Whether you are facing a terminal diagnosis, walking alongside someone you love, or carrying grief — Sundara Heart is here. Calm, present, and deeply compassionate.
In the quiet moments, I stand by you — ensuring dignity, respect, and peace at life's final chapter.
— Sundara HeartThis space is for those who are dying, for families who are caregiving, and for those carrying grief. Death is not a failure — it is a passage. Sundara's role is to help you move through it with dignity, presence, and deep compassion. Serving Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and surrounding New Mexico — with virtual support available anywhere.
📞 Call or text Sundara: 575.425.0347About Sundara
Sundara Heart is an INELDA-trained End-of-Life Worker based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who blends compassion, creativity, and cultural insight into her death doula practice.
With expertise in Yoga Therapy, Reiki, Fine Arts, and global death rituals, she offers personalized, holistic support that honors each person's unique journey. Sundara crafts meaningful legacy projects — from life story recordings and memory keepsakes to ethical wills and art — while providing emotional, spiritual, and practical guidance.
She facilitates family discussions and uses Reiki's calming energy to ensure dignity and peace in the final days. Her artistic spirit and deep curiosity about healing and the quantum world bring rare depth to every end-of-life experience.
"In the quiet moments, I stand by you. I ensure dignity and respect for your loved ones. Trust me to help you and your family find peace — to support, educate, and honor all that matters in this sacred chapter."
— Sundara HeartServices
Every end-of-life journey is unique. Services can begin at any point — whether you are planning ahead, in the midst of active dying, or grieving after loss. All packages are thoughtfully crafted to meet you where you are.
In-person presence during the final days — offering support, guidance, and a calming presence. Assistance with after-death arrangements, rituals, and ceremonies that honor your person.
Request info →Personalized emotional, practical, and spiritual support based on your needs. Legacy work, comfort measures, family discussions, and end-of-life organizing. Ideal for short-term or occasional support.
Request info →A 4-session package to create a meaningful legacy: recording life stories and messages, organizing keepsakes, letters, and photo albums, and preparing a memory book or digital collection. All materials included.
Request info →Full-service support over 3–6 months: weekly meetings, end-of-life documents, a personalized comfort and legacy plan, and family/caregiver guidance. For those who want a consistent, trusted companion through the whole journey.
Request info →Emotional support, respite, and education for the people doing the caregiving. Sundara helps families understand the dying process, navigate conflict, and sustain themselves through this sacred and difficult time.
Request info →Guided meditation, Reiki energy sessions, gentle touch, and music to promote peace and relaxation. Non-medical comfort measures that create a soothing environment and honor the whole person.
Request info →Not sure which service fits? The first consultation is always free and without obligation. Contact Sundara at call 575.425.0347 or 575.425.0347 and she will help you figure out the best path forward.
Client Stories
Sundara provided incredible support during a difficult time, ensuring dignity and comfort for our entire family. Her presence made what felt impossible feel bearable.
Santa Fe, NM
The care provided by Sundara was truly exceptional, making a challenging journey much more bearable for our family. She brought a calm I didn't know was possible.
Albuquerque, NM
I didn't know this kind of support existed. Sundara helped my mother die the way she always hoped — at home, surrounded by people she loved, in true peace.
Los Alamos, NM
As a hospice nurse, I now recommend working with a death doula to every family I support. Sundara's calm and creative presence changed what was possible in those final days.
New Mexico
Resources
Curated tools, books, organizations, and guides for those who are dying, caregiving, or grieving. Sundara has gathered these with care — take what is helpful, leave what is not.
New Mexico Resources
Some resources are specific to New Mexico. Look for the NM tag. For personalized local guidance, contact Sundara directly — she knows the New Mexico landscape deeply.
📖 Book
Being Mortal — Atul Gawande
A compassionate exploration of how medicine can better honor the end of life. Widely considered essential reading for patients, families, and clinicians.
📖 Book
The Needs of the Dying — David Kessler
Practical and tender guidance on what dying people truly need from the people around them — and how to give it.
📖 Book
Dying Well — Ira Byock, MD
Stories of people who found meaning, reconciliation, and even joy at the end of their lives. Reframes what dying can look like.
📖 Book
When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi
A neurosurgeon's memoir of facing his own mortality with extraordinary grace, written in the final months of his life.
📖 Book
Final Gifts — Callanan & Kelley
Hospice nurses share what the dying are often trying to communicate in their final weeks — a profound, essential read.
📖 Book
The Four Things That Matter Most — Ira Byock
Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you. A simple yet transformative guide to completion and peace.
🌐 Organization
National Hospice & Palliative Care Org (NHPCO)
Find hospice providers, understand your rights, and access advance directive forms for every US state.
Free📄 Tool
Five Wishes Advance Directive
A widely used advance directive that addresses medical, personal, emotional, and spiritual wishes — all in one document.
🌐 Organization
Compassion & Choices
Advocates for expanded end-of-life options and better care. Guides, toolkits, legal resources, and a helpline.
Free🌐 Organization
INELDA — End of Life Doula Association
The organization that trained Sundara. Learn more about end-of-life doula work and find trained professionals nationwide.
Free📺 TED Talk — Free
What Really Matters at the End of Life — BJ Miller
A palliative care physician and triple amputee on what dying well truly looks like. One of the most watched end-of-life talks ever given.
Free🎙️ Podcast
Death, Sex & Money — Anna Sale
Honest, warm conversations about the things people don't usually talk about but deeply need to.
Free🎙️ Podcast
Graceful Exit — Navigating End of Life
Practical wisdom on navigating end of life, caregiving, and the legal and financial realities of dying well.
