Outside Rites

End-of-Life Doula | Ecotherapy | Corpse Pose Yoga

Mission: to transform perceptions and experiences of dying by facilitating conversations, activities, & practices that embrace human death as a part of nature through the incorporation of death doula services, ecotherapy, and yogic teachings while promoting equitable access to quality end-of-life and death care.

This project is the creation of Veronica Wiley (they/them) as part of their Capstone Project requirements for completion of the Outdoor Industry MBA program, 2020-2022, at Western Colorado University and is sponsored by the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative.

Education and Training

Trainings and credentials supporting this project include:

  • Ecotherapy Faciliator certification through The Earthbody Institute, April 20th, 2022.

  • End-of-Life Doula Business Development Course through the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), completed March 2022

  • End-of-Life Doula training through the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), completed December 2021

  • Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher since April 2012, registered E-RYT200 and YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider) since 2015

Business Development Plan

Year 1 - 2022

  • Legal

    • Entity formation of Outside Rites, Ltd. with registered trade name, Corpse Pose Yoga, filed with CO Secretary of State on March 4th, 2022

    • Creation of legal documents including waivers and client agreements

  • Development of Services Across Segments 1 & 2

    • Segment 1: Individuals with life-limiting and/or terminal illness, and their families

      • Doula Services:

        • Advance care planning

        • Life review

        • Legacy excursion planning and facilitation

        • Outdoor vigil planning and facilitation

        • Coaching for grief, loss, and anxiety

        • Education and planning for caregivers to facilitate outdoor vigils and legacy excursions

        • Small support-group facilitation and excursions

    • Segment 2: General public

      • Yoga and Ecotherapy Services:

        • Private sessions

        • Workshops and immersive experiences centered on personal and ecological grief/loss/anxiety, and advocacy for equitable access to advance care planning, end-of-life care, and death care

  • Public Advocacy and Marketing

    • Monthly e-newsletter

    • Social Media

    • Collaborative events

  • Financial Goals

    • Year end 2022: Break-even on start-up and total operation costs with 3% profit margin. All profits during this stage are to be invested into the business for continued growth and development.

Year 2 - 2023

  • Legal

    • Maintain entity formation and registered trade name while exploring possibilities for non-profit, public benefit corporation, or hybrid

  • Continued growth and development of services

    • Segments 1 & 2: continuation of development from previous year, with adaptation to meet market demands

    • Introduce Segment 3: Continuing Education for Yoga Teachers

      • Training for existing 200-hr certified yoga teachers to facilitate Corpse Pose Yoga workshops

  • Public Education and Advocacy

    • Monthly e-newsletter

    • Social Media accounts

    • Collaborative events

    • Blog and/or podcast

  • Financial Goals

    • Year end 2023: Cover all operation costs with 9.9% profit margin. All profits during this stage are to be invested into the business for continued growth and development.

Year 3 - 2024

  • Legal

    • Potential formation of Outside Rites as 501c(3) non-profit, and transition of registered trade name Corpse Pose Yoga to LLC. or PBC, with profits from Corpse Pose Yoga intended to support the non-profit work of Outside Rites.

  • Growth and Adaptation of Services

    • Segments 1 & 2: continuation of development from previous year, with adaptation to meet market demands

    • Segment 3: Development of Yoga Alliance accredited 500-hr Corpse Pose Yoga Teacher Training certification program.

  • Public Education and Advocacy

    • Monthly e-newsletter

    • Social Media accounts

    • Collaborative events

    • Blog

  • Financial Goals

    • Year end 2024: Cover all operation costs, growth investments, and 200-hours of pro-bono clients/advocacy work with 30% profit margin

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