Death, Me, Dying Tree (DMDT) aims to spread awareness about positive death practices while providing a brave space to mourn and celebrate as a collective. The project works towards repairing the broken relationship to death by fostering community learning and replacing the notion of death as an “end” with the freeing concept of death as part of the life cycle. DMDT tailors live events to reflect the needs and strengths of each community it serves. The project is a constantly evolving resource with three cornerstones, which include:
Free live, participatory events across the U.S. to help communities release the fear of death and celebrate life with live music and performances by local artists, death meditation, breath, and life invocation, and information about supportive living and dying practices.
Free online platform providing practical, eco-friendly, and legal resources, all available to the public via a Creative Commons license
A future documentary showcasing these events. DMDT is both a service project and a living, breathing experiment that explores how society can grow and evolve into a community that not only celebrates and respects life but also celebrates and respects death, ultimately becoming greener, healthier, and freer.
DMDT is led by Lana Smithner, the founder and facilitator of this project. Smithner is a certified Death Doula by Rev. Olivia Bareham of Sacred Crossings, a former volunteer for Family Hospice Care of Palm Springs, a certified yoga teacher by Ana Forrest, Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra guide certified by Jennifer Reis of Kripalu, and a Certified Reiki Master and Teacher by Cory Croymans of the Asian Healing Arts Center and Alan Waugh. She began her career as a performing artist and is thrilled to combine the creative arts, activism, and healing arts with communities across the U.S.
