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Learn some tools for experiencing grief in the physical body and moving it through to promote healing of ancestral trauma. My guest Oceana Sawyer is a death doula and funeral celebrant who utilizes earth-based spirituality, expressive arts and integral counseling psychology in her work. She teaches about the need to feel our emotions in the physical body in order to get “unstuck” from grief and how grief can be a portal for healing our own trauma from the past and that of our ancestors. Through her own life experiences as a Black woman she has explored the pain of racialized trauma in our society and how it effects all of us regardless of our own skin color. Learn more about Oceana’s work at her website: www.oceanaendoflifedoula.com Listen here: This episode includes: How Oceana was called to work with death, dying and grief through her father’s deathWhy grief needs to be experienced and expressed through the physical bodyWays to practice embodied grievingBreath workBody workYogaHikingRunningDancingLaughterHow grief can be a great opening for self-exploration and healing to occurWhy everyone in our society needs to do grief work right nowWhy “if you don’t transform your pain you will transmit it”How the pandemic and the racial violence in our society have led to massive unresolved griefOceana’s own exploration of healing racial trauma in the physical body Your body already knows how to heal itselfGrieving is the first step of forgiveness The capacity to move through big emotions is our capacity to grow … it’s how you’re going to become a full human being.” Oceana Sawyer Links mentioned in this episode: Oceana’s Patreon PageVision Map CourseBlog: The Nap Ministry by Tricia Hersey Book: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk MDBlog: Fractals by Adrienne Maree BrownSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Suzanna Brown and thank you Sandy Jane Stacy for increasing your pledge! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn how for some of us it’s possible to experience grief without being sad and why that’s okay. My guest Jennifer Mathews is a founding member of the Ashland Death Cafe and the Living/Dying Alliance of Southern Oregon. She is on a mission to shift cultural messages that hold us back from joy and to help us rethink grief and how we respond to death. She shares with us why we need to prepare for loss by developing tools that allow us to cope better. Based on her popular TEDxTalk “Death is Inevitable – Grief is Not” she also proposes the controversial idea that grief doesn’t have to be sad and it’s okay for each of us to have our own unique experience after the death of someone close to us. Learn more about her work at her website: www.JenniferMathews.com Listen here: This episode includes: What motivated Jennifer to rethink grief in her own lifeHow the language of grief can impact our expectations and experiences of griefHow some of our current models of grief may actually shame people who grieve differently for not being “sad enough”There are many ways to respond to death and grief is just one of themAdjusting to the loss of a loved one’s physical presence is not the same as griefWhy love does not always equal griefTools we can develop before a loss occurs to help us when we do encounter loss Links mentioned in this episode: Jennifer’s TEDxTalk: https://youtu.be/e5mFBlybRUw Book: The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss by Dr. George Bonanno Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Judith Hillyard! Your contributions make all the difference!

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will help us grieve the deaths of our own mothers on this Mother’s Day. May it bring you peace and comfort. Vigil to Honor and Grieve Our Mothers VIGIL-Script-May-2021Download “MOTHER”  by NIKITA GILL   The water of her womb, your first home. The body she pulled apart to welcome you to the world. The spirit in you she helped grow with all she knew. The heart that she gave you when yours fell apart. You are her soft miracle.  So she gave you her eyes to see the best in the worst. You carry your mother in your eyes. Make her proud of all she watches you do.

