Joellyn
Title: Death Midwife
Age: Ageless
Sun Sign: Cancer
Chinese Sign: Fire Monkey
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
About Me:
Hello, my name is Joellyn and I am a death midwife.
I didn't start out that way though. In the first half of my life, I was a professional actress/singer/dancer on Broadway. I also choreographed and taught around the country. Eventually, I met up with a brilliant pianist and teamed up with him for seven years, singing in night clubs and writing songs together.
Then AIDS struck. Not only did it take most of my friends, acquaintances and co-workers from theatre but it also took my beloved pianist. It took my life as I knew and lived it up to that point…and I was devastated.
The next fifteen years were years of great anguish, searching, questioning and deep study - What is death? What is life? What are my beliefs about them? How do I live my life from here on out? What now is my purpose? These questions drove me to the brink and back….and I am now reborn.
In the second half of my life, I am an ordained interfaith minister creating a “conscious death” ministry. To support that intention, I earned a Doctorate of Divinity in Death and Dying. In Home With God In A Life That Never Ends, the final book in Neale Donald Walsch's Conversation With God series (which I highly recommend), “God” says, You do not have to be “ordained” to be a minister in the world. God has ordained you by virtue of your being alive. I know this in my heart to be true yet I felt that until everyone else got the memo, it might put some people and organizations more at ease if I had the worldly credentials.
I've devoted a good deal of time to hospices throughout the country. Recently, through a local hospice, I was co-facilitator of a bereavement support group and also a vigil volunteer - vigiling with those actively dying who would otherwise be “alone.”
In a moment of beautiful synchronicity, I was asked if I would consider joining our largest hospital's palliative care unit as a volunteer, companioning the dying and lending support to their families. This is turning out to be a phenomenal opportunity to help shape this fledgling unit.
Our local newspaper did an article on the work I do:
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=130148&ran=169669
The video:
http://www.hamptonroads.tv/index.cfm?locvid=130106
Currently, I am creating a death midwifery program with the intention of teaching what I do to others. We will also learn some techniques based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Anya Foos-Gaber's Deathing to prepare for our own transitions into the non-physical in a more conscious way.
The first workshop offered this past Septmeber was filled and the interest is great, so I am offering another introductory workshop in January and a Level 1 training in February. Please visit for more information:
www.deathmidwifery.com
I see my role as a death midwife as it is my belief that, being immortal, what we call “death” is but a vibrational shift or birth into a different level or frequency of consciousness.
There is also a book on the subject in the works. Also in the future, I hope to offer CD's with orginial music. A huge amount of what I do involves the use of music and sometimes voice to create and support the sacred space required for one to make this most mysterious and awesome transition with grace and dignity.
I have a wonderful husband to share this life's journey with and with whom I hope to learn more about joy. We would like to travel the world offering workshops and seminars together.
He brings to this marriage a lovely grown daughter and delightful five year old granddaughter, who I believe, is half elf.
Member Since: Saturday, July 08 2006
Last Visit: 5 days ago.
Profile Viewed: 1326 times (last viewed less than a minute ago)
Things Joellyn Loves
Goals
- To fully live from my oneness with God
- To experience joy more consistently
- To travel, travel, travel!
- To have my death midwifery program up and running
- To have my book published
- To create and produce my Cds
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