Category Archives: Professional Advice

How Can You Work with a Funeral Director to Plan a Personalized Funeral? An Interview with Amy Cunningham

Funeral Director Amy Cunningham gives us some ideas for planning a funeral that you can be proud of

New York funeral director Amy Cunningham founded the firm Fitting Tribute Funeral Services, and is the creator of The Inspired Funeral blog. A former magazine journalist and blogger for beliefnet.com, Amy has much experience with home vigils, alternative rituals, mixed faith … Continue reading

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What Is a Memorial Quilt? An Interview with Lori Mason

Lori Mason Design creates beautiful, personal memorial quilts for those grieving the loss of a loved one

Today SevenPonds speaks with Lori Mason of Lori Mason Design in Portland, Oregon. Lori is a fabric and textile artist who creates custom quilts, often for those who wish to commemorate an event or memorialize a loved one’s life. She … Continue reading

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What Is Mantram Singing? An Interview with Jan Stoneman

Musician and mantram singer Jan Stoneman explains what mantram singing is and how it applies to aging, dying and death

Today SevenPonds speaks with Jan Stoneman, a musician and mantram singer who volunteers on a weekly basis at AgeSong—an innovative assisted living facility in San Francisco. He leads groups singing mantrams to AgeSong’s residents, including at bedsides for those unable … Continue reading

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What is the Threshold Choir? An Interview with Kate Munger

We discuss the Threshold Choir's mission to provide lovely, comforting songs to the ill and dying

Today SevenPonds speaks with Kate Munger who founded the Threshold Choir in 2000 with the idea of creating a chorus of women’s voices that could provide soothing song at people’s bedsides. She now administers a large network of of choirs … Continue reading

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How Can We Integrate Green Burial With A Conservation Land Trust? An Interview with Joe Sehee

The former founder of the Green Burial Council explains how we can preserve land by incorporating beautiful end-of-life ritual locations

Today SevenPonds speaks with Joe Sehee an advocate for social justice based in Melbourne, Australia. As a Jesuit minister, Joe and his wife Juliette, began their journey by working for an environmental planning firm. About a decade ago, they decided … Continue reading

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What is Cremation? An Interview with Michael Tom

A crematory operator lets us peek behind the door to answer our questions about the cremation process

Today SevenPonds speaks with Michael Tom at Pacific Interment in Emeryville, California. Pacific Interment is one of the few cremation services in California that offers witnessing. Get the nitty-gritty on cremation from Michael Tom, who oversees cremation at their East Bay crematorium. … Continue reading

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