for a compassionate and practical conversation to demystify wills, trusts, advance directives, healthcare proxies, long-term care planning, and more. This session is designed to reduce fear, prevent family conflict, and empower you with clarity — so your wishes are honored and your loved ones are supported. Many people avoid estate planning because it feels overwhelming or uncomfortable. Yet thoughtful preparation is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our loved ones. In this educational and compassionate session, an experienced Estate Planning Attorney will guide us through the essential legal foundations everyone should understand, including: • Why estate planning matters and what happens without a plan • Wills and trusts explained in plain language • Advance directives, healthcare proxy, and power of attorney • Choosing the right decision-makers • Planning for incapacity and protecting dignity • Asset distribution and preventing family conflict • Medicaid basics and long-term care considerations • What families can expect during probate • Common mistakes and how to avoid them While this list is comprehensive, we may not cover every topic in detail. The focus will be on the most important areas for general understanding, along with time for questions […]

Join us for a compassionate and practical conversation with Tracey Arnauer, LCSW – Hospice Social Worker, who will help demystify advance directives, healthcare proxies, DNR orders, hospice services, Medicare coverage, and care options. This session offers clarity around difficult decisions, guidance for navigating family dynamics, and support for caregivers. Clarity, Compassion & Practical Guidance Serious illness, aging, and end-of-life decisions can feel overwhelming — not only because of medical realities, but because of the emotional and practical complexities surrounding them. What This Session Will Cover 🌿 Understanding the Role of Hospice Social Worker • What a hospice social worker actually does • Advocacy for patient and family • Why emotional support is as vital as medical care 🌿 Advance Directives & Legal Readiness • Living Will • DNR/DNI orders • Healthcare Proxy / Medical Power of Attorney • What happens if nothing is in place • Completing documents without overwhelm 🌿 Planning for Care Preferences • Aging in place • Homecare and long-term care facilities • Hospice at home vs inpatient hospice • Clarifying your definition of “quality of life” • Making wishes known — and honored 🌿 Hospice Services & Financial Clarity • What hospice truly provides • Interdisciplinary […]

Rev. Janaki Carrera, RN & Lisa Olko, RN, two experienced hospice nurses, will offer compassionate insight into what happens physically as life draws to a close — helping families understand what is normal, what is often feared unnecessarily, and how comfort care supports dignity and peace. Topics include hospice readiness, navigating difficult decisions, symptom management, bedside presence, communication, and what brings the most peace at the end of life.This session replaces fear with understanding — and uncertainty with confidence. Preparation reduces anxiety. Understanding brings peace. Presence becomes an act of love. One of the greatest sources of fear around death is simply not knowing what to expect. 🌿 Understanding the Physical Process • What typically happens physically as life draws to a close • Changes in breathing, appetite, sleep, and awareness • What families often fear unnecessarily • How comfort-focused care supports dignity and grace • Recognizing when someone may be ready for hospice 🌿 Communication & Decision-Making • Having difficult but loving conversations • Supporting patient autonomy and expressed wishes • Navigating family dynamics and differing opinions • Listening deeply at the end of life • Clearly articulating your wishes now to prevent future confusion 🌿 How to Sit […]

Caring for a loved one at the end of life can be deeply meaningful — and emotionally exhausting. In this compassionate conversation, licensed clinical therapist Rev. Santoshi Lisa Castro explores how to give care without losing yourself. Special attention is given to Alzheimer’s and dementia care, family communication, boundaries, anticipatory grief, and burnout prevention. This session also supports those who wish to prepare emotionally for their own inevitable death — even while healthy — by cultivating acceptance, clarity, and inner steadiness. Care with love. Prepare with awareness. Remain whole in the process. 🌿 Caring Without Losing Yourself The Emotional Journey of Caregiving & Preparing the Heart Caregiving at the end of life can be one of the most loving experiences we ever offer — and one of the most emotionally demanding. In this thoughtful and supportive session, Rev. Santoshi Lisa Castro, LCSW, licensed clinical therapist and spiritual counselor, will explore the emotional terrain of caregiving: how to remain present and compassionate without becoming depleted or overwhelmed. This is not a clinical lecture. It is a guided community conversation designed to strengthen emotional resilience and inner balance. 🌿 The Emotional Journey of Caregiving • Loving without losing yourself • Recognizing and […]

