"The Last Adventure of Life" is an inspirational resource book that presents a fresh look at life, death, grief, and change of every kind. Maria Dancing Heart, a seasoned hospice worker, has compiled her own reflections with a variety of material she has gathered over the years: Inspirtational stories, poetry, scripture, prayers, guided meditations, and alternative/wholistic healing methods. These pieces encompass all walks of life to help the reader acknowledge the unity and interconnectedness of all as s/he walks through the changes in life. An annotated bibliography is also included. More than ever it is time for each of us on the planet to awaken to our mortality and our spiritual nature. We are called to live with deep awareness of how we affect one another and the planet. This book will assist us in our healing - coming into balance - as we become a part of the healing of the whole Earth.
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A bright forty-five-year-old mother of three is devastated and afraid. Her cancer has returned, and the stable of medical miracles is empty. She faces the breathtaking journey ahead of her with uncertainty and inadequacy, and I feel unequal to the task of being her spiritual director. Then, this unusual book arrived for review -- just when I needed it most. The comforting voice of Maria Dancing Heart whispers through its pages as an experienced emissary of God's grace, listing poems, scriptures, compelling stories, guided meditations, and visceral personal experiences gleaned during her years as a seasoned hospice counselor. It is a treasure house of hope and healing, reframing the experience of death as "the last adventure of life." Hoaglund offers this motivation for the writing of the text:
"Many people wait until the last minute of life to talk about death. I have come to see that talking, reading, and thinking about one's own death--even visualizing it--can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. Facing death is definitely something we do not want to wait until the last minute to deal with, when our body strength may be dwindling, our concentration weakening, and our emotions distracted by death's encroachment. In fact, I am convinced that facing the reality of death can be a catalyst to help us let go of our fears and live more fully in the present moment. (P. xiv)" The author's familiarity with this natural stage of life reminds us that indeed we are all terminal. Whether the dying person is a loved one or ourselves, this book is a meaningful manual about the process. It confronts every conceivable question and dilemma from instructions on leaving a video for your family members (p. 93) to helping someone deal with the question "Why me?" (p. 84). Hoaglund's explanation of a wide variety of healing therapies includes Web sites and addresses where the reader can acquire even more assistance. This is not a medical compendium of information about the death process. In fact, the language is simple and uncomplicated--almost conversational in tone. It is as if the author is viewing the process through the lens of the heart and offering a helping hand to guide us through this inevitable experience. In the final one hundred pages, we are offered an array of resources, including deathbed rituals, information about unusual therapies such as music-thanatology (p. 230), and the use of aromatherapy for terminal patients. In the annotated bibliography, her candid personal comments about each book made me want to rush to the library. The diverse offerings in the book reflects Dancing Heart's cross-cultural background of spiritual work, including an upbringing in Japan and education at Yale, Pacific School of Religion, and Chicago Theological Seminary. She has served as a parish minister with the United Church of Christ, and transitioned into hospice ministry eleven years ago. As a result of her broad religious perspective, she embraces a wide range of healing and spiritual practices in her work. As my dying directee comes in for her next appointment, I will feel better able to accompany her on "the last adventure of life" thanks to this splendid resource. Perhaps deepening our capacity to die with faith will somehow teach us to live with faith. -- "Presence," Magazine for Spiritual Directors International; December 2006 (Reviewed by Linda Douty)
Denial of death and dying is one of the most profound issues we face as we undertake life's Second Journey. At the same time our own mortality begins to assert its existence, many of us confront final goodbyes to our parents. Having lived 60+ years in a culture that encourages ignoring (and even denying) death, we have few tools to deal with it effectively -- either for ourselves or other. Maria Dancing Heart has found a way to transcend this cultural liability, develop an understanding of the dying process, and share her insights with the rest of us. She does so in her self-published book, THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE (Clinton, WA: Bridge to Dreams, 2005). In spite of the fact that it is only 318 pages, THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE can be viewed as two books, a practical resource for those caring for a dying loved one and a swpiritual, realistic introduction to the dying process for those just wanting to explore the issue. The book is a combination of Dancing Heart's own words and carefully selected writings from others. The Zen-like quality of what she herself writes is a reflection of her practical, no nonsense approach to looking death in the eye and not blinking. In fact, the reader gets the idea that Dancing Heart's life-long spiritual search has brought her to such a comfortable relationship with death that sharing