Christian Howard

Christian Howard (any pronouns spoken with kindness) is an interdisciplinary artist, Dharma teacher, death doula, and immersive experience designer whose work lives at the intersection of contemplative practice, creative play, and end-of-life care. Rooted in over a decade of study and practice in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition, they are a faculty member at the East Bay Meditation Center and have taught in organizations in the US and abroad, including Spirit Rock, Tibet House US, and at events hosted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Christian has also taught Creative Writing at Cornell University and interactive storytelling at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering.

As a death doula, Christian companions the dying and their families, with a particular focus on Black and queer communities who have historically had limited access to contemplative end-of-life care. This same commitment runs through their creative work, which takes the form of video games, live action games, large-scale immersive experiences, and interactive storytelling. These environments use play as a doorway into the emotions and questions around grief, loss, legacy, belonging, and what it means to live fully in a body that will die.