Eileen Spillane

Eileen Spillane, RN, NP, BSN, MA is the founder of Befriending Death, normalizing conversations around death and dying. She has worked as a Critical Care, Oncology and Obstetric Nurse for over thirty years. Eileen has learned to be present with suffering and bring ease to difficulty with compassion, authenticity and humor.
She has practiced Insight Meditation since 2001, is a graduate of both the Dedicated Practitioner Program and the Community Dharma Leaders training at Spirit Rock. Eileen teaches meditation and Dharma in both secular and Buddhist settings. She currently teaches for Banyan (formerly Cloud Sangha).

She has a lifelong commitment to expanding awareness around mindfulness of death and all topics related to death, dying and grief. She practices socially engaged Buddhism and is a lifelong student learning about how race and conditioning inform her life. She co-created and facilitated race related programs through San Francisco Insight and the outdoor guide community.

Eileen is a consistent guest teacher for the year-long program, A Year to Live with Vinny Ferraro and Frank Ostaseski. She teaches and coaches clients through Befriending Death and the signature course, Let’s Chat About Death. She is an end of life doula, former Zen Hospice Volunteer and certified as an integral coach through New Ventures West.

Eileen is a guide for an active travel company that takes people on hiking and biking trips in the summer. She also loves working with the elements and seeing teachings reflected in nature. She finds refuge in self-compassion, a sense of humor and the Brahma Viharas.