CANOE
Canoe - /kəˈnuː/ - the canoe, or the boat more generally, holds a profound significance across diverse cultures, symbolizing the journey into the realm of death and beyond. Frequently associated with the vessel escorting the soul to reunite with ancestral spirits, the canoe provides a serene passage over tranquil waters towards the tranquility of the afterlife.
Dying
Differently
In our modern era, our connection with the essence of death has subtly slipped away, leaving us feeling uncertain and fearful about the natural cycle of life, which is dependent upon the dying and death of everything that is alive. It has become so overwhelming that even thinking about death can bring on a sense of despair. And yet, it was not always this way, and so, we wonder, is there a better way to meet and navigate dying and death?
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What We Do
At Canoe we support the dying and their families in reclaiming their relationship with death, offering guidance, addressing fears, and creating a more enriching transition, while also helping find peace, embracing love, and supporting the bereaved as they grieve, learning from death how we might live more fully.
A Journey of Wisdom and Reflection
We believe that by constantly avoiding and distancing ourselves from death, we miss out on valuable opportunities to learn from one of life's most profound teachers. Death shouldn't be feared or kept at arm's length; instead, it should be embraced as a transformative gift. Each death offers lessons that can shape our own lives and help us understand the significance of our existence.
We see death as an invitation to reflect deeply: What can the death of a loved one teach us about how we want to live? How does our relationship with death affect us physically and emotionally? And how can we prepare ourselves to accept death as a natural part of life?
Our goal is to approach death with reverence and curiosity, together creating meaningful experiences that nourish individuals and families. We strive to honor the wisdom of embracing death gracefully, echoing the sentiments of esteemed author and former "Grief Walker," Stephen Jenkinson.
Our Services & Approach
At Canoe, we're here to support you through your journey with Grief, Dying and Death. Our compassionate team offers a range of services tailored to your needs, providing a safe space to explore and navigate the complexities of grief. Whether it's individual counseling, group sessions, or specialized workshops, we're dedicated to helping you find comfort and peace as you navigate this challenging time.
Services for the dying and their loved ones
Comprehensive Grief, Dying, and Death Support: We work closely with both the dying individual and their family to provide meaningful support during this challenging time. Our services include creating a conducive physical environment for the dying process, exploring options for final moments and funeral arrangements, and facilitating the full expression of grief through embodied practices.
Soul-Centered Practices: We offer soul-centered practices that encourage the dissociation of the soul from the ego and physical body. Through movement, breathwork, meditation, and visualization techniques, individuals can explore and process their emotions in a safe and supportive space.
Anticipatory and Lived Grief Exploration: Our team helps individuals navigate both anticipatory grief and the grieving process after loss. We provide guidance on how to be present with dying and death, including involving younger family members in the experience.
Memorialization and Legacy Exploration: We assist families in creating meaningful ways to memorialize the dying process and explore the legacy of the deceased. This includes planning transition ceremonies and rituals to honor and celebrate the life of their loved one.
Customized Ceremonial Gatherings: Working closely with families, we design personalized ceremonial gatherings that honor the life of the deceased. These gatherings may include movement, yoga, meditation, sound baths, and vocalizing mantras—a beautiful tribute to their life and legacy.
Services for the Community and Groups
Death Circles: Join us in our Death Circles, held regularly or as needed, where participants are invited to explore their own relationship with death and dying. These sacred spaces provide a supportive environment for individuals to reflect on their experiences and feelings surrounding mortality, both for themselves and their loved ones.
Death Talks: Our team offers insightful and thought-provoking Death Talks for communities, organizations, and group gatherings. With a deep understanding of the cycles of energy and life, Alexce provides unique perspectives on our relationship with death and dying, drawing inspiration from her connection to the environment. As a certified Death Doula, Paul brings his extensive knowledge and experience to the table, offering valuable insights and reflections on the journey of death and dying. Invite us to speak to your community and explore the profound wisdom we have gathered through our work.
Honoring Individual Journeys & Tailored Access
At our core, we believe in honoring each individual's unique journey through this time, whether they navigate it alone or with the support of their family or community. That's why we prioritize understanding the specific needs and desires of those we'll be collaborating with. We recognize that there's no universal solution that fits everyone's circumstances, and we're committed to tailoring our approach accordingly. Our goal is to make this work accessible to all who need it.
Meet the Founder
Paul Simard
With over 30 years of experience across corporate and non-profit sectors, Paul Simard is a seasoned leader and founder of Canoe. Certified as a group facilitator and end-of-life doula, Paul leverages his expertise to craft personalized solutions for individuals and organizations, guiding them through their unique journeys with compassion and insight.
Paul is also a mental health and wellness guide, speaker, writer, poet and advocate for the reclamation of a more connected,
fully embodied human experience.
Our Collaborators
Virginia Marcolin
Virginia is a lifelong entrepreneur, and brings her passion and energy to encouraging families and individuals to consider alternative, more sustainable ways of navigating death.
While selling her plant-based casket sprays to the funeral industry, she noticed how excessive and wasteful traditional funerals were, not to mention toxic for the environment.
The result is Sanctum, a brand of high-end scented shrouds for the eco-conscious funeral industry, including natural burial, cremation, aquamation and human composting, as well as for home funeral ceremonies. Virginia sources a variety of high-quality organic fabrics which are soft to the touch and biodegradable. These fabrics are then tinted with colourful, non-toxic plant dyes and infused with a proprietary plant-based antibacterial formula, which neutralises malodor and replaces it with pleasant, fresh scents of nature. The result for families is a comforting, beautiful, aromatic cocoon wrapped around their loved one which will carry them to their final resting place.
Alexce Frenoy
A certified yoga instructor, Alexce is bringing her teachings on asanas, pranayama, meditation and the arts of the subconscious (nidra and dream work), to address grief work as an embodiment practice. Her engagement in somatic and energy intervention methods brings her to investigate the ways in which experiences of trauma and grief are inscribed in the body in the form of somatic memories implying thus energy blocks. Through her own relationship with grief, she acknowledges that turning towards the body as a resource for support and building resilience is key. The purpose of her work is to provide individuals with personalized support and tools as they meet their grief.
Catherine Schaarwachter
From a very early age, Catherine has been confronted with death and grief. Experiencing the loss of loved ones in our culture, one that trains us to neglect this unavoidable, yet natural, stage of life, inspired her to become a Death Doula. The purpose of her work is to re-discover our ability to cope with death: accept it and understand its connection to our lives. She is someone who can bear broken-heartedness, who has seen the different facets of grieving, and who can find a million things other than sadness alone in the process of letting go and saying farewell.
Events
Connect With Us
Feel free to reach out to us at The Canoe with any questions, inquiries, or to schedule a consultation. We're here to support you on your journey through grief and are committed to providing compassionate guidance every step of the way.