Life to Death: Harmonizing the Transition: A Holistic and Meditative Approach for Caregivers and the DyingWritten for the terminally ill and their families as well as for hospice workers and others involved in the care of the dying, Life to Death introduces the technique of co-meditation: a method for helping a patient maintain a “clear mind and peaceful heart” during the process of dying. For centuries Tibetan lamas have used special breathing techniques and shared meditation practices to maintain a calm mental state in the dying person and ensure a safe transition. Adapting these powerful principles of consciousness transformation to modern Western needs, the authors have made accessible to all a profoundly compassionate technique for helping those most in need. In addition to easing the suffering of the terminally ill, co-meditation provides families and other loved ones with a meaningful and constructive way of supporting the dying person. The book covers a wide range of topics associated with death and dying and provides comfort and coping stategies. Hospice staffs, AIDS volunteers, caregivers, and those who are facing death themselves will find this guide invaluable. A separate chapter addresses the special needs of those with AIDS and other debilitating conditions and those who care for them. Life to Death also includes a script for a co-meditation session, complete with relaxation and visualization techniques. |
Contents
DEATH AND THE SPIRIT | 1 |
MEDITATION | 19 |
COMEDITATION | 44 |
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE | 70 |
WHAT IS HELP? WHAT IS HOPE? | 94 |
THE PATIENT AND THE FAMILY | 127 |
THE ROLLERCOASTER EXPERIENCE OF LEUKEMIA AIDS AND OTHER DEVASTATING DISEASES | 153 |
COMMUNITY CONCERNS | 175 |
COMEDITATION GUIDE | 201 |
WORKSHEETS FOR PERSONAL ADAPTATION OF COMEDITATION | 206 |
RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS AND TEXTS | 217 |
RESOURCES | 223 |
NOTES | 224 |
RECOMMENDED READING | 230 |
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Common terms and phrases
able acceptance activities ahhh allow Anticipatory Grief anxiety appropriate assistant awareness become behavior biofeedback body body-mind breath Buddhist calm cancer caregivers cause changes child client comeditation comfort consciousness coping death Death Education depression developed discomfort disease distractions doctor dying person effects Elisabeth Kübler-Ross emotional energy exhalation expected experience experienced family members fear feel felt friends function goal grief Hans Selye health-care Herbert Benson holistic hospice inner issues Jon Kabat-Zinn Kathy letting go living Logotherapy loss lungs medicine meditation mental mind muscles Near-Death Experience needs numbers nurse occur one's pain patient peace period physical physician practice prayer problems programs psychological reactions recipient recipient's recognize reinforcement relaxation require respiration response share sick Sogyal Rinpoche sound spiritual stress suffering symptoms tension terminally ill Thanatology Thich Nhat Hanh thoughts Tibetan tient tion treatment Viktor Frankl W. Y. Evans-Wentz words York