Contemplating death in relationship to conscious living: a mindfulness-based community training

In an attempt to support community members interested in increasing their capacity to relate to death and dying, a two-part community training was developed and offered. Fourteen participants met on two consecutive Saturdays for four hours each day. Program content included an introduction to mindfulness practice and discussions about holistic self-care. Participants also explored and discussed their feelings and beliefs about death and dying and received emotional support from one another throughout the process. Participants completed a qualitative program evaluation at the conclusion of the training. Results from the evaluations included 100% of participants stating they would recommend the training to others. The inclusion of mindfulness processes and the opportunity to receive social support were reported to be the most valuable parts of the training.