I recorded this episode inspired by an experience I had with the red ants in my yard. You heard that right. For the whole story, listen to this week’s recording. In short, I got impatient, disrupted an ant hill, got stung, and ended up contemplating – Does God Grieve? I’m not a theologian, philosopher, or anything else that might hint toward expert. And, I’m in awe how grief continues to teach me. Love me. Cause me to slow down and notice. I’m in awe of grief’s attention to detail. Connection to...
Jul 07, 2025•25 min
I recorded this podcast specifically for someone experiencing the fresh loss of a loved one. If that’s you, welcome. I’m gonna keep this brief - and the podcast if brief too. First. There is nothing wrong with you. You can not get this wrong. Your body is responding to a profound disruption to your sense of normal and your entire anatomy is impacted. Two. It’s common to feel guilty to simply live your routine. Imagine, your person watching you now. Better yet. Imagine that the roles are reversed...
Jun 23, 2025•40 min
I recorded this podcast specifically for someone experiencing the fresh loss of a loved one. If that’s you, welcome. I’m gonna keep this brief - and the podcast if brief too. First. There is nothing wrong with you. You can not get this wrong. Your body is responding to a profound disruption to your sense of normal and your entire anatomy is impacted. Two. It’s common to feel guilty to simply live your routine. Imagine, your person watching you now. Better yet. Imagine that the roles are reversed...
Jun 09, 2025•33 min
I don’t see grief as something to get over. I see it as something that carries us back to what matters. This week on the podcast, I’m sharing the heart of how I understand grief—not just as a response to loss, but as love in motion. Grief is not the wound. It’s the hand that tends the wound. It’s the love that moves toward what hurts… what was taken… what never arrived… and still matters. In this episode, I meander through how this framework—this living relationship with grief—has shaped my life...
May 27, 2025•43 min
Whether you’re in the thick of change, quietly cocooning, or simply not in a space to listen right now—I honor you. Grief Heals is a family, and families know how to feed one another in many ways. So here are a few invitations, tools, and practices for you to carry into your own day: Nourishment for the In-Between Practice the pause. Take one breath. Let yourself feel exactly how you feel. No fixing. No judgment. Just presence. Name a shift. What have you recently let go of, or what is letting g...
May 12, 2025•31 min
This Episode Is For You If… You find yourself comparing your success, your body, your parenting, or your worth to others. You struggle with feeling “not enough” and don’t know why. You want a way out of the pain loop that doesn’t shame you for how you got there. Hello, hello, hello— Let’s just take a breath together. Because you and I? We breathe the same air. We really do belong to each other. This week on the Grief Heals podcast, we’re exploring something that affects all of us—whether we admi...
Apr 28, 2025•27 min
In this week’s episode of Grief Heals, we explore Chapter 5 of Mel Robbins’ book Let Them, which invites us to let them think bad thoughts about you. And in true Grief Heals fashion, we’re holding that invitation through the lens of grief—not grief as death, but as love bringing nutrients to the soul, the kind that fosters new life, deep self-acceptance, and brave belonging. Because let’s be real: So many of us were never taught that our loudness, our softness, our mess, our silence, our brillia...
Apr 15, 2025•29 min
This week’s Grief Heals episode is a deep breath, a full exhale, and a tender look at what happens when our inner eight-year-old is still running the show in a very grown-up life. I’m talking about Chapter 6 of Mel Robbins’ book Let Them , where she explores “grown-ups who throw tantrums”—and of course, I couldn't help but look at it all through the lens of collective grief . Because here’s the thing: Most of us were never taught that our big emotions are welcome. We weren’t held when we were he...
Mar 31, 2025•45 min
Courageous, We are living in a time where fear is being wielded to pull us apart—feeding the illusion that we are separate, that it’s us vs. them. But here’s the truth: We belong to each other. And love—real, courageous, unshakable love—asks us to remember that. I know what it’s like to pull away when I feel misunderstood, to stay quiet when I long to speak, to convince myself that holding back is safer than being fully seen. Self-protection happens automatically—it’s wired into me. Maybe you fe...
Mar 18, 2025•29 min
We’re living in a world that’s working overtime to convince us we’re separate. That we’re alone. That we should be afraid of each other. But I refuse to buy into that lie. And I know you do, too. That’s why this week’s episode of Grief Heals is about something radical: remembering that we belong to each other. Grief has been my greatest teacher in this. It has stripped away the illusion of individualism and shown me—without a doubt—that what happens to one of us, happens to all of us. We breathe...
