Kateřina Černá Grofová
Founder of the Initiative “Na konci dechu” (“At the Final Breath”)
In Czech society, living with the acknowledgement of death and our finality remains a topic rarely spoken of. Rather, death is usually discussed from a medicinal or abstract, philosophical point of view, but in short, the everyday, “ordinary” universal human point of view is missing, as is its relationship to death. And yet death truly affects all of us, no matter your profession, IQ or personal wealth.
Soon after Kateřina had a brush with death, her internal life was turned upside down and she became aware of Zen meditation. It was here that she then set out on an adventurous journey of discovery. This journey led her to quitting her job at an IT company, to volunteering in a hospice, life in a Buddhist monastery, a walking pilgrimage and to many other significant life experiences. In 2012 Kateřina returned to the Czech Republic and founded the “Na konci dechu” (“At the Final Breath”) initiative, which accompanies the dying and bereaved and creates a space where one can further examine the questions connected with death. Since 2018 she has also been a member of the society ‘Ke kořenům’ (‘To the Roots’), which focuses on natural funeral services and the ceremony of last goodbyes with respect for both mankind and nature.