How we are remembered matters. In this thoughtful and practical session, Bereavement Counselor, Rev. Premajyothi Devi, shares guidance on preparing your memorial wishes in advance, personalizing services, and creating a legacy that reflects your values.  Learn how to relieve loved ones of uncertainty, support the causes you care about, and transform remembrance into meaningful continuity. Preparation brings clarity. Legacy carries love forward. Preparing your memorial wishes in advance is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can leave behind. It relieves loved ones of uncertainty, prevents unnecessary stress, and ensures that your values, beliefs, and voice are honored. In this compassionate and practical session, Rev. Premajyothi Devi — experienced in presiding over memorial services, helping individuals design their own services, and offering grief support throughout the process — will guide participants through how to prepare thoughtfully and peacefully. This is not simply about logistics. It is about meaning, intention, and continuity. 🌿 Preparing Your Memorial Wishes • Clarifying how you would like your life honored • Spiritual, interfaith, or secular considerations • Music, readings, rituals, and personal touches • Writing your own memorial notes or guidance • Relieving loved ones of difficult decision-making 🌿 Legacy Beyond the Service • Supporting […]

Funeral decisions are often made during moments of shock and grief. This session offers clear, compassionate guidance so families can make informed choices without pressure. Topics include burial, cremation, green burial, pre-planning, costs, legal requirements, and memorial options. Participants will learn what must be decided immediately — and what can thoughtfully wait. Clarity reduces urgency. Preparation eases burden. Knowledge brings calm during tender times When a death occurs, families are often asked to make important decisions quickly — while still in shock or deep grief. Understanding options ahead of time allows decisions to be made thoughtfully rather than urgently. In this practical and compassionate session, Joe DePasquale, Funeral Home Representative, will explain funeral and interment options clearly and respectfully, helping participants understand both traditional and alternative choices. This is not a sales presentation. It is an educational conversation designed to replace uncertainty with understanding. 🌿 Burial & Cremation Options • Traditional burial • Cremation • Green and environmentally conscious burial • Religious and cultural considerations • Cemetery and interment choices 🌿 Pre-Planning & Practical Considerations • What decisions must be made immediately • What can wait • Legal requirements and documentation • Understanding costs and payment options • The benefits […]

In this concluding session, Satya Margaret Ralph, paralegal, will guide participants in organizing essential documents, gathering important information, addressing digital legacy, and thoughtfully preparing personal belongings. Beyond logistics, Rev Premajyothi will explore the emotional and spiritual dimensions of decluttering, non-attachment, and living more lightly — now. Practical tools and checklists replace overwhelm with clarity, helping participants feel steady, prepared, and at peace. Organize with intention. Let go with grace. Live more lightly today. 🌿 About the Full Series of End-of-Life Preparation Death is a natural part of life — yet most of us feel unprepared to face it, whether for ourselves or for someone we love. The End-of-Life Preparation Series is a thoughtfully designed journey offering practical guidance, emotional resilience, relational clarity, and spiritual reflection. Through expert conversations, compassionate dialogue, and structured preparation, participants are supported in replacing fear with understanding and uncertainty with steadiness. This is not a morbid series. It is a life-affirming one. When we prepare thoughtfully: • Anxiety decreases • Families communicate more clearly • Decisions become less reactive • Love becomes more fully expressed 🌿 Who Is This Series For? • Individuals preparing for their own future with intention • Caregivers supporting aging or ill […]

  🌿 Grief Begins Before Goodbye Understanding Loss, Love, and Healing A Supportive Conversation with Rev. Premajyothi Devi, Bereavement Counselor Grief does not begin at the moment of death. Often, it begins long before — when illness progresses, when memory fades, when roles shift, or when we quietly sense that change is coming. And grief does not end with the funeral. In this compassionate and steady conversation, Rev. Premajyothi Devi, Bereavement Counselor, explores the full emotional arc of grief — before loss, during loss, and after loss. This session offers understanding, normalization, and gentle guidance for navigating one of life’s most profound human experiences. This is not a clinical lecture. It is a safe and supportive space for reflection, education, and shared humanity. 🌿 Anticipatory Grief • Grieving while a loved one is still alive • The emotional strain of caregiving • Alzheimer’s, dementia, and gradual loss • Loving while slowly letting go • The quiet sorrow of “losing someone in stages” Anticipatory grief is real — and often unspoken. Naming it reduces isolation. 🌿 After Death: The Continuing Journey • The waves and unpredictability of post-death grief • Caregiver guilt • Survivor’s guilt • “Did I do enough?” and […]