Learn how to increase your own capacity for compassion toward yourself and others and make the world a better place in the process. In this episode I share some of the research and articles I’ve been reading in the book Compassion: Bridging Practice and Science, edited by Tania Singer and Matthias Bolz. It seems to be that we are in need of greater compassion as a society right now to help us cope with our current adversities and grow stronger in love and kindness in the process. I have some poems and practices to share that hopefully will inspire all of us to higher consciousness. View Tania Singer’s website: www.taniasinger.de Listen here: This episode includes: Why we need more compassion in our society right now5 reasons why we are “failing” at compassionThe difference between empathy and compassion according to researchersWhy overdoing empathy can lead to burnout while practicing compassion can prevent itThe positive benefits of compassion practicesHow and why to begin practicing self-compassionThe difference between self-compassion and self-esteemStudy results on using the Lovingkindness Meditation (Metta) as a regular practiceMantras to use for self-compassion and Lovingkindness Links mentioned in this episode: Books by Tania SingerSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporters Stefanie Elkins and Claire Murphy Jones! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn why and how to support patients who have transpersonal experiences at the end of life. My guest Scott Janssen has been a hospice clinical social worker for almost 30 years. During that time he has been gathering the stories and reports of hundreds of hospice patients who have had transpersonal experiences as death approached. He shares some of these stories, describes the various phenomena that can occur near death, and explores the benefits they offer to experiencers and their loved ones. We discuss how healthcare providers can do a better job supporting and listening to patients with these end-of-life transpersonal experiences. Learn more about Scott’s writing at his website: www.jscottjanssen.com Listen here: This episode includes: How Scott first became aware of transpersonal experiences at the end of lifeTypes of phenomena that occur as death approachesWhy we need to open our minds to these experiencesHow these experiences differ from hallucinations caused by illness or medicationsPositive benefits of transpersonal experiences at the end of lifeDecreased fear of deathHealing of griefDecreased depression and anxietySense of peaceIncreased focused on the present momentGreater appreciation for relationships in their lifeGreater spiritual awarenessHow to be supportive of patients’ stories even if you don’t belief in transpersonal eventsLearn about these phenomena and research that has been doneBe aware of your biases and don’t force your beliefs on patientsAvoid negative labels and judgementsHow teaching stories can normalize patients’ experiences and encourage conversationHow patients can transform at the end of life and why transpersonal events are helpful Links mentioned in this episode: Episode 261 on NDE’s with Lilia Samoilo and Heidi WalshScott’s article in GeriPal on NDE’s and After Death CommunicationInternational Association for Near Death Studies websiteIANDS Spring Symposium: Providing Care for Those Touched by Near-Death and Related Experiences: Ethical Best Practices – April 30thBook: Standing at Lemhi Pass: Archetypal Stories for the End of Life and Other Challenging Times by Scott JanssenSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporters Dianne Feltham and Karine Ferro! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn about the behind-the-scenes legal effort to make psilocybin available as a transformative therapy at the end of life. My guest Kathryn Tucker is a Special Counsel at Emerge Law Group where she co-chairs the Psychedelic Practice Group. She is also the Executive Director of the End-of-Life Liberty Project and served two decades as Director of Advocacy and Legal Affairs for Compassion & Choices, working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. She shares the current legal case she is spearheading to allow terminally ill patients to try psilocybin as a palliative care medication and how psilocybin has already been shown to be hugely beneficial to patients at the end of life. Learn more about her work at: www.emergelawgroup.com Listen here: This episode includes: The benefits of psilocybin therapy for palliative careWhy terminally ill patients cannot currently access psilocybin therapyWhat are Right to Try (RTT) laws and how they may apply to psilocybinHistory behind psilocybin being labeled a Schedule I drug by the DEATest case that has been filed in court based on Washington state and Federal RTT lawsHow “friends of the court” can be helpful to this caseWhy the success of this case could open access for patients in other statesOregon’s Psilocybin Therapy Law and implications for other states Links mentioned in this episode: Virtual Workshop on Grief with Ben Kintisch of Life Review: The Hospice Musical – April 25th – Learn more hereVital Decisions’ National Healthcare Decisions Day Campaign: Pick a Proxy and Plant it ForwardInterview with Ira Byock about psilocybinSeattle Times Article about Right To TryBook: How to Change Your Mind by Michael PollanBook: The Harvard Psychedelic Club by Don LattinRight to Try Psilocybin Advocacy Fund – donation pageSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn best practices for creating a meaningful and powerful funeral or memorial service online. My guest Merilynne Rush is an EOL Doula Mentor, Home Funeral Guide, Green Burial Educator, Advance Care Planning Facilitator, Death Cafe host, former hospice nurse, and former home birth midwife. Today she shares her personal experience planning and hosting a virtual memorial service for her father, including all of the challenges and benefits of taking on such a task. She offers helpful advice to anyone who feels called to plan a virtual ceremony and explains why this new way of being together after a loved one dies is likely here to stay. Learn more about her work at her website: www.thedyingyear.org Read her blog post on Virtual Memorials here Listen here: This episode includes: The importance of funeral and memorial rituals and why they should happen sooner rather than later after a deathWhy a virtual ceremony can be just as effective as in-personWhy good planning and organization is essential for conducting an online eventGetting outside help from a tech assistant and an “MC” to manage the flow of the ceremonyCreating an effective “script” for the eventWhy breakout rooms are helpful at the end of the ceremonyTips for creating a slide show to use during the eventHow virtual gatherings can “carry all the love” we want to share and help with our griefWhy virtual funerals and memorials are likely to continue even after the pandemic Links mentioned in this episode: Vital Decisions’ National Healthcare Decisions Day Campaign: Pick a Proxy and Plant it ForwardVirtual Workshop on Grief with Ben Kintisch of Life Review: The Hospice Musical – April 25th – Learn more hereNHPCO EOLD Council Grief Support ProgramThe Dying Year End-of-life Doula TrainingACP Facilitator TrainingMerilynne’s research articleSteven Birenbaum, How to Hold. Virtual Memorial Service, NYT 1-14-21Debbie Waldman, How to Pay Your Respects During a Virtual Funeral, Wired, 3-17-21Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Heather Capuano! Your contributions make all the difference!

