LA CULTURA EMBRACING THE SACRED DARKNESS AT THE HOUSE OF LIGHT: DEATH DOULA RETREAT TAKES PLACE IN ORGIVA, GRANADA

Learn to support the dying and the bereaved, with a practical yet spiritual retreat and course from April 1-6

THE importance of time, care, and community when people die, or are bereaved, can’t be overstated. And, yet, for many people, these are times of loneliness and isolation. Returning to the Alpujarran market town of Orgiva this spring is the Sacred Circle Training Co., a social enterprise that provides its internationally renowned ‘End of Life Doula’ preparation course.

Starting with a five-day retreat at the House of Light from 1-6 April, the course then continues for 12 months online, providing high quality materials and facilitation.

Alexandra Derwen, founder and lead facilitator, says: “You may have heard the term ‘doula’ in relation to birth. Coming from the ancient Greek word for ‘servant’, a doula is a lay person who offers com panionship, advocacy, and emotional support. As well as attending at births, doulas are found at death and times of grief.”

Alexandra add: “Many course participants lean how to apply spirituality in serving the dying and bereaved, make peace with the sacred darkness, and embrace being in a global community of kindred spirits.”

“By remembering the lost death rites of the European traditions - and working with the ancestors of our land, place, and space – we are guided towards the right relationship with the other-than-human world. Coming together with stories of death, loss and grief helps us to celebrate our humani-