Jun 5, 2013-- "In having been in the field of dying for many years, I have frequently encountered the tragic limitations of dying in America. Our lives are an ongoing opportunity for us to realize compassion in the world and to really be a benefit to others. How extraordinary at the moment of death we have this opportunity to unify with our basic nature." Joan Halifax, a "midwife to the dying", has spent over 35 years witnessing, documenting, and being a caregiver during the deaths of hundreds of people. In these rare and very intimate moments, she has come to view death as graceful part of the natural order of things. In this interview she sheds light on the birth of the palliative care and hospice movement, and how the merging of spiritual and practical care is subtly changing the experience of death in America. (24712 reads)