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will hold space for coping with all of the overwhelming changes that have crushed us this past year. May it bring you peace and comfort. Vigil for Coping with Change VIGIL-Script-April-2021Download Poem: by Ginny Yurich From the trees I learned That growth isn’t orderly. Under the surface Roots thrust out in ways That are chaotic and untidy, But they produce the solid foundation  For a lifetime of growth.   From the chick, The butterfly and the frog, I learned that change is possible, Even the kind of change That renders us unrecognizable.   And from the garden I learned That at the end of harvest When all looks bleak, even dead, There remains an undercurrent Of new possibilities. We can look a little deeper and find There are always things that thrive  Even in the harshest of conditions. 

Learn about a helpful guidebook for people caring for elderly parents that addresses all the major challenges. My guest Dr. Leslie Kernisan is a practicing geriatrician and the founder of the popular aging health website and podcast Better Health While Aging. She recently published the book When Your Aging Parent Needs Help to answer the many questions she has received from people struggling to care for their elderly parents. She shares many of the helpful tools and resources included in the book for dealing with our most pressing issues when we become involved in providing care to our older loved ones. Learn more at her website: www.betterhealthwhileaging.net Get the book here Listen here: This episode includes: Why good communication skills are important in caring for our parentsHow to approach a challenging subject (e.g. the COVID vaccine) with reluctant eldersRemembering to respect what matters to our elders (your goals vs your parents’ goals)What to say when the conversation hasn’t gone wellHow to negotiate doctor visits with your parents: what to bring, what to askSelf-care tips for caregivers feeling the strain of dealing with parentsWhen to let go and accept things as they are instead of trying to be perfect caregiversWhat to do if parents become paranoid and blame you for thingsSteps and tips to slow brain health decline due to Alzheimer’s Links mentioned in this episode: Vital Decisions’ National Healthcare Decisions Day Campaign: Pick a Proxy and Plant it ForwardVirtual Workshop on Grief with Ben Kintisch of Life Review: The Hospice Musical – April 25th – Learn more hereBetter Health While Aging PodcastBook: When Your Aging Parent Needs Help by Leslie KernisanSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn about a touching and humorous new musical that focuses on the stories of hospice patients and how you can join the audience. My guest Benjamin Kintisch is a Cantor, hospice chaplain, and music teacher when he’s not performing on stage. He has loved singing and performing since childhood and has had used his skills to create a musical inspired by his experiences with hospice patients. He shares his creative process in writing Life Review: The Hospice Musical and performs two songs from the musical to give us a preview! Learn more at the website: www.lifereviewmusical.com Listen here: This episode includes: How a hospice chaplain became inspired to write a musicalThe power of both stories and music to open the heartWhy music ends up being a good format for telling the stories of hospice patientsAn overview of Life Review: The Hospice MusicalHow Ben recognized that the musical needed to contain lightness and humorCoping with the reality that ultimately we can’t fix peopleBen’s experiences “workshopping” the musicalFeedback from cast members and audiencesHow Life Review can be used for education and discussion purposesGoals for the musical currently and post-COVID Links mentioned in this episode: SAVE THE DATE for the upcoming Virtual Cabaret Show of Life Review: The Hospice Musical with Ben Kintisch on Sunday April 25, 2021 at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm EasternListen to the unedited interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lvLuVXliqlUSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Trina Wacasey and Suzanne O’Brien for upping your pledge! