Death Prep: Directives

Completing your end-of-life and after-death documents

Four two-hour sessions.
Dates TBD
Zoom

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Mollie, Kimchi, and Lee with Kimchi's end-of-life documents

Kimchi Rylander with her completed directives and two of the women who helped her create them.

When you accept that death walks with you, you get to live more fully and with purpose.

Directives let your loved ones know what you want at the end of life and after your last breath.

Are you one of the 2 of out 3 US adults who have not completed your directives?

If so, it makes sense. We live in a death-phobic world; we, as humans, fear death more than anything.

However, when we face death, and prepare for it, we profoundly bless ourselves—with the gift of embracing our living more fully—even as we spare those who care about us the burden of having to make agonizing decisions on our behalf, under duress.
We can’t do this alone.

So let’s do it together.

Crafting your end-of-life directives is not some bureaucratic charade. It’s a practical act of care — for yourself and your loved ones — that requires compassion, collaboration, and respect.

This class helped me move from death-phobic to death-courageous.

Tricia

In this workshop, you will:

Discern what you most want, at the end of life and after death
Complete a basic set of death prep documents, including healthcare power of attorney, living will, and declaration of disposition of the physical body
Explore additional options and documents relating to death prep, including DNR orders, ethical wills, home funerals, obituaries
Develop your relationship with internal challenges, such as being with what is and anticipatory grief

You’ll receive the guidance you need to complete a comprehensive set of soul-centered, legally binding end-of-life and after-death directives — in an intimate, supportive environment.

Throughout the process, you’ll receive resources and invitations for self-discovery. We’ll work with prompts, activities, and guided and self-directed inquiries meant to help you access your own inner wisdom and guide you toward harmonizing the desires of your heart, mind, and soul.

The journey of preparing our end-of-life wishes, in the company of others, helps prepare us to share those wishes with our loved ones.

Join us in this connective and compassionate process for understanding and documenting your final wishes.

NikiAnne’s way of holding space put me at ease. I felt safe to express myself and ask questions. Her presentation was easy to understand and was delivered in a pleasant manner.

Now I am actually feeling empowered and at ease about my and my husband’s passing.

Yvonne Rainbow

Workshop Flow

Session 1, 2 – 4 pm (Zoom)
(Independent study)
Session 2, 2 – 4 pm (Zoom)
(Independent study)
Session 3, 2 – 4 pm (Zoom)
(Independent study)
Session 4, 2 – 4 pm (Zoom)
(Independent study)

Between sessions

Whether you “finish” your paperwork and preparations is entirely up to you.

Independent study! You’re welcome to continue — and deepen — the work between sessions, either with a partner or on your own. You will be given resources to look into and written exercises that will inform your decisions. This aspect of the program is invaluable. The more you invest in this journey, the further you’ll go.

To get the most out of the class, plan to spend 5-10 hours (in addition to class time) to engage the content and complete the assignments.

About the Instructor

NikiAnne Feinberg

Founder, Facilitator

Throughout the last two decades, NikiAnne has dedicated much of her life energy to facilitating transformative learning journeys, particularly in community settings, and with folks in transition — between vocations; stages of life, including death; and those working to live into new, more life-giving stories of the world and themselves. In all her work, NikiAnne partners with the ancestors, the natural world, the power of ritual, and others to best serve the whole.

Full Profile Page

After the conversations I‘ve had with loved ones, I feel more in love with them and my life with them in it. If you or anyone you know might die someday, you will benefit from taking this class.

Claudia

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should create directives?

All adults. You don’t have to be elderly, or facing a terminal diagnosis, to benefit from getting your affairs in order. An accident or serious illness could strike at any age. Like paying your rent, or brushing your teeth, preparing for death is a basic responsibility that only you can take care of.

Who is this class for?

Everyone. All faiths and belief systems are welcome; sharing is optional; everyone’s heart and experience will be held with love and compassion.

Expect guided exercises and the space to be held with compassionate presence to all that is.

