What is the Art of Dying?

The Art of Dying, or The AoD, is a business created by Taylor Bell and Lacy Buynak that offers end-of-life education, guidance, and companionship.

We believe the dying process has the potential to be a meaningful expression that is unique to each individual. By taking ownership of this process as much as possible, we are able to transform the way we live and connect with others.

This is why we offer community education as well as services for all beings, including those with and without a terminal diagnosis, caregivers, and animals.

What is an end-of-life doula/companion?

“End-of-life doulas provide non-medical, holistic support and comfort to the dying person and their family, which may include education and guidance as well as emotional, spiritual or practical care. We value a cultural environment that encourages the potential for healing exchanges between doulas and the dying, the family, and the healthcare team as part of the life-death process.We embrace the need for ethical, compassionate care for all, and emphasize empowering, non-judgmental support to maximize the self-determination of the individual and honor significant others and family as part of the circle of care.”

- National End-of-Life Doula Alliance

Meet Our Doulas

  • Taylor Rain Bell (she/her) - Certified End-of-Life Doula, 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher

    In 2013, Taylor’s mother, Vicki, was given a terminal diagnosis after years of evading adrenal cancer. Her mother took the diagnosis head-on, getting her affairs in order, planning her celebration of life service, and even creating a sacred space within her home in which she could pass. This profoundly affected Taylor and sparked her desire to help others create an end-of-life process that is both meaningful and supported.

    In 2022, she began making her shift into death work by volunteering with hospice, and received her End-of-Life Doula certification through CareDoula.

    A student of yoga since 2008, Taylor incorporates many of the teachings and practices into her end-of-life work, allowing her to offer a calm, steady presence while adapting to people’s various needs and abilities. She’s also known to bring a light-heartedness and easy humor to most every situation.

  • Lacy Buynak (she/her) - Certified End-of-Life Doula, NEDA proficient, Reiki and Quantum Touch practitioner

    As a hairdresser since 2001 Lacy has had the opportunity to build rich relationships with people from all walks of life while providing comforting touch and a listening ear.

    A spiritual student and empath, she began to hone skills that would be useful to those nearing the end of life including herbalism and energy medicine.

    After losing her grandmother in 2020 to Alzheimers and supporting other family and friends at the end of their lives she realized she was uniquely suited to supporting the dying and began her training with Going With Grace to become an End of Life Doula. She continues to volunteer with a local hospice and is passionate about changing the way we speak about and treat those who are entering this sacred time.

What we’re committed to…

  • Our mission is to de-stigmatize death and the aging process, advocate for advanced planning early on, and offer celebration, support and companionship for those at the end-of-life.

  • Our vision is to propel a cultural shift in which people feel better equipped to more actively support one another through the dying process, and individuals are empowered to make choices which reflect their values. High quality integrative holistic care through the end-of-life is accessible, and open dialogue about death as a part of life is embraced.

  • We created The Art of Dying with our entire community in mind. This means our services cater to every person and are considerate of all walks of life, including all spiritual paths and/or religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, education, physical ability, or economic status.

    We are committed to honoring the wishes and preferences of the dying person above all, ensuring their dying process is tailored to them as much as possible.

    We will contribute to the death positive movement by engaging in community outreach that allows for discussion and inquiry.

    We are dedicated to finding opportunities that support our overall vision.

    We will keep our environmental impact at the forefront of our decision making around materials used.

    We will cite our inspiration, teachers, and other due credit where applicable, understanding we do not own the practices we offer, rather we are pulling from knowledge and experience others before us have shared and we are sharing in kind.

    We set our rates based on balancing accessibility alongside working with a limited number of clients to ensure a high quality of care and attention.