The End?

Recently a good friend of ours passed away, very unexpectedly.

As often happens with such events, one reflects on life, death and the question of the hereafter.

For me, life is all about connection, love and living our best lives aligned with our true selves. There are many things you can do to strengthen those connections, to expand your heart to giving and receiving more love and to getting aligned to true self, and we highly recommend meditation for getting started with most of the above.

Death is the process by which the physical body no longer 'works' - both externally and internally - and from which the soul leaves the body. The exact definition of soul is one that I often ponder about, but even if it is all just biology and our souls are a neural collection of electrical impulses, it is such a staggering feat of biology and evolution that it defies explanation and is utterly wondrous.

Then, we come to the question of life after death. For me, at the very least, we are energy, and according to everything we know, energy cannot be created or destroyed - it is transformed into something else. I believe that when we die our souls scatter throughout the universe, becoming one with everything and anything. And perhaps those particles, atoms and elements that once made up our 'essence' are now part of everything else, perhaps the concentration of those particles are stronger in some people and that is why we can possibly access past lives. In many ways we already are one with everything that is and has ever been... but that is a topic for another time!

And yet once that person is no longer 'with' us, there is often a feeling of sadness, emptiness, where the presence of that person, in whatever way was relevant to you, is no longer there. Despite everything I believe, I personally still feel a 'hole' where I acknowledge I will not see my friend again, in this physical form, and I miss our shared activities together and the way she was with my daughter.

It was the first funeral that my daughter has been to (she is 8) and although she is quite young, it has been a good bit of learning for her, to feel and to recognise the place that those loved by us hold in our hearts.

Throughout the world's religions - death, and life after death, is at the core of their teachings.

Christianity for instance believes that after death we are judged and perhaps will have to serve some sort of purgatory before going to heaven, or in worse cases, go straight to hell. Beliefs vary with different denominations, but in essence - do good and believe in Jesus and you will be rewarded in heaven.

Islam is similar in that there is a judgement of your actions in life, which also have emphasis on following the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and the Quran.

Hinduism believes that the 'atman' or 'self' is either reincarnated or goes to 'moksha'.

Judaism believes in life after death, the soul is immortal and the body gets resurrected at some point in the future.

Buddhism believes in a cycle of life, death and rebirth that is known as samsara. The aim of Buddhist 'religious' practice is to become free from samsara.

There are many other religions in the world, and I apologise to those I've missed out - but something I truly believe in, and teach, is that it is our actions in this life that are truly important. Whether that be because of judgement from a creator God, or to try and free ourselves from a cycle of life, death and rebirth - most of the world's religions also teach that we need to live our best lives in this life, being as true to our truest self that we possibly can be - and that means living a life of love and compassion, for ourselves (mind, body and spirit) and others.

Sometimes when a big event happens, like a death of a loved one, it can make us take stock of where we are at this moment in time. And when it's a sudden death, like my friend, it can really make you face your own mortality and wake you up to how you might be able to lead a healthier life, and a happier life so you truly get the most out of this life, with your loved ones around you.