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn how the funeral business needs to evolve to meet the needs of our changing society. My guest Eric Layer grew up around funeral homes and cemeteries where both of his parents worked. Now as a partner in a marketing advisory firm he has taken a critical look at the funeral business and analyzed what has gone wrong and what is still right within this necessary service industry. He is the author of the book The Right Way of Death: Restoring the American Funeral Business to Its True Calling and shares his insights with us. Learn more at his website: www.therightwayofdeath.com Get the book here. Listen here: This episode includes: How the funeral industry has failed to evolve with the rest of societyResearch on ceremonies and rituals for death around the worldWhy death rituals are importantDr. J. William Worden’s 4 “tasks” of grief and how funeral homes should help with those tasksDirect cremation and why is it a concerning practice (in light of the tasks of grief)The challenge for funeral directors (and other end-of-life care providers) in dealing with people who are facing the worst crisis of their livesHow to legitimately build a business out of work that is also a service to othersWhat is “the right way of death” Links mentioned in this episode: Get Eric Layer’s book hereBook: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy by J. William WordenSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Toni Marie Van Aernum! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn how a hospice worker became a coach who teaches about joy to help navigate grief and loss. My guest Joy Lucinda worked as a health care professional serving hospice patients, persons with dementia and their families for more than 20 years. She now does coaching and consulting to help others share their unique gifts with the world and navigate grief and loss. She discusses some of the simple tools she has found to help people experience joy even in the midst of loss and difficulty. She is the author of the book Restore Joy After Loss. Learn more about her work at her website: www.joylucinda.com Get the book here Listen here: This episode includes: Why Joy shifted from hospice work to consulting and coachingThe difficulty of experiencing joy in the midst of sufferingWhy joy is always present if only we remember to look for itSimple tools for shifting out of fear into a neutral stateThe four “R’s” for getting through the pandemic, grief and chaosRestRetreatRediscoverRestoreWhy we need to use strong and positive words to help shift our emotional stateEmbracing change by talking to your future selfThe importance of surrender as we move forward in 2021 Links mentioned in this episode: Link for Laughter Yoga WebinarVigilsLove Over FearSeries – Suicide: Surviving the AftermathLucinda’s book: Restore Joy After LossBook: The Map of Consciousness Explained by David R. HawkinsBook: The Untethered Soul by Michael SingerSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will hold space for kindness even while we are brokenhearted by overwhelming grief. May it bring you peace and comfort. Vigil for Kindness in the Midst of Overwhelming Grief VIGIL-Script-March-2021Download Blessing for the Brokenhearted BY JAN RICHARDSON There is no remedy for love but to love more. – Henry David Thoreau Let us agree for now that we will not say the breaking makes us stronger or that it is better to have this pain than to have done without this love. Let us promise we will not tell ourselves time will heal the wound, when every day our waking opens it anew. Perhaps for now it can be enough to simply marvel at the mystery of how a heart so broken can go on beating, as if it were made for precisely this— as if it knows the only cure for love is more of it, as if it sees the heart’s sole remedy for breaking is to love still, as if it trusts that its own persistent pulse is the rhythm of a blessing we cannot begin to fathom but will save us nonetheless.  