All decisions within these directives are yours to make. We welcome and honor the diversity within and among us.

No one can do our death prep for us. Yet we can’t do it alone.

How will death prep help me and my loved ones?

Though completing an advance directive will not guarantee that you get what you want at the end of your life, or in a medical crisis, it will dramatically increase the chances that you will.
When you take responsibility for clarifying and communicating what matters most to you, at and after the end of life, you relieve your caregivers and loved ones of the burden of guessing. At a stressful time, fraught with difficult decisions, they’ll at least know that they’re heeding your wishes.
When you face your mortality—when you draft your Sacred Papers and make your Sacred Preparations—you not only set an example of what’s possible but also cultivate the humility and compassion required to approach your loved ones about their own desires for the ends of their lives.
When you accept that death walks with you, you get to live more fully. Treasure the full spectrum of your aliveness. Even cultivate awe, wonder, and curiosity for this transition we will all one day make.

This feels daunting. How will I get through it?

Peace at the end begins with courageous conversations now. The main ingredients are showing up with presence, and being willing to explore your options and preferences. Out of our open, honest conversations will flow the clarity you’ll need to express your end-of-life wishes in writing. The only way through is through.

What if I don’t care what happens after I die?

Death is part of life. You can choose to navigate it in ways that reflect your values — to make beauty and significance out of your final moments. You can also choose to see death prep as your gift to your loved ones: either you make decisions about your body and belongings while you’re alive, or you drop those decisions on people who are already dealing with the stress and grief of your dying process and death.

This time spent with NikiAnne’s guidance regarding my end-of-life preparations has been so very helpful and productive. Her care and expertise as well as her real life experience being an integral part of many individuals’ transitions and deaths made me feel like I was not only in good hands, but also loved and cared for in the process.

Her openness to allow questions and inquiry was a gift, especially in moments of overwhelmed and emotionally charged content. I feel a tremendous amount of relief in completing these documents and the clarity that comes from this experience. NikiAnne is a gift… a tender guide to this journey of wholeness.

Pripo

Financial Co-responsibility and Scholarships

Because some people have more financial means than others, we have created a sliding-scale fee system to accommodate a range of economic realities. We offer several price tiers and leave it to you to select the most appropriate tier. The price range aims to take into consideration economic disparities, historical injustices, and personal circumstances. The system is designed for those with more resources to support those with less.

At Earthaven and through the School of Integrated Living (SOIL), we strive to practice a culture of financial transparency, authenticity, and generosity. Trusting each other to assess their needs, what is within their ability, and when to ask for help. We are excited to include you in our experiment with financial co-responsibility.

We are now offering self-selected scholarships for many of our programs. No proof of need, no questions asked. Just the clear intention of trust that registrants can assess whether the cost of a program is truly a barrier to attendance and the growth of self and community our programs seek to foster.

In addition, we offer partial scholarships (50% of the middle of the sliding scale) to black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) with financial needs who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend, even with the self-selected scholarships. We understand that BIPOC may experience more financial and institutional barriers to participation, and this is one way we are able to create more access. If you identify as BIPOC with financial needs and would like to receive a deeper scholarship, please contact us.

SOIL endeavors to support the healthy flow of all resources; whether that be monetary or the skills and information that seed cultural change; and widen the doors of accessibility to what we offer.

Refund Policy

If you cancel, you may:

Donate your tuition to support our continued work
Request a refund per our policy:
- 90% refund for cancellations prior to 30 days before the start of the program
- 50% refund for cancellations prior to 10 days before the start of the program
- After the start of the workshop you will have access to the recorded workshop. There are no refunds.

If SOIL cancels this workshop, you would receive a 100% refund. If SOIL changes the date of a workshop before the workshop starts, you can receive a 100% refund.

Cost

Four two-hour sessions

Tuition Sliding Scale: $150 – $300
Scholarship rate: $100
BIPOC rate: $75

Tuition includes instruction and all materials.

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