Mar 03, 2025•25 min
There’s something powerful in remembering that we all breathe the same air. And that’s really what this latest episode of Grief Heals is about—the love we find when we step into our grief, especially collective grief. Right now, there is so much division. So many lines drawn between “us” and “them.” And in that divide, grief is quietly doing its work—showing us what truly matters, revealing that we belong to each other. In this episode, I share a story about a road trip, a broken-down truck, and...
Feb 17, 2025•32 min
Reflecting on the death of his grandson, my friend shared this on facebook: Two years have passed since Jan 4th, and yet the shadow of that redwood, mighty and indifferent, still looms over my heart as if it fell but yesterday. Aeon—his name an echo of eternity, his spirit a flicker of divine light—was taken by the same earth that cradled him. A boy so full of wonder and possibility, his laughter seemed to carry the whispers of angels, and his eyes bore a brightness that spoke of a world yet to ...
Feb 03, 2025•24 min
Perhaps isolation is an epidemic because we've been conditioned to think we are less than we are – that we and others don’t have the capacity to be with all that life brings. Love, loss, pain, and joy are all part of the human experience. But we’ve absorbed a lie that we and others can’t handle the complexity of life. This leads to hiding emotions, which keeps us segregated from ourselves and others. Isolation. I found out Chip died at midnight. By 7:00 am, 9 women were at my door ready to suppo...
Jan 27, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 3
A sweet friend and client sent me, "The Hidden Messages of Water," by Masaru Emoto. The treasure I received from the author and water is Love and Gratitude https://a.co/d/bSAS7zQ This has me thinking about the radical invitation of grief. What if grief’s invitation is to Slow. Down. When I get slow. I mean slow enough to notice that I breathe. Slow enough to notice that I see. Every time I get slow, Love and Gratitude emerge. Even when I’m entering my deepest losses, love and gratitude arise whe...
Jan 20, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Today’s episode was inspired by a Christmas gift I received from my dear friend Michelle - The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck, created by Tricia Hersey. I explore how her entreaty to rest as a form of resistance against the "grind culture" connects with embracing grief to humanize humanity. I share how my experience of pushing away grief resonates with her assertion that grind culture is a collaboration between capitalism and white supremacy. And how grief’s sacred doorway is an invitation to life. Tr...
Jan 16, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 1
OKAY. However you are coming into the New Year —- WELCOME! Imagine getting to be where you are, how you are, exactly as you are – and welcoming all of you to this space. The happy, sad, good, bad – whatever concoction of duality you notice, what might it be like to practice welcoming all of your experience? You know what helps me practice welcoming all of my experience? I think of everything as moving around a circle. Ha! The Circle of Life. Cue Lion King lyrics. It's the circle of life And it m...
Jan 05, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Host Lisa Michelle Zega talks about the importance of embracing and investing in personal loss and grief as a path to growth and profit, both for the individual and one's broader ecosystem. In the course of this, Lisa reflects on her childhood experiences and the stories they have held onto and explores how letting go of these narratives and welcoming all parts of oneself can lead to greater compassion, connection, and wholeness. The episode emphasizes the value of self-reflection, self-hypnosis...
Dec 02, 2024•39 min
In this thought-provoking episode of Grief Heals, host Lisa Michelle Zega embarks on a profound exploration of the interconnectedness of all things. Drawing insights from the natural world, Zega delves into the intricate web of human systems and emotions, highlighting the ways in which grief, joy, and resilience are inextricably linked. Through reflections on brain development, the cycles of nature, and the power of physical and emotional resistance, Zega invites listeners to consider grief not ...
Nov 25, 2024•26 min
In this episode, Lisa Michelle Zega explores the themes of grief, personal growth, and the importance of being witnessed and celebrated for one's unique brilliance. She reflects on leading a workshop for individuals re-entering the workforce, where she was deeply moved by the profound wisdom and perspectives shared by the participants. She connects this experience to the broader idea that grief can stem from not being seen and heard in our full individuality, rather than being forced to conform ...
Nov 18, 2024•26 min
Host Lisa Michelle Zega leads a thoughtful and introspective discussion on the state of the United States and the human condition. Zega explores themes of unity, division, grief, and the need for collective healing and understanding. She reflects on the complex history of the country, the lasting impacts of systemic oppression, and the importance of expanding our capacity for empathy, compassion, and love. Zega draws connections between individual and collective experiences, highlighting how our...