Learn about an innovative new app for storing and sharing image and stories of our lives and those of our loved ones. My guest Tim Roberts is an artist, musician, app developer, idea our and dreamer who lives in Calgary Canada. He created the digital legacy project Echobox Memory Vault and worked with a developer to turn it into an app. Today he will tell us how the app works and why it’s important for us to save and share our memories as stories and images for our loved ones. Learn more about Echobox Memory Vault at the website: https://echobox.ca Listen here: This episode includes: How Tim was inspired to create EchoboxWho can benefit from using Echobox and how it worksHow privacy and security are maintained in the Echobox app, unlike many social media sitesWhy it can be helpful to preserve memories digitallyThe importance of stories to help us makes sense of the past and inspire future generationsThe positive response of the healthcare world for EchoboxHow Echobox helps connect people who can’t be together because of COVIDHow Echobox can help with grief and bereavement Links mentioned in this episode: Register here for Laughter Yoga Webinar (now scheduled for March 10, 2121; get the replay if you can’t attend live)Video with Stan Beaton that inspired Tim to create EchoboxNews story on CTV about EchoboxFollow Echobox on InstagramContact Tim by email: info@echobox.caSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Carrie Andrews! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn about an innovative program to provide end-of-life care to people living on the streets and in shelters in Toronto. My guest Dr. Naheed Dosani is the founder of PEACH, a mobile outreach program that provides palliative care to the homeless on the streets and in the shelters of Toronto. His model led to the development of Journey Home Hospice, Toronto’s first hospice for the homeless, which opened in May 2018. He’ll share how and why he started PEACH and inspire all of us to be more aware of and active in dealing with the issues of homelessness and health inequities in our communities. Learn more about PEACH at this webpage: http://www.icha-toronto.ca/peach-covid-19-palliative-care-resources-for-physicians-and-frontline-workers Follow Dr. Dosani: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naheedd/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaheedDTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.naheeddClubhouse: @naheedd Listen here: This episode includes: What inspired Naheed to create a palliative care program for homeless peopleHow PEACH functions and provides care for patients on the streets and in sheltersWhy there is a great need for palliative care for the homeless populationHealth issues faced by homeless people and their shockingly low life expectancyHow to replicate PEACH in other cities and countriesTrauma-informed care and why it is needed for all patients, including those who are homelessWhy we need systemic change in medicine to provide more equitable care to all peopleDealing with grief, compassion fatigue and moral injury for healthcare providersWhy we’re facing a global pandemic of grief due to COVID-19 Links mentioned in this episode: Register here for Laughter Yoga Webinar (now scheduled for March 10, 2121; get the replay if you can’t attend live)Canadian Grief AllianceSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn how writing poetry helped Bruce express his grief and find a connection with others. My guest Bruce Sterling is a writer and poet who earned a degree in psychology and worked in the technology sector for decades. As he compiled his first book of poetry he recognized that a significant number of his verses focused on his grief after the death of both of his parents in a tragic auto accident. Because these poems seem to touch others deeply as well he has published his first poetry book Not Enough: Musings on Grief and is currently writing a second book Stories of Grief and Hope. In this conversation he talks about grief, poetry, lessons learned and connecting with others through our shared experiences of pain. Learn more at Bruce’s website: www.brucesterlingllc.com Listen here: This episode includes: Bruce’s journey of grief and poetryHow the organization of his poetry book reflects his personal process with griefAfter a sudden traumatic death, shock happens first, grief begins laterHow Bruce’s process for writing poems includes surrenderWhy poetry is a good medium for expressing the pain of griefGrief as a tool for acknowledging previously repressed emotionsHow poetry makes space for the mystery and the unknown “It wasn’t my parents’ death, but the miracles that came next, that took tragedy and loss and turned it heavenward. I can’t look at all these gifts and synchronicities and think that life is anything less than miraculous; tragic, certainly; wondrous, at times; meaningful, hopefully; but miraculous, even when we’re not looking.”Bruce Sterling – Stories of Grief and Hope Links mentioned in this episode: February VigilBook: Not Enough: Musings on Grief Register here for Laughter Yoga Webinar (now scheduled for March 10, 2121; get the replay if you can’t attend live)Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn how a former Buddhist nun brought her gentle, compassionate approach to hospice chaplaincy. My guest Tenzin Kiyosaki has been a certified interfaith hospice chaplain for the past 13 years. She also practiced as a Buddhist nun for 27 years after being ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and brings an Eastern perspective to her hospice work. She is the author of the book The Three Regrets: Inspirational Stories of Love and Forgiveness at Life’s End and shares the spiritual wisdom she gathered from her work with dying patients. Get