Life-Death-Life Cycle, a group enquiry using touch and words. An in-person short course.

Group work exploring death and loss with touch on the clothed body and words, spoken and written, incorporating sitting and walking meditation, chi gung, rest, image-making, and ritual. These in-person workshops are for those interested in being with others and taking time to notice how physical contact, intention and mindfulness, and careful, respectful listening can support themselves and others in matters of death and loss. You are welcome if you are someone concerned with these subjects, a bodyworker, talk therapist, health practitioner, death café host, teacher, artist or writer. Please note that there will not be long periods of time spent in debate and conversation. There will be time allowed at the end for one-to-one conversations or quiet time before leaving.

 Venue: tbc Edinburgh

Time and date: Saturdays 18th January and 15th February 2025, 10am – 4pm

 You will learn:

·       Ways to touch that are supportive of grief, loss and end-of-life care

·       Basic Clean Questions

·       Mindful exercises

·       And much more from each other

 These sharing sessions will be based on openness, honesty and respect. Everyone over the age of 18 years is welcome. No professional training will be assumed. We will work from the perspective that everyone, whatever their background, race, gender, age, or beliefs will contribute equally. Maximum participant number: 12

 A collective document will be opened before day 1, and everyone will be invited to add to it. A link will be sent to you on receipt of booking. For example, you will be able to contribute to a reading / watching list of articles, videos, images, quotes and books. A light task will be suggested to stimulate further reflection between the 2 course days (requiring approx. 3 hours attention) and time will be set aside during the second day for sharing and feedback on this. The document will then be available to keep after the end of the course to remind, prompt and inspire.

We will not be wearing shoes during the workshop. Please respect other group members by washing your hands and changing into clean work clothes and socks when you arrive. (It is hard to avoid getting dirty or spattered by rain water when you walk, and this can be unsanitary in a touch workshop situation.) The venue will be open 20 minutes in advance to allow for this.

 Bring with you:

·       Warm clothes and socks, as above

·       A mat or blankets (one to lie on if you don’t have a mat, and one to cover yourself with)

·       A cushion

·       Notepad and pen

·       Coloured pencils or felt-tipped pens

·       Water to drink

Cost: £130. Booking will open shortly via Eventbrite

 The course will be led by Tamsin who is a Shiatsu and Clean Language practitioner, author of Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice, a guide to holistic bodywork in palliative care and interested in collective enquiries into matters of death and loss which often include grief and end-of-life / palliative care.