Memento mori is a Latin phrase that means “remember you must die.” Death is an inevitable part of life, but society discourages us from confronting our own mortality. In this two-hour workshop, join trauma-
informed meditation teacher Leah Raidt and death doula Becky Robison to acknowledge—and even welcome—death’s presence in our everyday lives.
Class Description
We’ll explore the individual dimensions of death by creating an altar of our own memento mori. We’ll examine the universal dimensions of death via meditation. And finally, we’ll hold a living funeral ritual where participants can write their own eulogies and learn about burial shrouding—including what it feels like to be wrapped in a shroud. This exploratory, experiential workshop is for adults of all ages who wish to become more comfortable with mortality. We especially encourage friends and loved ones to come together. Please bring a notebook, a pen or pencil, and a small object from your home or the natural world that reminds you of death.
Class Objectives:
- Build a tolerance for contemplating one’s own mortality
- Notice death in the everyday and contemplate death in its many forms
- Acknowledge death as a continuance of life
- Practice compassion for the fear of death
- Allow grief to be held and witnessed in community
- Develop agency for one’s own end-of-life wishes
- Learn about natural burial and other sustainable burial practices