BLOG | RESOURCES

“Each moment of the cycle has always been with us, is here now, and each in its way keeps on giving.”
— Lia Purpura

Moving Forward…

We are faced with the task of moving forward even though there is so much that is still unresolved, standing still and even reversing right now. Yet life, as it always does, continues to sprout and re-generate in the hidden corners. As Emily Dickinson wrote, "Hope is the thing with feathers..." And hope is what we need as we struggle on a daily basis to manage our own grief and anxiety reading about rapidly rising infection rates, possibly or definitely symptomatic people in our lives and the always present, senseless life ending violence around us.

How do you hold heartbreak and hope in the same space - honoring and showing up for both, the despair as well as the joy? It's a tall order but an essential one. We've gathered some resources this month that sit in that space of endings and beginnings and the relationship between the two, may they offer some support.

Yayoi Kusama // Yayoi Kusama is the top-selling female artist in the world, best known for her colorful polka-dot and pumpkin-themed designs and her massively popular Infinity Rooms. At almost 90 years of age, she continues to overcome the odds and bring her radical vision to the world. In her 2015 autobiography, Infinity Net, she comments on her relationship with death and legacy…

”My revolution of the Self, which has been an essential part of my life so far, is all about discovering death. My destiny is to make art for my own requiem: art which gives meaning to death, tracing the beauty of colours and space in the silence of death’s footsteps and the ‘nothingness’ it promises.”

You can read more here, and you can also watch the documentary film, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity… here.

Emergence Magazine // For a beautifully poetic read about endings giving way to new beginnings, we offer “The Creatures of the World Have Not Been Chastened” by Lia Purpura

“We live in the midst of these cycles of life and loss, decay and new life, but often fail to recognize their relevance and value. The pandemic, however, has ushered forth a reckoning with our disconnect to the stories of rightness that govern the living world. In this essay Lia asks, how might our response to the losses that we are facing now include an effort towards remaking?” Read the rest of the article here.

John Prine // The renowned singer/songwriter John Prine was an anchor of the Chicago music scene in the 70's. He quickly became a folk hero both in and outside of the music industry, known for his iconoclastic, brilliant lyrics - many thought of him as their "Mark Twain". He was posthumously named the poet laureate of Illinois this past June after dying from complications due to Covid-19. You can listen to his final recording of the beautiful song "I Remember Everything" here.

Alua Arthur // Alua Arthur is a death doula who has been a prominent voice in the field for quite some time. Although end of life work has been done for generations by people of color, the conversation has still been dominated by white voices. Arthur has been instrumental in highlighting the impact of racial bias and racism on the ability to access a 'good death' and the importance of giving voice and space to multiple experiences. In her words, “The American dream is shaped by the white experience, and the way we conceive of a good death is largely based on the values we hold for living a good life…Black people and people of color are not a monolith, and it’s very important that other people join in this conversation.”

You can read about Alua Arthur and “Sayin’ It Louder: A Conversation About a Good Death in a Racist Society” here…

and watch Alua Arthur’s You Tube video exploring her doula work here…

Calm App // Relax with Calm, a simple mindfulness meditation app that brings clarity and peace of mind into your life. Get the app at the button below.

Michael Meade // describes himself as a storyteller and a scholar of mythology, anthropology and psychology. He is also the founder of the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation which seeks cultural healing through story. In his book, Why the World Doesn’t End, he writes about the many different end times myths. He sees the archetype of apocalypsis being expressed once again. What he points out though is that the threads of the next beginning are always present in the endings. The task now is to cultivate those beginnings like your life depends on it - because it does. You can find him here.

Alternate Nostril Breathing // This is an ancient technique from the yogic tradition that is the simplest yet one of the most effective balancing interventions available. You’ll notice a change in your anxiety levels in a few minutes and it’s pretty much always an available option. Try it here.

Interested in collaborating?

On a final note we’d like to issue a call to collaborate in building our online community. Please let us know if you’d like to participate as a guest blogger - you can find us at info@exitstrategyfordying.com

EXIT STRATEGY FOR DYING