How might you care for someone at the end of their life when your relationship isn’t perfect? In this episode, Laura Davis and Sarah Davis talk about caregiving when still healing from past traumas, power dynamic flip from child to caregiver and caring for people with dementia. Laura Davis is a six-time bestselling author who leads transformative writing workshops internationally. Her latest book, a memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars, is about the dramatic twists and turns of mother-daughter...
Nov 02, 2021•43 min•0Ep. 46
What are mantras? What is their purpose? In this bonus episode, I explore this concept and Serena Malkani provides a caregiving mantra. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Caregiving Journey , hosted by Breathing Wind founder and host, Sarah Davis. The Caregiving Journey miniseries explores: How stories of other caregivers can help us feel less alone Ambiguous grief and caregiving at end of life The shifting roles of the caregiver How and why to seek self-care Joy in the c...
Oct 22, 2021•7 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Who is advocating for cancer awareness in your state? What is their story? In this episode, Kandis Draw and I have a conversation about her caregiving and cancer advocacy. Kandis Draw lives in Chicago, is a classically trained pianist and a lover of philanthropy. She is a member of the Aids Foundation of Chicago Associate Board, Gilda’s Club Chicago Associate Board, and is an active National Advocate for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. She has written articles for NOCC National, and Splash...
Sep 28, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 44
How might you care for yourself while caregiving? In this episode, Rachel Mark, Lucy Bellwood and I talk about caregiving. Rachel Mark is a fabrication artist for stop-motion animation and an ADHD/Creative Coach. She took care of her brother, Daniel, who was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and her uncle, Lou, when he was diagnosed with MAL syndrome. Lucy Bellwood is a professional Adventure Cartoonist, writer, and educator. She is taking care of her father, who has moderate stage dementia...
Sep 14, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 43
How do you let go of making everything perfect when caregiving? In this episode, Rachel Mark, Lucy Bellwood and I had a conversation about caregiving. Rachel Mark is a fabrication artist for stop-motion animation and an ADHD/Creative Coach. She took care of her brother, Daniel, who was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and her uncle, Lou, when he was diagnosed with MAL syndrome. Lucy Bellwood is a professional Adventure Cartoonist, writer, and educator. She is taking care of her father, who...
Aug 17, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Cheryl Jones prepared for 10 years for her first wife’s passing. She did this in a way that was true to her and true to how they chose to live. This prepared her to be able to support others. In this episode, Sarah talks with Cheryl about her caregiving journey, her different experiences with loss after her wife died and how her children dealt with the loss. Cheryl Jones is a grief counselor, educator and the host of Good Grief, a podcast about transformation after loss. She is also the author o...
Aug 16, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Caregiving is a rite of passage. How might we find joy in it? In this episode, Sarah talks with Jenn Chan, about her caregiving journey, support groups, and how her current work revolves around caregiver joy. Jenn Chan, CSA®, CCC™, is the Founder of Senior Shower® Project, a startup with a mission to celebrate family caregivers of older adults with a party. She creates caregiver appreciation cards, curates caregiver gift boxes, and designs caregiver party kits. While Jenn provided care for her g...
Jul 20, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 40
In this episode, Breathing Wind host and producer, Sarah Davis talks about the upcoming mini-series on caregiving. The Caregiving Journey miniseries explores: How stories of other caregivers can help us feel less alone Ambiguous grief and caregiving at end of life The shifting roles of the caregiver How and why to seek self-care Joy in the caregiving journey To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Insta...
Jul 13, 2021•5 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Who writes the roadmap when one doesn’t exist? In this episode, Deborah interviews Naila Francis, a death midwife and grief coach, about her journey to becoming a death midwife and how this work fills a gap for people seeking a different approach to death and dying. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Embrace Death, Live Life, hosted by ICU and palliative care nurse, Deborah Szeto. The Embrace Death, Live Life miniseries explores the work of palliative care in healing and ...
