Living and Dying

About This Pod

Facing the end of life dispels our sense of solidity to it. As we empty into that uncertainty, can we discern a fuller sense of the infinite? How does our relationship to death influence our way of life?

We invite you to join this seven day pod with a group of kindred spirits around the globe for a virtual learning journey on one of life's most inevitable and evasive experiences -- death and dying.

This week-long peer-learning journey will engage a series of reflections around questions like: Amid loss and grief, how do we tune into a deeper ground of resiliency? What tools can anchor us in a greater wholeness in the face of life's inevitable impermanence? How do we even begin to converse with loved ones on the all-too-often taboo subject of death? How have cultural and faith traditions inspired solace in the ambiguity of what lies beyond one's final breath? How do we sit with and serve those who are dying? How can a greater consciousness of death nurture deeper expressions of life?

How it works: Every day for one week, you'll get an emailed prompt with 'head' content, a 'hands' practice, and 'heart' reflection question to engage. Everyone submits online reflections daily, and then reads and comments on each other's submissions to build on the group wisdom. Our pod will start with a live virtual group orientation call on August 2, 2026, and end with a live virtual closing call on August 9, 2026.

About Maki

Maki Saionji Kawamura is the President of the Goi Peace Foundation based in Japan,  which brings “together people in wisdom, united in their hearts toward the common goal of peace on Earth” through initiatives and events that have included Nobel Laureates, thought leaders, educators, and changemakers from around the world.

She also serves as Vice Chairperson of Byakko Shinko Kai, a global movement that promotes prayer and inner transformation as pathways to personal and social change, bringing tens of thousands of people together each year in a shared wish for peace.

Maki is a healer trained in both Eastern and Western medicine. As a palliative care physician, she founded a hospice unit where approximately 150 people are cared for each year as they complete their life journeys. Her work focuses on helping people remain connected to what matters most, live fully until the end, and experience dying not as a failure, but as a meaningful completion of life.

She also founded Sachi House, a non-profit organization that supports people living with cancer and their families. Believing that conversations about death can deepen our appreciation for life, Maki created the “414 (Yoishi) Cards,” a dialogue tool that helps people reflect on what is most important to them. Through schools, hospitals, care facilities, community festivals, and international programs, she facilitates conversations on life, death, and meaning with more than 5,000 people each year. (Listen to Maki share about some of her work in this video clip; more video clips with Maki are here.)

Across her work in medicine, peacebuilding, education, and dialogue, Maki creates spaces where people can encounter their deepest values, connect across differences, and discover how inner peace can contribute to a more compassionate and peaceful world.

To join, fill out the form below. Once you are approved by the circle host, you will receive a welcome email with your login information.