Cultural Practices in Death and Grief and What They Teach Us

with Aranja Berkmüller

Join Aranja for an exploration of how different cultures handle the complexities of death, from funeral rites to the grieving process. What values and strategies do they have in common?

Despite our numerous differences, there are certain principles underlying many worldwide customs around death and grief that are remarkably similar. We just seem to have lost touch with them, especially as the pace of life increases and we become averse to anything that is not growth.

What do these traditions teach us about death and loss? How might we (re)connect to their supporting principles? And how might we adapt these principles to our current situation without culturally appropriating?

Aranja will touch upon several traditions in this workshop, placing special emphasis on Southeast Asian and Buddhist customs, sharing from her own heritage.