these insights with others is easy for her. The evocative, emotional tones in the book come from her generous selection of prose and poetry written by others. There are carefully chosen passages from well-known authors (Joan Borysenko, Gerald Jampolsky, Lao Tsu) and not so well known (her own hospice patients and their loved ones). The reflections by hospice clients, written during that magical moment just before Death, are often poetic and guide the reader to an intimate understanding of one of the most private moments we must all face. The poetic passages seem to have been chosen with a very practical purpose: to convince the reader to drop his carefully defended denial of death and see enough beauty in the completion of a journey to have an open heart. Many have experienced and described the magical moments leading up to and at the time of death. It is not possible to read these sacred accounts and, at the same time, pretend that death does not exist. For a brief moment, the reader is brought face to face with a fearful, yet mystical, beautiful truth. For those seeking practical advice and wisdom, Dancing Heart includes a chapter of resources and a detailed explanation of hospice care. She also answers many questions such as: How can we 'start the conversation' with out loved one who is sick and perhaps dying? What are some of the signs that death is approaching? How can I be with someone through this time as death nears? How do I say goodbye? What do I do immediately after my loved one dies at home? What are some alternatives, besides more medication, to cope with the pain? What is hospice and how does it work? What is a near death experience? Her answer to the question about saying goodbye is typical of her brevity and pointed directness:
"These are probably the most basic thoughts that you'll want to convey to your beloved ones before you leave them, or before your beloved leaves you. Don't wait until the last minute to share your deepest feelings, like why and how you appreciate and love them. (1) Thank you. (2) I love you. (3) Please forgive me. (4) I forgive you. (5) Goodbye. God be with you." When Dancing Heart tries to convey the sacredness and mystery of the moment of death, she makes one short statement herself: "It is a time... filled with awe and unexplainable mystery". Then, she completes the chapter with a generous collection of journal entries and poetry eliciting an emotional tone reflective of the special experiences that happen at the time of a loved one's passing. This short quotation from Kahlil Gibran is an example of the beauty and mystery that fills the rest of the chapter.
"Know, therefore, that from the greater silence I shall return. ... Forget not that I shall come back to you... A little while, a moment Of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me." Read THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE from cover to cover in spite of the author's encouragement to pick it up and begin anywhere. Read from beginning to end, the book develops in the reader a greater familiarity with that adventure everyone must ultimately take. Knowing what is in the book also makes it even more valuable as a reference source because one already knows exactly where to look for specific information. -- "Second Journey" online Newsletter, Fall of 2006 (Reviewed by Barbara Kammerlohr
Getting the summer blues? Can't wait for fall to come and the good old school days to be back?
Maybe it's the books you've been reading while winding down the days until the leaves turn to golden hues. If that's the case, there are a number of new books that have hit the local and national markets that feature the work of Whidbey Island authors and photographers.
Intrigued? You should be. Whidbey is home to world class authors. Take a look.
"The Last Adventure of Life:Sacred Resources for Transition"
Maria Hoaglund, a seasoned hospice worker has just completed "The Last Adventure of Life," a book that brings together information and lessons learned during her 10 years of hospice ministry and over 20 years of working in ministry and spirituality.
"I don't see the book as something you read front to back, you pick it up and find the piece that is most useful to you at the time," Hoaglund said.
"The Last Adventure of Life" is filled with inspirational stories, poetry, scripture, prayers, guided meditations and alternative and holistic healing methods. Another valuable resource is the bibliography in the back of the book. Hoaglund made sure to give details of all of the valuable resources she utilizes in her work and which she drew inspiration for the book.
The book's publisher, Clinton-based Bridge to Dreams, describes the book as an inspirational resource book that presents a look at life, death, grief and change of every kind. It will be catalogued under the mind, body, spirit and spirituality genre.
Maria "Dancing Heart" Hoaglund has been a resident of Whidbey, specifically Clinton, for two years. She is the daughter of missionaries and grew up in Japan.
Hoaglund eventually came back to the states to find her own spiritual path that lead her to attend Yale and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif.
After her seminary learning she was called to serve as associate pastor at the Church of the Crossroads near Honolulu, Hawaii. She came to serve the Japanese Congregational Church of Seattle in 1987 and that is where she stayed until she headed into hospice work in 1994.
"Parish ministry gave me the foundation of human relationships and a lot of the skills that would carry into hospice," Hoaglund said.
The book and its full title, "The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition," are not just about grief, death and dying, Hoaglund said.
