Homeward
Conscious Dying/Living Guide & Educator
Every path leads homeward,
every step is birth,
every step is death,
every grave is mother.
- Hermann Hesse
My Story
My Passion as a Conscious Dying Guide/Educator
My hope is to be a part of changing our Death-Denying
culture, to bring death back to its Sacred place.
The idea of death, at a young age seemed so disconnected, “here today, gone tomorrow” without any real substance to absorb mentally.
I didn’t understand at the time why funerals were so beautiful to me, I loved the energy in a funeral home.
Growing up in a place and time where my world was made up of loved ones who had no choice but to live under an umbrella of "I am tough," where healthy feelings were rarely a priority.
In these moments, at one’s funeral... deep exhale... big smile... I saw people become more themselves, more vulnerable (my favourite) and the one’s who had died, came alive in the faces and in the stories of loved ones.
My whole life changed the night of a lucid dream, where my intuition tuned into the only path in sight. It was so clear and led me to the end.
The Night it all began, When Death Visited to Say,“Hello”
There I was, in that space between the two worlds of sleep and here. This old house and its aging bones grumbling in disagreement with the nights idea of quiet. It wasn't so late when I fell asleep, dreaming a dream my memory promised never to tell me.
Appearing from nowhere, a flash of my face ... with all the feelings of taking my very last breath. I sat up with a gasp of all the air I couldn't find in my dream...
I know it wasn’t real?! But my feelings were.
3 am, this fear came through in this majestic message, it has finally made it to the surface, realizing my death denying notions can no longer live with me.
Laying still ... in shock ... my nervous system in overdrive ... these eyes wouldn't close until the next night.
Holy Smokes! Where do I go from here?
Well here I am, walking Homeward.
With eyes wide open, learning along the way.
My story is of perpetual healing, a life and production in practice. Finding and loosing, what was once, unexplored parts of myself, expanding limiting spaces created by an artificial lens.
All this by befriending my fears of death, little did I know, this is where my fears of life lived all along.
Homeward's Manifesto
Guide and support
in creating an autonomous vision of what a
conscious life and death mean to you.
Unearth and restore death
back to its natural place; a sacred rite of passage.
To be a part of the curious conversations
unearthing meaningful relationships with life and death.
Explore and discover
transformational healing and awaken to
what's most precious in your life.
About Me
I’m Berri,
I grew up in Northern Ontario where we spent our summers on the lake in a small cabin, it was like visiting another world and where I became a water-baby,
I moved to Alberta, with me and my son's life, all packed into 5 suitcases. My dream, for some time was to be a carpenter, so I jumped in feet first. The skills and knowledge I gained are still paying off today.
As my family grew, I began a woodworking business creating artisan kitchen boards and wooden spoons to accompany our daily rituals around food.
These past 4 years I have been studying about death in: books, conversations, volunteering, attending workshops and talks. Recently certified as a:
Sacred Passage Death Doula
Conscious Dying Coach
Conscious Dying Educator
When asked, "What's your favourite thing to do?"
It would be having a real, raw, human conversation;
talking about what breaks our hearts wide open,
the hilarious blunders of life that shape us in all our losses
and blessings.
I look forward to connecting with you, where ever you may be in this deep hearted work.
About Me
Some Bits About Me
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I live for road trips, deep conversations, live music, immature banter and an epic underdog story.
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Unique, curious and weird wit will win me over every time.
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I am irrationally afraid of people who scare me. Sometimes I can’t help but scare other’s and immediately regret it due to potential retaliation.
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Water is my preferred habitat.
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My friends lift me up and continually make me a better person.
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I was raised with thick skin, every dinner was a “roast”.
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I used to be terrified when my kids would say they heard something in the night, but acted like i wasn’t.
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My favourite way to meditate is floating in water or in a bathtub.
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I love strategic games.
I Prefer
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Cabin to hotel
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Small town to City
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Water to mountains
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Buy old to new
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Non-fiction to fiction
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Live music to any event
Who I Help
How I Do It
What's in it For You
For those who would like to:
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save you and your loved ones time, added stress, unnecessary heartache and money.
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create a path to walk lighter in life
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shift your energy from feeling powerless around death
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Online
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I bring an open, non-judgemental space where we will create an end-of-life plan together.
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With 1:1 coaching or a group setting, for 5/6 weeks we will explore and discover how end of life planning can teach us how to live a fuller, more conscious life.
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an end-of-life plan
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being more comfortable with meaningful conversations around life and death
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experience a space with guidance and support for your autonomous vision
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give our loved ones what they need to better advocate and support us.
"It should be a sacred day for you when one of your people die, a sacred day when a soul is released and returns to its home." - Black Elk