the book here. Listen here: This episode includes: How Tenzin was inspired to become a hospice chaplainWhat Tenzin learned from her Buddhist studies about the end of lifeWhat hospice work is always an ongoing learning experienceHow Western culture avoids the subject of death while Eastern cultures embrace itThe failure of Western medicine to accept impermanenceWhat led Tenzin to return her vows and become a lay person once againThe role of a chaplain in hospice to find the “heart” of each patientDo chaplains and hospice need different titles to overcome bias in our society?How to help patients who regret a lack of accomplishment in lifeHelping patients who have not shared enough love during their livesWhy regret at the end of life is actually a good signA Buddhist perspective on medical aid in dying Links included in this episode: Register here for Laughter Yoga Webinar (and get the replay if you can’t attend live)Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will hold space for the we have been carrying for the past year and help us explore it for the hidden blessings it contains. May it bring you peace and comfort. Vigil for Exploring Our Grief VIGIL-Script-February-2021Download Miracles Abide There by Bruce Sterling  (from Not Enough: Musings on Grief)   We each have loss none escape it.  Grief, the healing process that reintegrates feelings and thoughts, desires and regrets, the past and no future.  Through life, through living we choose the palate but never the timing,  the circumstances or the outcome.  So there it is, shock then sadness, later reality, an unreal reality the likes of which you've never experienced.  Like taffy you're pulled into shapes that leave you in a state from which you can never return.    Like flying in the clouds you can't tell which end is up even when firmly planted in your seat.  Like walking the streets on Christmas morning when gifts are exchanged and no one’s outside.  Like you've walked into the emotional post-apocalypse.  Like love has filled your heart but the drain plug is three times the size it should be, and the vacuum left collapses everything  that made sense, everything that gave you substance, everything.  Grief, the humanizing, humbling shape-shifter that tears the fabric of you and explodes your heart into newer dimensions you didn't realize you signed up for.  I don't wish the pain on anybody I just know the value of the outcome. Miracles abide there, if you can just see. 

Learn about the power of laughter to reverse the effects of stress, improve our health and prevent burnout. My guest Janet Carroll has had a dual career with 48 years in nursing and 35 years as a massage therapist, which have given her not only decades of experience in health services, but also a special insight into wellbeing. She is also a certified Laughter Yoga Leader and Instructor and will share today how laughter can help us improve our health, prevent burnout, and find deeper joy in life. In addition, I will be hosting a free experiential webinar with Janet on Laughter Yoga on February 17th! Learn more about her work at her website: www.janetcarrollrn.com Janet-Carroll-4-slide-presentation-1Download Register for the FREE webinar here! Listen here: This episode includes: What exactly is laughterWhy you don’t have to be happy in order to laughThe history of Laughter YogaThe catastrophic effects of stress on the body and how laughter counteracts themThe benefits of laughter for individuals and groupsHow Laughter Yoga can help prevent burnoutWhy it’s better to laugh out loud than to laugh internallyWhat you’ll learn at the upcoming FREE webinar with Janet Links mentioned in this episode: Register for the webinar on February 17th, 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern here; you’ll receive the replay if you can’t attend liveBuddha on the Train video: https://youtu.be/Lakg26y2nhgBook: Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient by Norman CousinsHeartmath Institute: https://www.heartmath.orgSign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporters Jen Davidson, Alissa Silva and Brittany J. Ellis! Your contributions make all the difference!

Learn what the Hero’s Journey can teach us about the dying process and how to support someone on that journey. In this solo episode I share some thoughts about the archetypal Hero’s Journey, conceived by Joseph Campbell as a template for the transformative experiences of our own lives and those who are facing the end of life. Each of us has the opportunity to be a mentor for someone who is going through the ordeal of their own hero’s journey and this model can help us understand how to offer support and what is needed from us. Download a one page handout at the link below: Heros-JourneyDownload Listen here: This episode includes: Why the archetypal Hero’s Journey applies to people at the end of lifeWhy things generally have to fall apart before transformation can occurHow dissolution of life’s equilibrium can lead to either transformation or regressionThe importance of a mentor for people experiencing the sacred end-of-life journeyThe most important tasks of the end-of-life hero’s journeyReframing SufferingStrengthening ConnectionsFinding MeaningFacing Fear of DeathHow unaddressed shadow issues can sabotage transformation at the end of lifeThe benefits of stories as tools for a mentorHow to utilize stories to assist with transformation Links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this linkSupport your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to SoulSubscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher RadioCheck out the Series I’ve recorded in the past hereJoin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously! If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!