SOIL offers courses on after death care, directives

Press release:

Learn Roadmaps for the Journey of Death

School of Integrated Living partners with the Center for End of Life Transitions for summer courses on end-of-life documents and home funerals

Black Mountain, NC (5/24/17) — This summer at Earthaven Ecovillage, School of Integrated Living (SOIL) will offer two courses on the process of dying in conjunction with the Center for End of Life Transitions (CEOLT). Partially funded by the bequest of SOIL board member Kimchi Rylander, these classes will promote a culture of conscious dying in Western North Carolina.

The first course, Advanced Care and After Death Care Directives, is offered July 8 and 15. This interactive workshop guides participants through preparing notarized end-of-life documents such as living wills and healthcare powers of attorney. The second course, Home Funeral and Death Care Midwife Training, takes place August 25–27 and covers the practical, legal, and spiritual necessities for accompanying a family along the journey of death. Both classes are taught by Caroline Yongue and Ruth Ostrenga, CEOLT educators and ordained lay Buddhist ministers in the Soto Zen tradition.

“A shared reverence for nature and education makes the partnership between CEOLT and SOIL a perfect fit,” says Cassie Barrett, director of operations and marketing at CEOLT. “Death and dying are sacred parts of life, and learning how to tend to your loved ones through this process is an amazing gift. We are honored to share these teachings with the SOIL community.”

Both courses are offered on a sliding tuition scale: $165–$250 for Advanced Care and After Death Care Directives and $400–$450 for Home Funeral and Death Care Midwife Training. Early registration is encouraged. For more information, visit schoolofintegratedliving.org/programs or email info@schoolofintegratedliving.org.

ABOUT SCHOOL OF INTEGRATED LIVING
School of Integrated Living (SOIL) inspires people to live responsible and creative lives by providing experiential education in integrated living and regenerative systems. Its programs educate empowered, skilled, and conscious leaders dedicated to creating radical change and healthy reciprocal relationships.

SOIL has provided whole-life education to over 500 students since its founding in 2013. In addition to offering its own classes, the school has partnered with the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina University, and Furman University to give a real-world complement to college courses. Work by SOIL instructors has been featured in Permaculture, Home Power, and Mountain Xpress.

ABOUT CENTER FOR END OF LIFE TRANSITIONS
The Center for End of Life Transitions (CEOLT) was created in response to the greater Asheville community’s request for guidance at death. An all-faiths project, CEOLT has helped many individuals and their families during a time that can feel chaotic and ungrounded. CEOLT provides the information and tools needed to make tough decisions, thus lessening vulnerability, fear, and uncertainty.

In addition to individual guidance, CEOLT offers workshops and retreats on the subjects of dying, death, and after-death care. During these workshops, participants are encouraged to think about their own spiritual practice and consider how this spiritual focus can help them during their dying process and beyond. CEOLT has also expanded its offerings to groups in California and Tennessee. Through structured training programs for death care midwives, doulas for the dying, and death care educators, CEOLT increases the pool of support from one to many.