Celebrating this precious life.

 

Supporting people to celebrate, mourn, and connect with each other in integrity and with compassion

Wendy’s voice is full of love and laughter, honest and deep, daring to go to places many others avoid. Her voice shares the beauty in nature, people and life in all its imperfection and purity. Her intelligence, wisdom and kindness are revealed with her words, a joy to those blessed to read or hear them. Dr Georgina Gibson

Nurturing curiosity, deep listening, joy and peace especially when it feels like you are walking on the wild side of life!

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Image: Doris Zagdanski and Wendy Haynes

A Space of Safety and Belonging

Mourning and Celebration Circles

A mourning and celebration circle or ceremony is a space to mourn and celebrate with safety, care and a tangible sense of intimacy and presence whether the ceremony is face to face or online.  The intention is to create a safe and confidential space where family and friends can come together to share stories and reflections, mournings and celebrations. Expressions of love and sadness that might not be possible to share in usual circumstances. The mourning and celebration ceremony is for mourning, for connection, ease and getting clarity. A space that is nourishing and supports a sense of belonging and friendship, and holds the tears and laughter.

Wendy provided us with support and guidance after Greg’s sudden death. Part of what she offered was a private ceremony for the direct family. There were 20 of us. The ceremony was totally unplanned from our side apart from a little supper afterwards. Each of us got the opportunity to express what was on our mind in the moment; what we shared wasn’t prepared or curated, so it was very spontaneous, raw and open as it was a close circle. I think it has been an  invaluable experience for many of us taking part. —Sophie Warburton

Click here for more information or call me to have chat

Get Your Affairs in Order—free information to assist you to plan and discuss death and dying. Click here.

Warm Rocks and Steady Presence

26 June 2025

There’s something deeply grounding about walking through Bilkbilkmi Gorge, the quiet, the steady presence of the land, the trees, the plants, the rocks. We are offering this retreat not in the form of long formal practices or sitting in a meditation hall. The land itself will be our guide. We’ll…

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Vale Beloved Peter Geddes

20 June 2025

Dear Peter, We talked about this moment, and now you have gone before us. I have no doubt that you are well and at peace, maybe even documenting the journey along the way, though I suspect that there is no need to take pictures anymore. My tears are for Willa,…

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Parents, Grandparents, Carers…

15 June 2025

I’d like to extend an invitation to join a small group of us for something deeply personal and quietly radical: an in-person Ongo retreat—the first in 14 years. It is to be held in Bali near where the authors of Ongo, Catherine and Jesse, have been living these past few…

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Don’t meditate to fix yourself

10 June 2025

Don’t meditate to fix yourself, to heal yourself, to improve yourself, to redeem yourself; rather, do it as an act of love, of deep warm friendship to yourself. In this way there is no longer any need for the subtle aggression of self-improvement, for the endless guilt of not doing…

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Memorial at a Chapel by the Beach

20 May 2025

When a family chooses to honour a loved one, every decision becomes a thread in the fabric of their remembrance. For Jacqui’s family, each detail of her ceremony was thoughtfully chosen — from the music to the flowers, to the setting itself. They took care of every arrangement, crafting a…

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A Taste of Ongo… this week!

13 May 2025

On Monday 2nd June at 7pm, we begin A Taste of Ongo — a three-week ONLINE journey of connection, care, and grounding. (Or, in three days you can join us in person in Bellingen) This THREE SESSION program offers a rich immersion into mindful practice, deep listening, empathy, and self-empathy…

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Bilkbilkmi Gorge in Kakadu

12 May 2025

Do you long for space to walk in silence, sleep under stars, and reconnect with what truly matters? Do you yearn for companions on that journey — people who savour poetry, meaningful connection, and the wild beauty of untouched places? This mindfulness walking retreat isn’t hours of seated meditation or…

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Ongo Retreat in Bali — 23-28th September 2025

10 May 2025

This too is Sacred An Ongo: Everyday Nonviolence Retreat to Embody: Compassion in Action – For Whatever Arises “This Too Is Sacred” reminds us that we were made for these times—not by accident, but by design. In moments of chaos, struggle, or uncertainty, this phrase can become an anchor, gently…

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Writing in the Snowy Mountains

5 May 2025

In the quiet beauty of autumn, we gathered to listen deeply, write bravely, and share the gift of language in a landscape that stirs the soul. A week of warmth, creativity, and connection with poet, Mark Tredinnick and friends sung to by the Snowy River and held by mountains, stories,…

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Love…destination full of hope

1 May 2025

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” Maya Angelou  

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