Her meeting of a variety of people, in a variety of situations during her ministry -- from parish to hospice, young to old, grief to celebration -- will be seen in the structure of the book, Hoaglund said.
"More than ever it is time for each of us on the planet to awaken our mortality and our spiritual nature," she said. "We are called to live with deep awareness of how we affects one another and the planet -- this book will assist us in our healing, coming into balance as we become a part of the healing of the whole earth." -- "The South Whidbey Record," Aug. 20, 2005, by Cynthia Woolbright
Maria "Dancing Heart" Hoaglund wears purple to talk about life and death.
It is the color of grief and of encouragement, she said.
"And I am an encourager," she said.
A hospice chaplain for 11 years, the Clinton resident has just published an inspirational book titled "The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition."
The book is the foundation for workshops and seminars she gives throughout the region.
Hoaglund, an ordained Christian minister, adopted the name "Dancing Heart" while on her own spiritual journey. She opened many doors along the way and has included the wisdom of great theologians and mystics with the thoughts of every day people in her book.
Poignant stories of the people Hoaglund met, some in the last days before death, are uplifting and informative.
Between the eloquent pages are passages on joy, truth, beauty, love and hope, as well as information on meditation, grief and healing.
A hint to Hoalund's own roots are the Japanese characters in calligraphy throughout the book inked by Buddist friend Reiko Mittet.
Hoaglund grew up in Japan. Her parents were Lutheran ministers, so she spent her childhood mostly overseas with furloughs in the United States. When she was 17 years old, Hoaglund returned to the U.S. to attend Yale College in New Haven, Conn. She later earned a Masters in Divinity to become a minister in the United Church of Christ.
She wanted to be a pastoral counselor, but was advised she could better serve if she spent time as a minister first. For 10 years, she was a parish minister. Toward the end of her tenure, she asked God "How could I bring the joy back into ministry?"
The answer came during a meditation: Hospice.
She landed a part-time job as a bereavement counselor in Bellevue before being hired fulltime in Everett. While comforting those who are dying and their families and friends, she has gained spiritual insights.
She gave a workshop last week at the Bayview Senior Center and several hospice workers who serve clients in Island and Skagit counties attended. Hoaglund's book is among those in a hospice library. Several hospice workers told her how helpful the book was to the families they work with.
For many people, living poses enough challenges, but dealing with their own death or that of a loved one is virtually impossible to disuss.
Hoaglund's book helps people open up and break down barriers about grief and dying.
Hoaglund offers retreats for caregivers. People who give to others all the time must replenish themselves, she said.
Working for hospice gave Hoaglund time to do her own explorations. Hoaglund's expansive interests led to exploring Native American, Buddist, Christian and other realms of wisdom. As a result, she is knowledgeable about a wide array of spiritual and healing practices that she incorporates into her work.
She is now recognized as the type of encompassing counselor who bridges traditional religions with the new spirituality that is growing around the world, she said.
She writes,"...in the end, it is not our religion, but our full understanding and acceptance of our true essence that will save or heal us. It is through the way we live our lives every day -- our love and service, our joy and understanding -- that we will heal ourselves and our world." -- "Celebrating Our Last Adventure," by Mary Evitt Whidbey News-Times, Jan. 27, 2006
No one is getting out of here alive, no matter what our culture would have us believe. Gone are the days when the family cared for Grandma upon her death, washed her body, dressed her in her Sunday dress and laid her out in the parlor for family and friends to come pay their respects and say goodbye. There was no pretext of Grandma being asleep. She was dead. The reality of death was not covered up. Today when someone dies at home, the funeral parlor is called, the first call car comes, whisks the body away, and the next time you see them, he or she looks like they are down for a nap. We are in denial about death.
Maria Dancing Heart brings us a book, The Last Adventure of Life, which takes us back to reality about death and dying. She approaches the topic from a variety of cultural and spiritual traditions. The book has been adopted as a training guide for hospice volunteers in a number of facilities. People who have experienced end of life care for a loved one and purchased The Last Adventure of Life have returned to my store to tell me how helpful the book was to them. Many times they purchase multiple copies to give to other family members and friends.