Jun 15, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 38
Are chaplains only for religious or spiritual people? In this episode, Deborah talks with Jeffrey Ishmael, a chaplain on the outpatient palliative care team at John Muir health in Walnut Creek, CA, about the role of the chaplain in palliative care, his perspectives having worked in this role, and how this work connects to grief and suffering. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Embrace Death, Live Life, hosted by ICU and palliative care nurse, Deborah Szeto. The Embrace De...
Jun 01, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 37
What is the power of narrative? In this episode, Deborah talks with Jessica Zitter, MD, MPH, about the power of story in context of palliative care and her calling in this work. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Embrace Death, Live Life, hosted by ICU and palliative care nurse, Deborah Szeto. The Embrace Death, Live Life miniseries explores the work of palliative care in healing and how we can live fuller lives while embracing and normalizing death. To find out more abou...
May 18, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 36
How might we begin to demystify death for each other and live fully alongside it? In this episode, Deborah Szeto, ICU and palliative care nurse, and Breathing Wind producer, Sarah Davis, talk about Deborah’s background, her passion for having important conversations, and how she has shifted her perspective since being an ICU and palliative care nurse. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Embrace Death, Live Life, hosted by Deborah Szeto. The Embrace Death, Live Life miniser...
May 11, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 35
What is resilience and how does it inform a healer’s work? In this episode, Tim Nguyen and mini-series host Ken Breniman from Season One ( ep 08 ) talk about Tim’s relationship with his father, his father’s diagnosis, ancestral trauma, empathy in understanding trauma and how Tim has cultivated a sense of belonging. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Meaning Making, Mortality and Medicine , hosted by Ken Breniman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified yoga therapist, ...
May 04, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 34
How might we form our unique and continuing bond with our parents who’ve passed away? In this episode, Dave Koz, accomplished saxophonist and entrepreneur, and mini-series host Ken Breniman from Season One ( ep 08 ) talk about Dave’s relationship with the saxophone, rites of passage, and how he and his siblings have honored their parents. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Meaning Making, Mortality and Medicine , hosted by Ken Breniman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, ce...
Apr 20, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 33
What is memory? In this episode, Madeleine Bachan Kaur and Ken Breniman from Season One ( ep 08 ) talk about how we remember our deceased parents. Madeleine Bachan Kaur is a motherless child who has found healing through her love of Nature, as well as her creativity in both art and music. In sharing how she allows the memories of her mother to be both fluid and natural, there is an invitation to anyone who is grieving. Madeleine invites each of us to find ways to connect to Mother Earth so our h...
Mar 23, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 32
What is meaning making, mortality, and medicine? In this episode, Ken Breniman from Season One ( ep 08 ) and Sarah Davis, founder of the Breathing Wind podcast, talk about belonging, medicine, ritual and normalizing healing. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Meaning Making, Mortality and Medicine , hosted by Ken Breniman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified yoga therapist, plant medicine integration specialist and a thanatologist. Ken’s miniseries explores finding...
Mar 16, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 31
How might we learn to find safety again after loss? In this episode, Wendy Rolón from Season One ( ep 15 ) and Emma Stern, AMFT, trauma-informed yoga teacher and counselor with a focus on somatics, talk about trauma-informed yoga, self-soothing, and community. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Transforming Grief , hosted by Wendy Rolón, end of life doula, bereavement counselor and workshop facilitator. The Transforming Grief miniseries explores what we can do as humans t...
Mar 09, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 30
How might we use sound to work with grief? In this episode, Wendy Rolón from Season One ( ep 15 ) and Serena Malkani, Sound Practitioner, Ayurvedic Counselor and Intuitive Coach, talk about sound healing with grief, healing through vocal/musical expression, and the ways this works with self and community. This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Transforming Grief , hosted by Wendy Rolón, end of life doula, bereavement counselor and workshop facilitator. The Transforming Grief ...
Feb 23, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 29
" You know, this is not just an emotional experience, but a physical one, often a spiritual one, to explore those aspects of what is changed in you when grieving and then to start to take stock of resilience and find that hope together, I think those are the values of grief counseling." Christine Kovach Is there hope in grief? In this episode, Wendy Rolón from Season One ( ep 15 ) and Christine Kovach, bereavement counselor for Mission Hospice, talk about grief counseling, healing through expres...
