Imagine living every day with the knowing that as you enter the twilight years of your life you will be cherished and cared for to the bone, by a community that will be there for you and with you until your parting breath.
Imagine knowing that when the time comes when you may be in need of 24/7 support, the nursing home you go to will not just be glitzy on the outside, with ‘cosy’ described on the brochure but rarely felt in the actual home itself. Imagine knowing that what is before you as you are close to parting from this life, is an ending that’s glorious, as you are surrounded by people who are your family through and through regardless of whether they’re a blood relation or not.
Imagine taking your very last breath in the knowing that in this lifetime you have felt what it is to live in brotherhood, and that it’s in the glorious warmth of brotherhood that you will one day again return to.
Pipe dream? Far from it. For the students of The Way of The Livingness the world over, this is how we care for our elders. It goes without saying, it goes without thinking. Care is in the essence of how we live, and in the essence of how we are with those who need our support, be it in illness, a passing problem or in the closing years of our lives.
The Way of The Livingness is re-defining what has been reduced today to a lucrative industry by the private health-care market, which is capitalising on how as a society we treat and regard our elderly and ultimately, ourselves. Care has all but been thrown out the window, jettisoned as the majority in the world today have succumbed to the longing for outer recognition and success. The fact that it’s only from a foundation of true care that we can then enrich all aspects of our lives and be truly successful, has been forgotten. The vacant, abandoned look in the eyes of the elderly who pass by, as they shrink away from life long before they pass over, is an indictment of the lack of quality of life we have allowed to be acceptable.
Respect and dignity are birthrights for all, from the day we are born to the day our eyes are closed for the very last time. So is love.
We are born in the bundle of love we innately are, and it is our natural right to remain in that love until the end of our days and beyond. Most in the world today live in the absence of remembering this fact, and death and dying are synonymous with the cold feeling of dread; for the vulnerability of the human body has nothing to fall back on and deeply rest in when there is no foundation of true care to hold it.
The Way of The Livingness is turning this sorry state around. To live in the knowing that as we reach our parting years we will be held in the warmth and care we innately deserve gives us the freedom to live every day in the joy we are meant to live in. We go about our lives in the knowing that true care underpins everything, and that it’s in this full embrace of ourselves that we then surround ourselves with love and true family until our dying breath.
By Katerina Nikolaidis, 41 years, Melbourne
Further Reading:
Death and Dying – The Cycle of Life and Death
Death & Dying – A Taboo Topic or a Joyful, Normal Conversation?
The Quality of Mercy: A New Perspective on Aged Care
The Way of the Livingness is my Religion
566 Comments
In the cycle of life and lives to we enter and leave each life with the same wonder, love and cherishing?
I was working alongside a group of Universal Medicine students who choose to live in accordance to ‘The way of The Livingness’ and it was a magical experience for me. We all worked together as one unit there was laughter and chatting as we all got on with the task at hand there was no bossiness of it has to be done in a certain way, there were no personalities just a one unified group working with one purpose. My heart was over flowing with love for these people for the harmony we were in. It shows me that we can all live this way and that the day will come when what I experienced will be common place. I could clearly feel we were living the future now.
‘For the students of The Way of The Livingness the world over, this is how we care for our elders.’ And this is not just for elders but with people who are sick, having surgery and need to be looked after in the hospital or at home, for mothers to be who are expecting and of course once the little one is born. Making love and care part of everyday. I have seen this many times and also been part of support networks and the way a team works together to support someone. And the thing that i really noticed was just how easy, simple and natural it was. And with a team no one feels stressed or if they are taking on more than another because we are all there to support equally. I am and will always be a student of the Way of the Livingness and constantly learning for there is much to learn but you are right in that this way is turning the current and very sorry state of the world around ✨
When surrounding ourselves with love at any age we are prepared for every situation in life and death by the way our response is coming from a Livingness of love and not a reaction to what life can throw our way.
I agree with you Greg when we at last accept that we are surrounded by love that every breath we take is a breath of heaven then reaction falls away like water off a Ducks back. Nothing can touch the purity of love.
I work in care and if you asked anyone they would most likely say it is in a sorry state of affairs. When I bring care and love into the way I am with myself, I then take that to work with me and the difference is felt by all I work with, staff and service users alike.
‘Care is in the essence of how we live, and in the essence of how we are with those who need our support, be it in illness, a passing problem or in the closing years of our lives.’ It is possible to live the future now and the more I take care in essence of how I am with myself and with others, the more striking it is how normalised it is for most to live without it.
Love what you have shared Katerina, and maybe as we will get to passing-over the way we have lived, as this will pave the way for us passing in our sleep without any need for care as our Soul because of the Love we have lived will say you are complete this life time to return to heaven?
I volunteer and see many older people some of them do not have long in this world and I have had many interesting conversations about dying with them and two things stand out. One that many wish they had done more or said what was truly on their minds and not held back and two many are afraid of dying as it is not something that is discussed and so it is a fear of the unknown. So I do wonder why we hold back from this conversation is it because we have a lot of emotional attachment to the person dying? Is it possible that if we knew what happened as we passed over there would be less fear for the person dying and for those who are left behind?
Good call Katerina ‘Imagine taking your very last breath in the knowing that in this lifetime you have felt what it is to live in brotherhood, and that it’s in the glorious warmth of brotherhood that you will one day again return to.” For this is what is possible now.
Self care always starts with self, then when we have this as a foundation we can bring this to others, ‘ true care underpins everything, and that it’s in this full embrace of ourselves that we then surround ourselves with love and true family until our dying breath.’
“Respect and dignity are birthrights for all, from the day we are born to the day our eyes are closed for the very last time. So is love.” How different our world would be if we actually honoured these birthrights in each other without question.
Taking care of our elderly in this way is the most honouring thing we could do for them. And what a blessing, that they may know there is another way to pass over, and that it is possible to return again with this renewed understanding to begin their next life.
Maybe if these teachings are presented to our babies then when pass-over comes our Livingness will hold us in the glorious love that has been lived.
If we take reincarnation in consideration it is a very sad fact that many people pass over not connected with true love and care so that is then also the imprint they will come back with next life and so the cycle goes on. Imagine it being that we pass over knowing love to our bones then the imprint in our next life will be one of love too.
It really is extraordinary as to how many ageing people end up in care homes and are then left to live out their days in an environment that is mostly about function with little integrity or honouring of the people who are being cared for. To offer something different that brings a joy and respect, and true care to these people is surely something we are all worthy and deserving of.
It is so true, we all deserve to pass over with dignity and respect, however what I love about The Way of The Livingness principles is that it doesn’t stop there, in fact it gets taken to many levels beyond that and the absolute care, love and dedication in making sure the person is cared for and looked after by a community is absolutely extraordinary.
The thing about imagining is that it can create pictures, which in my experience usually lead to disappointment. So, maybe something to consider is the relationships that one has each and every day, and where these will lead to is an unknown except for their quality.
I look forward to the day where spending our final days/months and passing over with respect, dignity and love is part of our normal. And I know it is up to all of us to bring that to our lives now.
“Imagine knowing that what is before you as you are close to parting from this life, is an ending that’s glorious, as you are surrounded by people who are your family through and through regardless of whether they’re a blood relation or not.” This is indeed a beautiful and deeply honouring thing to imagine. Perhpaps one day we won’t have to inagine it as it will be true.
“Imagine taking your very last breath in the knowing that in this lifetime you have felt what it is to live in brotherhood, and that it’s in the glorious warmth of brotherhood that you will one day again return to.” The day I realised that this was possible I cried with appreciation, joy and the understanding that I had made the choices I had, to be blessed to now know this to be true.