"Grief and death, like birth, is not linear so you can never control it. Practicing techniques to surrender and letting go into the pain." -Leah Patara 1. What is the role of a Death Doula?While I'm not professionally trained as a death doula, I have found myself supporting families this year through their journey of death, which has been very similar in supporting families during birth. I assist with meal trains, cleansing, death plan, private ceremony, creating rituals to support your grief. I also educate and enlighten you on the stages of grief, the values and ethics in your family, and reinforce meditation. Whilst creating a positive space, eliminating feelings of anxiety at the end of life.2. Do you have...
"...our loss felt incredibly depleting, especially when the grief was so fresh. Living with grief has been a journey..." - Joelleen Winduss Paye Would you please share about your loss? Our first pregnancy ended at 16 weeks and one day last June 2022. After around 3 weeks of bleeding on and off, from a subchorionic hematoma, our baby girl was born at home quite unexpectedly in the early hours of a Sunday morning. I chose to labour and birth at home, as this was our original birth plan, and the place I felt safest. Holding our girl for the briefest moment was all we needed to feel the unconditional love and beauty one sees in their own child, we named her...
This isn’t a story I share often, but when I do, I receive many surprised responses. So, I thought it was worth sharing with the Elan community in hope that you can continue to learn more about me and how Elan came to fruition. I am an Accountant by profession, having graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Commerce and Arts degree. Being the child of Asian migrants with little education, doing well in school and getting a “good and stable” job was the goal. I naturally fell into the rat race with the aim of scoring a role at a Big 4 which I did. On my second day of work, my boyfriend at the time, now husband and father...
I love a good design and when I was building the Elan brand, I worked with an agency that really communicated my vision to bring the brand forward. Whilst the prospects of Elan have paused and pivoted whether it be due to the pandemic or taking some time to expand my family, our true essence of acknowledging and recognising traditional practices to support and empower families postpartum has not swayed. Today I’m sharing a story of Elan’s branding and vision. Most times, followers, customers and the external audience don’t take note of the small details business owners make that create a well-considered and cohesive brand. The name Elan was chosen to change the misconception many people have of Chinese Postpartum Confinement...
Rest for your children and your children's children. Rest to untangle all the weavers, all the knots and braids of self-doubt. Rest to rewire your brain, to find safety in stillness. Rest to remind yourself of the ocean, a deep valley. Rest to remind yourself of the womb. Rest for safety. Rest, because no-one else can do it for you. Rest for new beginnings. Rest in the exhale of each and every ending. Rest because it makes you stronger. Rest because it's hard to do. via The Daily Rest I have been a long follower of Dr. Oscar Serrallach’s work around Postnatal Depletion. At a recent event held at The Memo, I was privileged to be in attendance to be...
