Dawn Nelson spent the first few years of her life in Kentucky, grew up in Kan- sas, and graduated from colleges in Nebraska and Texas before landing in California in 1968. Her journey took her from minister's wife and moth- er to graduate school to professional actress to massage practitioner to meditation teacher and residential retreat leader. Completing a two-year certification course in "Awakening to Life and Death" in 1990 inspired Dawn to create the COMPASSIONATE TOUCH for Those in Later Life StagesTM program (www.fromtheheart-hands.com). Now semi-re- tired, Dawn lives with her husband in the California Bay Area where she continues to write, deepen her meditative practices, and spend time, as often as possible, with her three adult children, four grandchildren, and three grand-dogs.