Feb 09, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 28
“Grief is this way that we metabolize loss, and grief affords us the chance to really get intimate with our experience with our own needs.” - Wendy Rolón “Healing is both a journey and a process. And healing involves a willingness to offer ourselves care and kindness along the way.” - Ken Breniman “Healing really means acknowledging what's at the root of the grief-- whatever was lost -- and working through it physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.” - Deborah Szeto This is the official...
Feb 02, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 27
What is the focus, is it grief plus change, or change plus grief? This is the first episode of Season Two (technically, though, it’s 1.5), and Sonia Loredo Traviesa and I have a conversation about her work, as well as change, grief, and our parallel struggles during 2020. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 26
What role does wonder have in grief? How do we change when grief affects us so young? This is the last episode of Season One and I’ve chosen Surya Ohara to represent the conclusion, as she also represents the beginning of this podcast. We met at The Everything Conference in 2019, at a time when I really needed to have a community of others pursuing nontraditional paths to inspire me to keep going. In this episode, we touch on her story. We talk about her memories of her father, her father’s fune...
Nov 10, 2020•31 min•Season -1Ep. 25
How does who we are carry on from who our parents are? Christopher Williams’ dad, Donald, passed away suddenly when he was in his late thirties. In this episode, we talk about his dad, his family and upbringing, his values around family, and even his plans for his dad’s barbeque sauce. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscr...
Oct 27, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 24
How might death shape us as compassionate and connected human beings, and how do we hold our community and allow our community to witness us during the hardest times of our lives? Daisy’s mom, Kim, passed away from breast cancer when she was 30. In this episode, she talks about how she made it through that loss and how she continues to honor her today. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram This is a...
Oct 20, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 23
What role does our gender play in grief? Paul Sockett is from England and has been developing his career as a professional actor and performer for 15 years. Paul considers himself an empath and, during the time of this recording, he was with his partner, supporting her through her loss. His feelings related to grief, even anger, came forward in this recording. In this episode, we talk about Paul’s experience and how grief shows up in his life today, as a man, actor, and partner. To learn more ab...
Sep 29, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 22
As grievers, I think we can all relate to hearing something like, “At least they didn’t suffer,” or “Well, they had a good life.” These cringe-worthy glass-half-full clichés are etched into how our American culture processes loss. So, what do you say to someone who’s grieving? This is what Laura specializes in. In this episode, I interview Laura Jack , a Mastery Level Transformational Life Coach, speaker, and compassionate leadership trainer. Laura talks about her mom and how her mom’s death cat...
Sep 15, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 21
What do you prioritize in life and why? In this episode, I interview Andrew Kaufteil, a marketing executive and friend of mine. When he lost his dad, he shifted his approach to prioritizing relationships over success and status. Andrew discusses his dad’s memory, his loss, and how he focuses now on his mom. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss ...
Sep 01, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 20
What effect does trauma have on our bodies? How does grief fit in? Joie Seldon is a trainer, coach, and specialist in the field of Emotional Intelligence. In this episode, she talks about the type of parent loss and trauma situation that Saam faced ( Episode 18 ) and goes beyond this to focus on grief and parent loss in general, in context of how our body processes emotions, the lost expectations that can cause grief, and microtraumas surrounding parent loss. Though our conversation was recorded...
Aug 18, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Can genetics determine our future? What do we do when permanent loss creates mixed feelings and outcomes? Saam Barringer explores some of these ideas and how losing his dad shaped how he parents his children today. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes . Connect with us on social media: Facebook Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.breathingwind.com...
Aug 04, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 18
What does it mean to tend to our grief? Alica Forneret is a writer, facilitator, and Grief Guide who creates spaces for people to explore their grief. She is fiercely committed to making sure that we have more conversations about grief, death, and dying - whether that’s at home, at work, or with strangers on the bus. This episode was recorded live in collaboration with the “ Reimagine: Life, Loss, & Love ,” virtual festival, a response to COVID-19. In this episode, we talk about Alica’s mom ...
Jul 21, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 17
