Course Description

Make a commitment today to join Cal Cates in a year-long exploration of life, authenticity, deep, spiritual decluttering and clarity inspired by Stephen Levine’s introspective book, A Year to Live.  

Spend November 2020 to November 2021 deeply connecting with what’s most important in your life. Loosen your attachment to things that don’t serve you. Forgive yourself and others and get down to the truth that none of us are guaranteed a single additional moment in this life.  Meditate, soften your resistance, create and wonder. 

Join your fellow humans for two meetings each month (one large group and one small), weekly writing prompts, inspired readings and the guidance and community to support you in living life as though each day is truly your last. 

You will be held by Cal and your classmates as you enter as fully as you’re able into a 12-month journey of discovery and greater freedom from the things that hold you back. Some of us may not even have a year to live. Now is the time. 

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome

    • Course Description

    • Getting Ready for A Year to Live

    • About the instructor

    • Participant Roster AYTL 2020-2021
  • 2

    Meditation Recordings

    • Soft Belly Meditation

    • Fear Contemplation

    • The Act of Dying Meditation

    • Tara Brach's Sky-Like Mind meditation

    • A Meditation on Life in the Body
  • 3

    Month One: November (SOFTEN and NOTICE)

    • Meditation and Nature Practice: Month One

    • Week 1: November 2-8 (Daily)

    • Week 2: November 9-15 (Daily)

    • What's a Reunion Group?

    • Reunion Group Question prompts

    • Week 3: November 16-22 (Daily)

    • Week 4: November 23-29 (Daily)

    • Poem #1: Monday, November 23

    • Poem #2: Tuesday, November 24

    • Poem #3: Wednesday, November 25

    • Poem #4: Thursday, November 26

    • Poem #5: Friday, November 27

    • Poem #6: Saturday, November 28

    • Poem #7: Sunday, November 29
  • 4

    Month Two: December (CURIOSITY and YOUR BODY)

    • Month 2 Zoom Meeting

    • Meditation and Nature Practice: Month Two

    • December Reunion Group Prompts

    • Week 5: November 30-December 6

    • Week 6: December 7 & 8

    • Week 6: December 9 & 10

    • Week 6: December 11 & 12

    • Week 6: December 13

    • Week 7: December 14-20

    • Week 8: December 21-27

    • Week 9: December 28-January 3

    • A Sidenote
  • 5

    Month Three: JANUARY (Forgiveness)

    • Meditation and Nature Practice: Month Three

    • January Reunion Groups

    • Month Three Zoom Meeting (sort of)

    • Week 10: January 4

    • Week 10: January 5 - 10 The Stone Ritual

    • Week 11: January 11 - 17 What Forgiveness is not and The Steps

    • Week 12: January 18-24 Tell the Story

    • Week 13: January 25 - 31 Release and Renew
  • 6

    Month Four: FEBRUARY (Life Review)

    • Meditation and Nature Practice: Month Four

    • February Group Meeting Video

    • February reunion groups.pdf

    • Week 14: Life Review

    • Week 15: Life Review

    • Week 16: Life Review Continued

    • Week 17: Life Review
  • 7

    MONTH 5: Encountering and Honoring the Self (the divine, the deathless within)

    • Month 5 Monthly Meeting

    • Month 5: Meditation and Nature Practice

    • March reunion groups

    • Week 18: Encountering and Honoring the Self

    • Week 19: Encountering and Honoring the Self

    • Week 20: Encountering and Honoring the Self

    • Week 21: Encountering and Honoring the Self

    • Week 22: Encountering and Honoring the Self
  • 8

    MONTH 6: DEATH AND STUFF

    • Month 6: Meditation and Nature Practice

    • Month 6 Meeting Recording

    • April Reunion Groups

    • Week 23: Death and Stuff

    • Week 24: Death and Stuff

    • Week 25: Death and Stuff (Digital Edition)

    • Week 26: Death and Stuff
  • 9

    MONTH 7: Earthly Preparations

    • Month 7: Meditation and Nature Practice

    • Recording of Month 7 Group Meeting

    • May Reunion Groups

    • Week 27: Preparing to Leave

    • Death With Dignity Life File Checklist

    • Week 28: Your Legacy

    • Week 29: Your Possessions

    • Week 30: The shell

    • creative corpse plans
  • 10

    MONTH 8: Slow Down, Check In and Stuff

    • June reunion groups

    • Week 31: Essential Activity

    • Week 32: Coming back to the body

    • Week 33: making death real

    • Week 34: fear and deathlessness

    • Week 35.5: fear and deathlessness continued
  • 11

    MONTH 9: Refuge

    • Meditation and Nature Practice

    • July reunion groups

    • Week 36: Refuge

    • Week 37: The pitfall of basic security

    • BONUS ACTIVITY: 8-hour personal silent retreat in August

    • Week 38: refugee

    • MORE BONUS ACTIVITY GUIDANCE: Noble Silence

    • Week 39: True refuge
  • 12

    MONTH 10: Spiritual Friendship

    • Meditation and Nature Practice

    • Month 10 Live Meeting Recording

    • August Reunion Groups

    • Week 40: Intentional Connection

    • Week 41: Unconditional Positive Regard

    • Reunion Group Prompts for Month 10

    • Week 42: Nature as Spiritual Friend

    • Week 43: Spiritual Friendship continued

    • Week 44: Spiritual Friendship with Your Body
  • 13

    MONTH 11: Preparing to Depart

    • Meditation and Nature Practice

    • Month 11 Monthly Meeting recording

    • Month 11 Reunion Groups

    • Week 45: the hourglass

    • Week 46: honoring your life

    • Weeks 47 and 48: review
  • 14

    MONTH 12: Release

    • Meditation and Nature Practice

    • Month 12 Monthly Meeting Recording

    • Month 12 Reunion Groups

    • Week 49: Allowing support

    • Week 50: Footprints

    • Week 51: A Poem

    • Week 52: This is it

Facilitator

Instructor & Executive Director

Cal Cates

Cal has been teaching and developing curriculum for massage therapy courses focused on hospital-based practice, oncology massage and end of life care since 2007. Their experience in clinical practice in hospitals around the US has informed their teaching style greatly. Cal is clear that massage therapy is healthcare and feels a personal commitment to inviting students to consider themselves as integral to a whole person healing process. Their favorite thing about teaching healthcare providers is the ability to blend nerdiness and authenticity to create opportunities to be more effective, more human and more flexible.

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