Breathing Wind

How can we make sense of and reshape our narratives around loss when the loss is so formative? In this episode, I interview Christina Vo, a women's mentor and guide, about the experience of losing her mother at age 14, and how she's understood and incorporated her mother’s death into her narrative over time.

Christina talks about:

• Her mother’s journey from Vietnam, and how her experience was reflected in her character and parenting style.

• Discovering more about her mom’s life after her death.

• How she understands her mom’s death in her life now, 25 years after her passing, and how this is reflected in her personal life.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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When we die, what choices do we consciously make? How might we be guided through this major transition? Wendy Rolón’s background is in birth and end of life doula work, music, writing and fiber art. She is particularly awed by grief's ability to transform and expand our lives. A long-time supporter of those in transition, Wendy brings a calm and loving presence to any situation. In this episode, we cover a range of topics, from the Covid-19 pandemic, to her personal and early loss of her mother, to how this has informed her work today.

Wendy talks about:

• The pandemic and end of life work
• Her early experience of losing her mom, and how it has informed her work
• Her perspectives and beliefs around end of life

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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How can we make sense of tragedy? In this episode, I interview April Rinne, a public speaker, advisor, writer, and globetrotter. She advises, speaks, writes, and advocates for businesses and policies fit for the 21st-century change (adopting what she calls a "flux mindset"). April discusses the experience of losing both of her parents in a car accident when she was 20, and how, out of that tragedy, she set out to make better sense of the world (including a world in flux), and eventually, help make the world a better place. 

April talks about:

• Her parents and her changing views of family after losing them
• Her travels and taking the uncommon path after college
• Living a purpose-filled life to serve others

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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Grief is at an unprecedented level during Covid-19 and yet we are losing the normal in-person ways we grieve. How can we stay connected? Lennon Flowers is the co-founder of The Dinner Party, a platform for connecting mostly 20 and 30 somethings, as well as early 40 somethings, people who are often among the first in their peer community to experience a loss. In this episode, Lennon and I have a discussion about authentic conversations and creating spaces, virtual and in-person, that help people dealing with loss.

Lennon talks about:

• The format of The Dinner Party and the role of the host

• Modeling vulnerability and encouraging authentic conversation, even in online spaces

• The paradox of grief in this moment of Covid-19: Both heartbreak and hope can coexist

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode and listen to bonus tracks, visit the show notes.

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Grief is at an unprecedented level during Covid-19 and yet we are losing the normal in-person ways we grieve. What can we find from the spirit world to guide us during these times? And, what can we do to show our loved ones we care when they’re transitioning? Sand Symes is a Northern California-based modern medicine woman, shamanic practitioner, spiritual teacher, certified coach, former social worker, and intuitive healing guide. Sand and I talk about the concept of transition and how this fits in her viewpoint on death as a shamanic practitioner.

Sand talks about:

• Her views as a shamanic practitioner on the experience of loss during this pandemic
• Shapeshifting, intuition, and transitions in the context of death, life, and growth
• How to show your love when loved ones pass away

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode and listen to Sand's bonus gratitude for mothers on Mother's Day, visit the show notes.

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Grief is at an unprecedented level during Covid-19 and yet we are losing the normal in-person ways we grieve. How can we create connected ways to grieve? Siena Tenisci is a facilitator, or “grief tender,” of the Pacific Healing Circle’s online grief rituals. She brings her background in body-based somatic healing practices, group therapy, and ceremonial work to community grief tending. Siena and I talk about the ways the Grief Tenders are holding a sacred online space for grieving during these times. We talk about how there’s no right way to “do” grief, and Siena covers some of the many ways people express grief through their online sessions. We also talk through the importance of beauty in ritual, and the ways we can take care of ourselves while taking part in ritual.

Siena and I discuss:

• Ritual and beauty as a form of honoring our ancestors and recognizing the grief we collectively feel.
• How to embody grief, to connect back to ourselves and to each other, even when online.
• The concept of the sacred witness, or deeply present listening.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode and listen to a bonus grief tending sample, visit the show notes.

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Grief is at an unprecedented level during Covid-19 and yet we are losing the normal, social ways we grieve. What are some tools we can use to process our grief? Charlotte Fox Weber and I talk about grief and bibliotherapy as an approach to processing grief during the age of Covid-19.

Charlotte and I discuss:

• Her work with the School of Life and bibliotherapy
• The value of reading and re-reading during grief
• Our go-tos for authors and literature

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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What is the value of hearing stories from others? In this episode, I interview Dara Kosberg, Director of Programming for Reimagine, who discusses art and connecting as ways to process her grief, her views on her parents, and how she has chosen to live her life in the present.

She talks about:

• Her changing views on her loss over the years
• How she processed grief through art and connection, and how this appears in her life today
• Losing a feeling of security when her mom passed away

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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How should we respond to grief? In this episode, I interview Ken Breniman, a licensed yoga psychotherapist specializing in providing trauma-informed, bereavement-sensitive, thanatologically-inspired yoga therapy to individuals and groups in the Bay Area. Ken discusses his views on his mother’s journey, his experience of prolonged grief and connectedness, as well as his views on mortality.

He talks about:

• His prolonged grief experience in his 20s
• The legacy his mom left and how that relates to his legacy
• Making meaning in life and spirituality

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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Is there anything that can teach us about loss? Sara Karbeling, as part of a close family, discusses how her father’s death helped her family understand death, how she learned that death is a part of life, and how she chooses to maintain his spirit today.

Sara talks about:

• The sudden loss of her father
• How her father’s loss taught her to help others deal with loss
• Keeping her dad’s memory alive through traditions

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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