Nov 11, 2024•36 min
Lisa Michelle Zega explores the process of navigating life transitions and personal growth and in the process highlights the role of grief and the need to let go of idealized expectations. The importance of self-compassion and embracing one's human limitations is emphasized as part of the journey of expansion and transformation. The collaborative nature of this transformative work is also discussed. Underlying these ideas is the concept that expanding into one's true, divine nature involves a pr...
Nov 04, 2024•29 min
In this episode, Lisa Michelle Zega explores the powerful role that self-shaming and reimagination can play in the grieving process. Lisa shares personal experiences and insights on how being present to our own suffering, rather than trying to undo the past, can open us up to deeper self-compassion and the ability to create new, enriching experiences. The discussion touches on the importance of embracing the messiness of life, allowing ourselves to fully feel our emotions, and using the power of...
Oct 29, 2024•26 min
In this thought-provoking conversation, Lisa Michelle Zega explores the profound connection between grief and love. Lisa delves into the idea that true healing requires us to be present to our own suffering, allowing love to enter and minister to our wounds. Through personal stories and reflections, Lisa unpacks how facing our pain with self-compassion can open the door to deeper relationships, forgiveness, and the ability to genuinely love ourselves and others. Lisa's discussion illuminates the...
Oct 14, 2024•41 min
In this episode, Lisa Michelle Zega shares a profound perspective on the relationship between grief and love. Drawing insights from a course on Black history, Zega has come to see grief not as something to be feared, but as a patient, kind, and celebratory expression of the highest form of love. By reframing grief in this way, Zega suggests we can find healing, forgiveness, and a path to a new future, both individually and collectively. This thought-provoking exploration challenges listeners to ...
Oct 07, 2024•27 min
In this episode, host Lisa Michelle Zega takes us on a deeply personal journey as she navigates significant life transitions. From preparing to move to a new home in Texas to honoring what would have been her wedding anniversary with her late fiancé Chip, Lisa Michelle shares her raw and vulnerable experiences with remarkable openness. As she reflects on starting a new romantic relationship just months after Chip's passing, the emotional process of leaving her home of six years, and her ongoing ...
Sep 30, 2024•24 min
In this episode, Lisa Michelle Zega shares her personal journey through grief and loss, offering insights and strategies that can help listeners navigate their own experiences with grief. From the societal lack of space for loss to the importance of owning one's story, Lisa's candid and empowering narrative provides a roadmap for finding resilience and self-compassion in the face of life's most challenging moments. Questions for Further Reflection How can you create more space for grief and loss...
Sep 23, 2024•40 min
Host Lisa Michelle Zega navigates a pivotal life shift, grappling with the emotional weight of loss and uncertainty. She explores the shared vulnerability and grief that often accompany major transitions, drawing parallels to her role in guiding others through their own emotional journeys. The episode delves into the everyday impact of loss, the importance of emotional presence, and the interconnectedness of human experiences. Lisa underscores the transformative power of grief, which can foster ...
Sep 16, 2024•28 min
In an era where speed often overrides sensitivity, and technology often trumps togetherness, it is vital to pause and reflect on the fundamental elements that connect us—not just as individuals or communities, but as part of a larger, breathing world. Today, let's journey through a profound exploration of breath, body, and land, and how these elements intertwine with our experiences of suffering, healing, and ultimately, love. Host Lisa Michelle Zega discusses the connection between how we treat...
Sep 09, 2024•20 min
Host Lisa Michelle Zega delves into the profound connection between historical trauma and personal grief. She explores how systemic injustices, such as slavery and genocide, have left a lasting impact on individuals and communities. Lisa argues that the unresolved wounds of the past can manifest as individual pain, leading to feelings of loss, disconnection, and despair. Lisa emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and addressing historical trauma as a crucial step in personal healing. She su...
Sep 02, 2024•37 min
Host Lisa Michelle Zega underscores the importance of being present and attentive to our own grief and losses, rather than rushing to “move on.” She introduces the “5 Gates of Grief” by Francis Weller, which cover various types of losses and unmet needs we all experience. Emphasizing the necessity of bringing loving attention to these unmet needs and unwitnessed griefs, she cautions against judging ourselves for not “getting over it” quickly. Lisa also explores how our culture often fails to pro...
Aug 26, 2024•34 min
