Course · Virtual
Head & Heart: End of Life Planning
- When
- Saturdays 10am–12pm PT · Oct 3 – 24, 2026 (4 weeks)
- Format
- Virtual
- Price
- $450.00 USD
A learning experience you won't find anywhere else
There's more to end-of-life planning than getting your legal and financial affairs in order. The piece surrounding advance care planning most people skip is the emotional aspect, considering what their legacy will be and how they can support those they leave behind with a road map of what matters most to them.
Join us for the opportunity to explore, define and craft your end-of-life plans and your living legacy as we contemplate our mortality within a community of care. Hosted by two end-of-life care providers, we’ll focus on what truly matters ~ the ripples we create while living and the stories we leave behind.
Who is this for?
This course is ideal for anyone who has started to explore these topics but is uncertain what to do next. Some people come because they know they have gaps in their advance plans, and others are compelled by a life-changing experience such as a difficult diagnosis or the death of a loved one.
Wherever you're starting from, this experience invites you to explore mortality with openness, practical wisdom, and compassionate guidance.
What to expect
This four-part series begins with community connection and personal reflection before diving into the practical and emotional realities that often surround dying, death and grief. Together, we'll explore advance care planning, funeral and memorial ideas, the role legacy and ritual, and ways to create an end-of-life plan that reflects your values.
You'll leave with practical tools, curated resources, thoughtful next steps, and the confidence that comes from understanding your options and feeling empowered to leave a road map for your loved ones.
Why this matters
Most people start their end-of-life planning in a legal setting, often in the middle of a crisis. We believe there's a better way, one that recognizes the emotional experiences of this incredibly important work.
By coming together as a community to explore these topics, you will not only get your practical and emotional affairs in order, you will also be gifted the opportunity to consider what you need and want surrounding your own end-of-life experience, as well as of those you love.
What's included
The cost for this course ($450) includes four live workshops, comprehensive resources, practical planning tools, and ongoing support from two experienced educators who have guided hundreds of individuals and families through these conversations.
More importantly, you'll leave with something that's difficult to put a price on: greater confidence, clarity, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you've taken meaningful steps toward a well-considered end-of-life plan.
Curriculum
- Workshop 1 · Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m. PDT
The Connection Workshop
We begin by connecting as a community, sharing our stories and where we are each at in our own end-of-life plans, and setting intentions for the weeks ahead.
- Workshop 2 · Sat, Oct 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m. PDT
The Before Workshop
We then explore reflection practices and rituals we can do to plan for the anticipatory space before a death, and we consider what it means to live and die well.
- Workshop 3 · Sat, Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 a.m. PDT
The During Workshop
Next, we consider the moments and milestones that surround the end of life and explore rituals that can accompany the moments of dying and immediate aftermath.
- Workshop 4 · Sat, Oct 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. PDT
The After Workshop
Finally, we consider the different body disposition options, explore funeral and memorial planning as ceremony rather than logistics, and reflect on what we want our legacy to be.
What participants say
You will get concrete information that will help you with end-of-life planning, as well as interaction with wonderful people and inspiration to put your legacy in place.
I told people that while I thought I was "prepared" with my will, POA and Healthcare directive, I realized in this course that there is SO much more to do. Megan and Christa offered practical information as well as wonderful stories and ritual examples.
Megan & Christa bring their collective gifts together to weave a beautiful experience with tangible take aways. This is for any aged person who wants to explore meaning and legacy (and maybe a push to get their wills, Section 9 representation agreement & enduring power of attorney paperwork done once they get back!)
I came to this with a very loosely articulated legacy and End of Life plan. I left with tools and inspiration to carry the plan forward. I was nurtured by caring, interesting, motivated people to share my journey. The workshops were wise, well-organized, creative and caring.
This was a wonderful combination of "head" and "heart". I now feel more confident in ensuring my paperwork is done well, and living each day fully, making a positive impact on my community.
Facilitators
Megan Sheldon
Megan Sheldon (she/her) is a cultural mythologist, humanist celebrant, end-of-life doula, and co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world's first guided ritual and ceremony platform. She is the author of Ritual Without Religion: A Humanist Guide to Creating Secular Ceremonies, and has spent years crafting ceremonies across the life cycle, with a focus on grief and the less visible moments of change and transition.
Christa Ovenell
Christa is a licensed funeral director & embalmer, end-of-life doula and founder of Death’s Apprentice Education & Planning, a company specializing in holistic advance care planning for individuals and groups. She’s also a WillowEOL educator.