Free🌐 Organization
Family Caregiver Alliance
Fact sheets, webinars, a national helpline, and state-by-state resource finders for family caregivers navigating complex situations.
Free🌐 Organization
AARP Caregiving Hub
Guides, checklists, a local care finder, and a dedicated helpline for families caring for aging or ill loved ones.
Free📖 Book
The 36-Hour Day — Mace & Rabins
The comprehensive guide for families caring for someone with dementia. Practical, compassionate, and widely recommended by medical professionals.
🌐 Tool
Medicare Care Compare
Find and compare hospice providers, nursing facilities, and home health agencies in your area — directly from Medicare's database.
Free📖 Book
Final Gifts — Callanan & Kelley
Learn what the dying often try to communicate in their final weeks. Essential for anyone sitting bedside with a loved one.
🤝 Personal Support
Caregiver Sessions with Sundara
You need someone to talk to who is not also grieving. Sundara holds space for caregivers — your experience matters too.
Let's talk🌐 Article
Self-Care for Family Caregivers — Family Caregiver Alliance
Signs of burnout, how to receive help, and why taking care of yourself is not selfish — it's essential.
Free🌐 Guide
Caring for a Terminally Ill Person — NHPCO
Practical guidance on what to expect and how to support someone who is dying — from one of the leading hospice organizations.
Free📖 Book
Finding Meaning — David Kessler
A sixth stage of grief: finding meaning. Written after Kessler lost his own son. Hard-won wisdom offered with extraordinary gentleness.
📖 Book
It's OK That You're Not OK — Megan Devine
A grief therapist reframes loss: not a problem to solve but an experience to be witnessed, held, and survived with support.
📖 Book
The Year of Magical Thinking — Joan Didion
One of the most honest accounts ever written about the strangeness and devastation of sudden, unexpected loss.
📖 Book
Bearing the Unbearable — Joanne Cacciatore
For those who have experienced catastrophic loss. Gentle, evidence-based, and profoundly human. Widely recommended by grief therapists.
🌐 Community
Grief.com — David Kessler
Online grief support groups for every type of loss, plus free resources, and a grief educator program. A warm and trustworthy space.
Free options🌐 Community
Modern Loss
Essays, candid conversations, and community for people navigating loss in all its complexity — honest, sometimes funny, always real.
Free🌐 Organization
The Compassionate Friends
Support for families who have experienced the death of a child, at any age and from any cause. Local chapters and online groups.
Free🌐 Community
Soaring Spirits International
For widows and widowers: online programs, retreats, and a community of people who truly understand what this loss is like.
Free options🎙️ Podcast
Good Mourning
Two friends who lost their fathers within months of each other share grief with honesty and occasional dark humor. Real and comforting.
Free🎙️ Podcast
Grief Out Loud — The Dougy Center
For adults and children navigating loss. Expert conversations with warm, accessible framing. Particularly good for families with children who are grieving.
Free📄 Tool
Five Wishes
The most widely used advance directive in the US. Covers who makes your medical decisions, what treatment you want, and how you want to be treated as a person — not just a patient.
📄 Free Download
Advance Directive Forms by State — CaringInfo
State-specific advance directive forms, free to download. Includes New Mexico's POLST form and healthcare power of attorney documents.
Free🌐 Tool
The Conversation Project
Starter kits and guides to help you talk with loved ones about your end-of-life wishes before a crisis makes it urgent. Available in multiple languages.
Free💻 Digital Tool
MyDirectives — Digital Advance Care Planning
Create, store, and share your advance directive digitally. Accessible to your healthcare providers anytime, anywhere.
📖 Book
Die Wise — Stephen Jenkinson
A challenging, important call to bring death back into our culture — and to die with intention rather than avoidance.
📖 Book
Knocking on Heaven's Door — Katy Butler
A daughter's story of helping her father die well, and a guide to navigating the medical system with wisdom and grace.
🌐 NM · Organization
Presbyterian Hospice & Palliative Care
Hospice and palliative care services throughout New Mexico, including home-based care in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
🌐 NM · Organization
CHRISTUS St. Vincent Palliative Care
Santa Fe-based palliative care services, supporting patients and families at St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and at home.
🌐 NM · Hospice
VITAS Hospice — New Mexico
Hospice services throughout New Mexico with 24/7 on-call support for patients and families.
🌐 NM · Santa Fe
Hospice of Santa Fe
Local hospice services and bereavement support for individuals and families in the Santa Fe area.
🌐 NM · Albuquerque
UNM Palliative Care & Supportive Services
The University of New Mexico's palliative care team serving patients across New Mexico with specialized symptom management and support.
🤝 Personal Connection
Ask Sundara for Local Referrals
Sundara knows the New Mexico end-of-life landscape deeply. Reach out and she'll help you find the right local support for your specific situation.
Free to ask📄 NM · Free Download
NM Medical Power of Attorney Form
New Mexico's official Medical Power of Attorney form, free to download and complete without an attorney.
Free📄 NM · Free Download
NM POLST Form (Medical Orders)
New Mexico's Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment — completed with a provider to communicate your wishes across all care settings.
FreeCommon Questions
If something isn't answered here, please reach out. No question is too small or too difficult.
Locations Served
Sundara serves the greater Santa Fe and Albuquerque region in person, and will travel for those who wish to work with her. Virtual sessions are available for anyone, anywhere.
Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM, with flexible arrangements for end-of-life vigil and urgent situations. Sundara also creates visual art and music — both of which inform the depth and creativity she brings to her doula work.