Death is our last great adventure. Let us learn to approach it with our families, friends and ourselves with an open heart, mind and spirit that it may be our greatest adventure and, perhaps, our finest hour. -- Bayview Arts, Owner, Mary Ann Mansfield (Langley, WA)
No one is getting out of here alive, no matter what our culture would have us believe. Gone are the days when the family cared for Grandma upon her death, washed her body, dressed her in her Sunday dress and laid her out in the parlor for family and friends to come pay their respects and say goodbye. There was no pretext of Grandma being asleep. She was dead. The reality of death was not covered up. Today when someone dies at home, the funeral parlor is called, the first call car comes, whisks the body away, and the next time you see them, he or she looks like they are down for a nap. We are in denial about death.
Maria Dancing Heart brings us a book, THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE, which takes us back to reality about death and dying. She approaches the topic from a variety of cultural and spiritual traditions. The book has been adopted as a training guide for hospice volunteers in a number of facilities. People who have experienced end of life care for a loved one and purchased The Last Adventure of Life have returned to my store to tell me how helpful the book was to them. Many times they purchase multiple copies to give to other family members and friends.
Death is our last great adventure. Let us learn to approach it with our families, friends and ourselves with an open heart, mind and spirit that it may be our greatest adventure and, perhaps, our finest hour. -- Bayview Arts, Owner, Mary Ann Mansfield (Langley, WA)
From the Publisher
Today, the entire world is "on Hospice." Life is not working well for the Earth as a whole, and we are all becoming aware of this on a deeper level. More than ever it is time for each of us on the planet to awaken to our mortality and our spiritual nature. We are called to live with deep awareness of how we affect one another and the planet.
This book will assist us in our awakening and healing -- coming into balance -- as we become a part of the healing of the whole Earth. This book is also helpful to those who desire to deepen their spiritual life, particularly by examining their awkwardness and fears, around grief, death and dying, and change.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Connection to Affirm Life,
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This review is from: The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition (Paperback)
I think this book by Maria Dancing Heart is a treasure. We never really know what "The Last Adventure of Life" timing will be but if it holds the grace and feeling Maria has uncovered I know I will better for it. The feeling of caring warmth is what I take from reading it. In this time of cultural numbing and anxiety the world is longing for a breather, especially in the reminder that we all will die regardless of anything. On page 158 the evocation of "connecting" reads as a subtext to the book. This book is timely for me as I am still learning about living so that dying is sacred. Many pages touch me because Maria connects with her heart and that helps me find mine. As you can imagine, I very much appreciate and endorse this one. The book feels like a friend speaking about what matters in the space of sharing a ride on an open road.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, someone who truly understands...,
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This review is from: The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition (Paperback)
The Last Adventure of Life is a book filled with the awareness of what loss and grief are truly about. After more than 10 years of caring for my beloved mom, I lost her on Christmas Day. My friends were a wonderful help, but I needed something for those moments at 4am when you sit up in bed and feel the profound emptiness of your life. The grief changes, life does go on, but for those moments in the first days, weeks and months, I can't recommend any other book more highly than this one. It is a treasure for anyone going through loss. Read it for your own life.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cultivating Transformations,
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This review is from: The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition (Paperback)
Reading small passages of this life-giving book has been truly wonderful. It transcends the usual books on spirituality, bringing together the integrity of spirit, body, joy, and discovery. I found the writing to be a grounding force that invites the reader to view new perspectives of the divine.
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Death is our greatest teacher. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Higher Self, New York, Niah Kinczewski, Sacred Harmonies, Whidbey Island, Young Living, United States, New Testament, Pam Fry, Earth May Peace Prevail, Great Spirit, John of God, Native American, Tibetan Buddhism, Bantam Book, Final Gifts, Mother Earth, Soul Support Systems, Stephen Levine, The Chalice of Repose Project New!
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Death is our greatest teacher. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Higher Self, New York, Niah Kinczewski, Sacred Harmonies, Whidbey Island, Young Living, United States, New Testament, Pam Fry, Earth May Peace Prevail, Great Spirit, John of God, Native American, Tibetan Buddhism, Bantam Book, Final Gifts, Mother Earth, Soul Support Systems, Stephen Levine, The Chalice of Repose Project New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
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books:
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- Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggie Callanan on 6 pages
- Experiencing the Soul by Eliot Rosen on 4 pages
- The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller by Sogyal Rinpoche on 4 pages
- Transformed By The Light: The Powerful Effect Of Near-death Experiences On People's Lives by Melvin Morse on page 32, page 136, and Back Matter
- Wilderness Spirituality by Rodney R. Romney on page 23, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 100 books this book cites
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