Donna Belk is a certified yoga and qigong teacher, end-of-life coach, certified Life-Cycle Celebrant, and home funeral guide based in Texas. For more than 25 years, she has studied and practiced yoga, meditation, and contemplative traditions that explore the deeper questions of living and dying. She is a co-founder of the Texas Yoga Retreat and Free Day of Yoga Austin, initiatives created to make yoga welcoming and accessible to all.
Drawing from both ancient yogic wisdom and her decades of work supporting individuals and families at the end of life, Donna offers a compassionate, practical perspective on death as a natural part of life’s journey. Her classes invite participants to explore mortality with curiosity rather than fear, offering contemplative practices that foster greater presence, peace, and appreciation for life.
Saturday 2:00-3:45pm
Crossing the Threshold: Yogic Teachings on Death, Consciousness & Liberation
Death has long been one of yoga’s greatest teachers. In this class, we’ll explore how the ancient yogic traditions viewed death—not as an ending, but as a transition of consciousness. Drawing from the Katha Upanishad, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Jain practice of Sallekhana, we’ll examine teachings on the immortal Self, attachment, and conscious dying.
Rather than simply discussing these ideas, you’ll experience them through a short breathing practice, and two longer guided relaxations. The first explores the creation of a subtle “light body” and an inner journey beyond ordinary awareness. The second invites you to gently release the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—as a contemplative practice of letting go.
Intensity of Practice – 1 – Anyone interested in yoga philosophy, end-of-life awareness, or meditation
50% Discussion, 50% Visualization/Meditation