Welcome to our Reading & Discussion Group

             Doing the MindShift ... "In the Power of Now"   

Our next book study for Doing the MindShift book club is The American Book of Dying by Richard Groves & Henriette Anne Klauser .

For most people, the thought of dying or caring for a terminally ill friend or relative raises fears and questions as old as humanity: What is a “good death?” What preparations should be made? How do we best support our loved ones? In The American Book of Dying, authors Richard F. Groves and Henriette Anne Klauser offer comfort, direction, and hope for both the living and the dying through this collection of nine archetypal stories that reveal insightful and timeless lessons about death and dying. This invaluable resource features a historic overview of the hospice movement; a survey of the sacred art of dying according to monastic, Celtic, Tibetan, Egyptian and other traditions; and extensive information on therapies such as coma therapy, music therapy, and rituals for remembering. Drawing from a variety of real-life experiences, Groves and Klauser present simple and effective ideas for easing the emotional pain associated with facing the end of life. The American Book of Dying gives you permission and courage to trust your deepest instincts, as well as a reminder that, by telling the stories of those who have died, we remember and continue to learn from their experiences.

Today will be an ordinary day for most. The sun will rise and set on familiar work and relationships, but for some of our relatives and neighbors -- today will not be ordinary. For them, life as they have known it will come to an end. Today they will die. Most people have some warning about impending death and will die a natural death due to long-term disease or the aging process. In the face of dying, fears and questions as old as humanity arise.

According to the next book we are studying, THE AMERICAN BOOK OF DYING, -- America has two trends regarding death and dying. The first is related to the outstanding contribution of the hospice movement. Within one generation, comfort care has changed the face of end-of-life medicine. Fewer persons die in pain and families do not bear the responsibility of caregiving alone. The second trend is troublesome. Eventhough Americans have this amazing support for the dying, we do not generally die well. Something essential is missing. In this book the authors feel there is an answer to what is missing. It draws on the wisdom from our ancestor's legacy on the "art of dying" handed down in the ancient books of dying. It is this wisdom that appears to be missing in our modern day care of the dying.

Byron Katie talks a lot about death and dying in her book, A Thousand Names for Joy. She says, “No one knows what's good and what's bad. No one knows what death is. Maybe it's not a something; maybe it's not even a nothing. It's the pure unknown, and I love that. We imagine that death is a state of being or a state of nothingness, and we frighten ourselves with our own concepts. I'm a lover of what is; I love sickness and health, coming and going, life and death. I see life and death as equal. Reality is good, so death must be good, whatever it is, if it's anything at all.”

“Until you experience death as a gift, your work's not done. So if you're afraid of it, that shows you what to question next. There's nothing else to do; you're either believing these childish stories, or you're questioning them-there's no other choice. What's not okay about dying? You close your eyes every night, and you go to sleep. People look forward to it; some people actually prefer that part. And that's as bad as it gets, except for your belief that says there's something else. Before a thought, there's no one, nothing -- only peace that doesn't even recognize itself as peace.”

Join us in this in-depth study for the next month or so and learn the "art of dying" as it applies to our life situations!

You are invited to join us every Thursday from 6:30-8:00 PM Barnes and Noble Booksellers (off Loop 250 next to the Olive Garden)  2617 West Loop 250 N Midland, TX 79705 432-682-8880  A big THANK YOU for providing this wonderful space! (click here for directions) When you enter the bookstore,  ask at the customer service desk where we are meeting.
For more information, please go to our meetup page at:   www.meetup.com/MindShift If interested, JOIN our Midland Meetup for access to our calendar, discussion board, and information on future local events.
We really look forward to seeing all of you. Enjoy! Debbie @ Doing the MindShift "In the Power of Now" Reading & Discussion Group Midland  TX   USA www.meetup.com/MindShift www.BeingReal.ning.com www.TheFeminineWhisperers.net