Contemplative Care for Those Seeking Peace
on Their Homecoming Journey
In Western culture, care for the deeper aspects of illness and dying are largely unsupported endeavors. An important and often overlooked addition to what palliative care and hospice can provide is an unwavering concern for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
As an End of Life Doula, I am devoted to this level of care and concern.
Considering the realities of end-of-life care can be unsettling at times. Compassionate contemplative care allows for the entertainment of curiosity and a playfulness to contrast with the insecurity of not knowing. It allows for the possibility of being okay with not knowing; even providing space for realizing a sort of knowing in the not knowing.
I am passionate about guiding people to learn how to use challenging situations, such as the end of life process, as opportunities for contemplative inquiry.
Central to contemplative inquiry is practicing how to turn a challenging event into an opportunity for transformational learning. At the core of this kind of inquiry is listening with the fullness of one’s mind, heart, and spirit. In our work together, my role is to coach you in listening anew, to encourage and remind you of who you truly are, to hold your hand through as much of the process as you need until I am no longer needed.
As a contemplative caregiver, you have my compassionate, nonjudgmental listening ear as you work through any unfinished business, fostering peace and comfort for your transition Home.
Imagine choosing how you meet the uncertainty of illness and dying.
Imagine embracing what cannot be fixed or changed from a place of curiosity rather than fear.
Imagine dying as embarking on a journey of
self-discovery that yields compassion for what is unknown and unknowable.
Imagine that the span that makes up one's end of life can be a time of personal transformation and discovery, if you choose it.
This is the work I specialize in and am excited to invite you into, whether you have a terminal diagnosis or are simply curious about your mortality and open to what it has to reveal to you.
What Lies Beyond the Gate?
Death is the opposite of birth rather than the opposite of life. If death is held in the same sacred space as birth, then people may find peace with the dissolving of the physical body and the separate life situation manifested in our short physical experience.
True wisdom is learning to wish that each thing should come to pass as it does."
Epictetus
Your Guide in Contemplative Exploration
Ocean Phillips PhD, MDiv
The spiritual dimensions of death as a potential moment for awakening
have been of great interest to me.
This is at the heart of the spirit of care that I bring to those I serve.
Two themes that have been intertwined in my life situation are the search for truth and the authentic self, and serving others. A major shift in my life situation occurred when a spiritual partner introduced me to sacred plant medicine meditations. These were often led directly or indirectly by the assistants of indigenous shamans. Many of the meditations held in the context of community addressed the theme of death in various dimensions for the death of the ego, death of the self, and death of the body, as well as the pervasiveness of the soul or the essence that has no birth and no death. At the same time members of the community spoke about the concept of death doulas.
This work of companioning others at end of life has been part of my life course,
which has now come to fruition.
What I Bring to Those I Accompany
Listening beyond the limits of the spoken word; developing a safe space that fosters genuine community.
Sitting in the presence of what is and holding space with others, while encouraging contemplative inquiry and continued spiritual growth and expansion.
Designing legacy projects and vigils with those living life more fully by preparing for their eventual death.
Conducting appropriate ritual to address grief in personal loss of loved ones, breakups of relationships, loss of jobs and other social roles.
What People Are Saying...
Dear Ocean,
I can’t thank you enough for your sincere acts of kindness. You brought truth and beauty into my life when I needed it the most. My condition worsens, but my respect for decent people like you lights up the time and place of my fading presence on this troubled planet. Your Friend Forever, John
"In medieval times dying people were seen as prophetic souls, voyagers and pilgrims valuable to the community in a number of ways, not least in the opportunity for those around them for service and spiritual growth."
Sandol Stoddard, The Hospice Movement
Curious and want to learn more?
Contact me to arrange for a free 30 minute consultation
It is my honor to serve you
I invite you to subscribe to receive periodic updates and blog posts when they're published:
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.