There is a sacred stillness that often enters the room when someone is nearing the end of their life. The world outside may continue its noise and bustle, but here, at the threshold, time softens. As a Death Doula, I have come to see this liminal space—not as a place of fear—but as a profound invitation: to listen, to witness, to ease the passage.

We are a culture adept at beginnings—births, weddings, new ventures—but we often shy away from endings. Death, for many, is still something to be fought, denied, or kept hidden. My role is to bring it into the light. Not to hasten it, not to delay it, but to accompany it with presence, reverence, and grace.

In this work, I have seen that dying is not just a medical event. It is a deeply human, emotional, and spiritual experience. Whether in a quiet home or a hospital bed, whether surrounded by loved ones or in solitude, each death is as unique as the life that preceded it. My task is to hold space for the dying and their families—to comfort, to clarify, to honor the story that is concluding.

Swami Laxman Das aka John Shinavier MA, RYT, 310-402-3130, jjshinavier@gmail.com