Death Nesting: Ancient & Modern Death Doula Techniques, Mindfulness Practices and Herbal Care

by Anne-Marie Keppel, Sandra Lory (Contributor)

Death Nesting incorporates ancient and modern death doula techniques, mindfulness practices and herbal support to physically, emotionally and spiritually care for the dying. The focus is on "whole being" caregiving for home deaths but can be implemented into other settings such as acute care to create a more holistic experience. Basic physical care for bedridden individuals, anecdotal vignettes and glimpses into the world of spirit emphasize the poignancy, yet lightheartedness, of the dying process. The mindfulness practices, while profound, are also simple and can be done by anyone new to meditation. Throughout the book, references to nature inspire the understanding that death is part of life—a part which we all experience. This book was originally published in November 2019 and lightly updated in October 2021.
Death Nesting will teach
Techniques for moving and bathing a bedridden individual * What the body physically undergoes during the dying process * Practices for emotional soothing * Ceremony and energetic boundary guidelines * Reiki, timeline and ancestral support for the dying * Supporting the senses through the dying process * Herbal care for nourishing and healing on a spirit level * How to talk with children about dying and death * Self care for moving with grief * Basic mindfulness practices for contemplating your own mortality * Differences between Ancient and Modern Death Doulas.

This book is beneficial on its own but can be used as a workbook.Check out the Village Deathcare Citizen Course, online death doula training. Contact the author through stardustmeadow.com or annemariekeppel.com for upcoming retreats and workshops.

Also by Anne-Marie Keppel, the Ancient Death Doula Series for young adults, "The Death of Faefolk" and "Beneath the Bone Tree." NEW RELEASE Aututm 2021: Growth Ancestral Tree Meditation & End of Life Guided Journal

Genres: Death, Nonfiction, Spirituality

130 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.75-4 stars] A reference and planning guide that walks caregivers through how to create tangible, spiritual, and emotional spaces in preparation for physical death. Anne-Marie Keppel’s work weaves modern comfort and support measures together with her and others’ roots in Buddhism, reiki, herbalism, and other forms of energy and ancestor work. Many of the practices she shared around physical touch, the immediate space, honoring the wishes of the person you’re supporting, for example, were familiar to me as a birth doula and made me reflect on the similarities between these two major lifespan events. I appreciated the instances where she acknowledged the privileges of dying at home / planning one’s death, as well as modifications for hospital / congregant / emergency settings, and still wish there had been more to lift up and center non-dominant culture practices and traditions. I would recommend this book to anyone preparing to support a dying person, readers interested in learning more about death work, and those who love and/or advocate with / for care workers of all kinds.

Goodreads Challenge: 19/60
Popsugar Reading Challenge: main character / subject / author works at your current or ideal job (death doula - hopefully part of my future work!)

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid book that explores how to ensure death care is part of health care. The book explores how to prepare a house. There is attention to the modern - certified - death doula and the relationships to ancient doula practices.

[Cal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is small but covers so much. It feels like something you expect to have been written by families centuries ago if thr ancient death doula depictions, but it includes things with a distinctly modern flavor like CBS, meditation/yoga/tai chi/reiki, Alua Arthur, cultural appropriation, and crystals.

It discusses ways to work with children about death, how to do wound care, bring meditative consciousness to all actions involved in caring for the dying, and ways to adjust from a home death to one in a hospital.

I also found Keppel's last pages, where she described her own life experience towards deathwork, especially compelling.

All in all, I found it to be a useful and inspiring read, and an encouragement to get more into meditation. It also provided a nice supplement in having just finished a "modern" death doula training.

[Lisa J Shultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wonder what death nesting is, the author explains it at the beginning of the book. "Death nesting is about preparing the nest for one who is dying, just as we might prepare a nest for one who is about to give birth."
There is a lot packed into this book about death care. Most of the content is focused on death doula techniques, which don't really apply to me. However, I still found much of the information to be useful when facing the approaching death of a loved one.

[gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book over the course of a snow storm, here's what I noticed in myself.  I softened my music, made and drank a pot of blueberry tea, lit that beeswax candle that I was saving for 'something special' and spoke even softer and kinder to my housemates, our sweet dog and my hard-at-work husband.  What a blessingly  beautiful experience it was reading this book.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first death doula book I ever bought and I have to admit that it took me a few years to grow into it. When I first started my training with INELDA I saw myself as taking a very pragmatic approach to death work. Anything mystical felt way out of my comfort zone and wasn’t at all how I intended to create my practice of death companionship.

But when you do this work of showing up fully present to attend to the bedside of the dying, the sacred beckons you. And before you know it, this book “Death Nesting: Ancient & Modern Death Doula Techniques, Mindfulness Practices and Herbal Care” by @keppelannemarie makes complete and perfect sense.

With subheadings like “Preparing the Nest”, “Ancestor Comforts” & “Reiki for the Dying” this book is a trusted companion that I find myself turning to again and again, especially the section on herbs for remembrance and ceremony. To any death workers looking to take baby steps to uncover your own magic, your ancestral tradition, and how to support our dying friends holistically and with herbal support, this is the place to start. IG:@the.farewell.library

[Sylvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is a great book to give you ideas if you're interested in any kind of end of life care (clinical team with a dying patient, death doula, etc.) The herbalism bits in it (aka recommendation of different herbs to use) is frankly dangerous. The book was created in 2019, where it's very easy to "double check" so to speak what herbs the author recommends. One of them was saint John's wort, a herb KNOWN to have a very long negative side effect list with NUMEROUS different types of medication.

USE HERBAL SUGGESTIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK! Please do NOT blindly follow these herbal suggestions like I know so many readers are going to do. PLEASE only use the herbs in this book WITH YOUR DOCTORS GUIDANCE.

[Bookewyfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as there are full spectrum doulas for all pregnancy outcomes, there are death doulas. This book is about the importance of dying with dignity, in peace and comfort. It serves as a guide/manual for what death doula work looks like and how to provide care before the transition comes, and what to do afterwards. This is needed. Death is just a transition; we need not fear it or carry stigma. Highly recommend. 🥀💀🥀

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent foundation and guidance for end of life care. I love how gentle and thoughtful Anne-Marie's approach is. I like that this isn't a huge book or long read, but more a reference guide to those currently in the thick of caring for someone they love. I wish I had found this book while I was caring for my loved ones while they were transitioning out of life.

[Pablo Coddou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and evocative immersion into the often-challenging realm of death care, Anne-Marie delivers a much needed guide to anyone relating to their own mortality or that of their loved one. I highly recommend this rich, informative, and highly readable book.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive been reading a lot of doula books lately and this one is the best. Its practical, spiritual, all emcompacing and everytime I picked it up I felt calm as I read it, which I’m sure was owed to the authors writing style. Its not long so I highly, highly reccomend.

[Mere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book on end of life care. Brings a new perspective to the field and seems more grassroots than the other end of life books I have read. Definitely worth the read and will provide deeper insights to this beautiful topic. Highly suggested!

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a death doula so I read a lot of books about death, dying, and grief. Death Nesting is now a personal favorite because it combines the far out spiritual with the grounded logistics of life. It is very practical and nuanced.

[Jerry Wall]

Book on death D0ula i.e. taking care of dying and people around the one dying.
Lost os reliance on herbs and aroma and things to do with atmosphere in which a person is dying.
Things to do for dying person and mourners.

[Julz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection, a must read. Anne Marie is a incredible person and this book really was food for my heart and soul. Highly recommend.....so proud of you Anne Marie❤️

[Gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book, beautifully detailing the absolute magnitude of death.

[Tiarra Silvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been through shit, and who is going through shit yet again, this book is for you.