About Rose Gordon - End of Life Doula and Educator
I am a non-medical person, providing emotional and spiritual support to dying people and their caregivers based on three decades of education and direct hospice experience. My wish for those i serve is that their wisdom, compassion and confidence to be with dying is supported and nurtured.
Why the compass rose logo? On a rolling ship at night by the light of a flickering lamp, the petals of the compass rose (which showed the winds and cardinal directions) had to be clearly visible. Sometimes we too feel we are on a rolling ship, headed to a distant mysterious shore line, with only a flickering lamp light to guide us.
My commitment is to hold a steady, bright light so you can find YOUR “true north” and rediscover your resilience and flexibilty for navigating into mystery. This will support you as you readjust to the waves and winds of life without losing your sense of direction or losing sight of the shore you are traveling towards.
In 1989 I spent 3 days in a bedside vigil for a friend who was dying. My experience with my friend and her extended family inspired my ongoing commitment to cultivate spiritual and practical skills in the compassionate companionship of individuals moving into the end of their life.
Since that time I've learned that we can indeed stand beside those who are dying and those with life-limiting disease in a way that brings hope, healing and comfort. Our presence, compassion and thoughtful attention can make an essential difference and enable all involved to move towards peace and a sense of enduring wholeness. Together, we can navigate the emotions, decisions and actions that need tending.
I weave together an approach that uses my degree in Hospice and Grief Counseling, years of training in counseling modalities, experience as Director and faculty member for the Being with Dying Project at Upaya Zen Center, over a decade of training hospice volunteers and six years as Spiritual Coordinator for my local hospice. My experience weaves a spacious and flexible container that can hold you lightly and allow your inner wisdom to ring loud, clear and true.
My approach has also been informed by intensive time with healers and teachers of several traditions and I've been "inspirited" by years at the bedsides of my community members as well as my recent volunteer time at a hospice in India.
My work in Ceremony is guided and informed by years of experience with indigenous healers. I do not claim to be of their traditional lineage, but their guidance and wisdom continues to inform my life and how I approach death, dying and living.
Often our dreams towards the end of life can open a door to our deepest concerns and provide valuable guidance about the ways we can respond to the profound time of transition. I spent several years practicing Dreamwork with highly skilled teachers and have participated in a Circle of Dreamers in Taos for over 28 years. I learned an ecologically respectful approach to dreams that is based on respect for the wisdom of the dream and the ways that wisdom can support of our waking lives. I would be honored to bring that experience to being with you and your dreams.
I offer my skills to foster your personal resiliency as you deepen your capacity to fully engage with the d as both dying time of life as both a witness and participant.
Radio shows, Writing and Recorded Presentations:
Invitation and initiation, presentation at Unity Taos, Feb. 2022 - go to UnityTaos and look for my name and date! listen or download! https://www.unityoftaos.org/?p=133
A reading from my children's chapter book, The Gatekeeper at SOMOS (Society of the Muse of the Southwest) March, 2016
"A Life of Call & Response" -Conversation with Mag Dimond on her Bowing to Elephants podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/009-a-call-response-life/id1573055463?i=1000530855586
" Loving and Living the Questions" UnityTaos, July 18, 2021 https://clyp.it/user/uobtxpz4
"A Full Heart" Unity Taos March 14 2021 https://clyp.it/bqilhrkc
"Ritual, Celebration, Rest and Remembrance" Unity Taos Nov. 1, 2020 https://clyp.it/fr4mxgv1
"Where Light and Dark Mingle" Unity Taos, August 30, 2020 https://clyp.it/2gayn11h
The Broken Open Heart Unity Taos, https://clyp.it/user/uobtxpz4
"Feeding the Fire: Honest Work in Dark Times, A talk of Unity of Taos, Jan. 2017
"Navigating by Soul Light in Shadowed Times", A talk at Unity of Taos, July, 2016 https://clyp.it/rlgwghgn
"Succoth:Celebrating a Harvest of the Heart", A talk at Unity of Taos, Sept. 2015 https://clyp.it/zcnnlx3t
Filling Up and Spilling Over: Sweet Nectar and Tonglen, a talk at Unity of Taos, Feb. 2015
"Attention, Generosity and a Bountiful Life", a talk at Unity Taos, Oct.2015 https://clyp.it/vnzv3sex
"Kisagotami; A Journey from Separation to Unity" a talk at Unity of Taos, May 18, 2014 https://clyp.it/xzbo424p
" Love Medicine for Challenging Times", a talk at Unity of Taos, March 23, 2014
"Watering the Seeds of Life" a talk at Unity of Taos, December 1, 2013 https://clyp.it/5hbyenrj
For a pre-recorded conversation with Ann White on her blog radio show, Creating Calm Within Chaos listen here!
You can listen to a podcast of an interview with Patti Porter, The Texas Conflict Coach, about ways to ease family conflict at the end of life here:
Other New Projects!
Read about my time volunteering at hospice in India on FB, Rose Gordon, Circle of Compassionate Care
Learn about an award winning film I co-produced, Bon: Mustang to Menri if you go to:
http://www.bon-mustang-to-menri.com and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bon-Mustang-to-Menri
Learn about the book I wrote: The Gatekeeper: A Bon Lama's story for chidren and adults by going to http://www.facebook.com/TheGatekeeperABonLamasStoryForChildrenAndAdults or find it on Amazon.