Contemplating our mortality is espoused by many cultural and spiritual traditions in the East and West, ranging from Buddhism to Christianity, such as the practices of Mindfulness of Death and Memento Mori. There are numerous benefits to this contemplation, such as living our life in alignment with our values and dying fearlessly as a gift to ourselves and loved ones. 

However, in a death-avoidant culture, estate planning can be dreaded as morbid, and this gloomy sentiment can lead to burnout for the professional planning community. This workshop presents perspectives and ideas to approach estate planning as a spiritual practice for both self and client, serving not only the financial, but also the emotional and spiritual well-being of the server and the served. 

Nikki Mirghafori, PHD is an Artificial Intelligence scientist and a Buddhist teacher.  For almost three decades, Nikki has also been a researcher and inventor in AI, holding multiple patents and co-author of 40+ scientific research articles.  She has directed international research programs as the Principal Investigator, mentored post-docs and PhD students, taught graduate courses at UC Berkeley, and been a scientific advisor to Silicon Valley technology startups. 

She serves on the Teachers Council and Board of Directors at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, as well as the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. She teaches Dharma internationally.