For generations, families lovingly cared for their dead at home. Before the rise of the modern funeral industry, home funerals were a natural, sacred part of life, and of grieving.Today, many of us feel called to return to this beautiful way of saying goodbye. But first, we need to remember what our ancestors once knew.Join us for a mock home funeral, a gentle, hands-on experience that will help you feel more comfortable, confident, and supported in creating home funerals and death rituals.

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What we practice, hands on

We will have a live actor to practice the home funeral experience with. Thanks to our actor we will practice
- Body care at home
- Timelines for care
- Conducting Ritual
- Abiding by the wishes of the deceased
- Shrouding

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What we discuss

- Body preparation and preservation
- Transportation and logistics
- Body disposition
- Value of body care for greivers
- Value of death awareness

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About the Faclitator

Jennifer Jurlando is a trained death doula and Reiki provider, a ritual facilitator, and a death educator. She currently leads grief support groups for preschoolers and assisted living communities and has also led perinatal and child loss groups for Full Circle Grief Center and The Miss Foundation. Jennifer is an adjunct instructor in VCU’s Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program, where she teaches a course on Death and Grief. Her writing on loss, survival, and worth has been published online at RVAMAG and Life in 10 Minutes and in the anthologies, Unspoken: Writers on Infertility, Miscarriage, and Stillbirth, and Nine Lives: A Life in Ten Minutes Anthology. She believes that mindful conversations and experiences about death make it possible to live life more authentically. Jennifer has a years-long ancestral veneration practice, facilitates monthly self-care ritual groups, and is driven to help people plan for the sacred space linking the end of life, death’s arrival, and body blessing rituals.

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The Details

Date: TBDTime: TBD
Location: TBDCost: FreeFacilitator: Jennifer Jurlando
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 804-304-5602Co-Facilitator: Lauren Bell
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 970-216-5015

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About the "Deceased"

Tava Baird is the author of The Spiral Pathways series and The Book of Samael.Tava is a Pagan mentor, folk artist, bone caster, poppet-maker and Mystical Musings podcast co-host.Visit Tava's website here

About the Space

Nestled in the heart of downtown Richmond, Holistic Life Studios is a one-stop destination for professional connection and creativity. Designed with therapists, lawyers, and wellness practitioners in mind, the space offers everything you need to thrive. From private offices and co-working areas to a podcast studio, versatile event spaces, and rooms perfect for group therapy sessions, we provide the tools and environment to support success.
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