End-of-Life University

End-of-Life University

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End-of-Life University episodes

  • Ep. 573 Coffin-Building: The Intersection of Art and Conscious Dying with Tamara MacIntyre

    Learn how hand-weaving coffins from willow branches can create a container for grief and increase awareness of conscious dying.

    About the guest:

    My guest Dr. Tamara MacIntyre is a death doula, death educator, and community coffin builder based in Canada. She is a retired Doctor of Natural Medicine, chiropractor, and former Dean of Clinical Education who now through Conscious Death.org offers end-of-life education, Living Funeral Ceremonies, individualized care planning, and advocacy in addition to her artistic pursuit of coffin-building. We discuss how she serves as a guide for  others so that they can choose an end-of-life passage that is in alignment with how they lived their life. Learn more at her website:

    consciousdeath.org

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    Included in this episode:
    • How she came to this work as both a death doula and a coffin-builder
    • Why coffin-building is often a doorway for people who aren’t ready yet to talk about death
    • Why each coffin she builds is unique to the individual including the size
    • How designing a coffin can take into account a person’s ancestry, culture, and personal legacy
    • Who chooses to help make their own coffin and what that’s like
    • How a handmade coffin can add meaning to a funeral and help with grief, especially as part of a community ritual
    • How hands-on work like coffin-building helps slow down the process of acknowledging death and creates a deep container for grief
    • The importance of death education and why we all should be teaching in our communities
    • Why advance care planning doesn’t always prepare people for what they will actually face at the end of life
    • Conscious dying asks us to be present for whatever is happening and leads us to find our own balance between pain and comfort
    • How coffin-building contributes to mindfulness and the full experience of conscious dying
    • Links for this episode:
      Resources
      • Learn about Willow Weaving from Tamara
      • Blog Post: The Coffin No One Keeps by Tamara MacIntyre
      • Related episodes
        • Green Burial: A Will for the Woods with Amy Browne and Brian Wilson
        • “The Natural Funeral” – Options for Disposition After Death with Seth Viddal
        • Art and Conversations About Death with Molly Stuart
        • Other links
          • Death Over Drafts – Pre-EndWell Registration
          • Field Guide to What Really Matters
          • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
          • Latest post on Substack:  Mother Nature is Waiting for Your Visit
          • What Really Matters Podcast: How and Why to Keep a Nature Journal
          • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
          • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
          • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
          • Buy me a coffee
          • Donate on Paypal
          • 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. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

            NEXT ON EOLU PODCAST: Laura Starkey & Freddie Johnson on “Conservation Burial“

            Transcript
            Tamara MacIntyre InterviewDownload
            1 hr 1 min
          • Ep. 571 Treulogy: A Tool for Writing Our Stories While Grieving with Sasha Stricker

            Learn about an AI tool that helps with writing eulogies, obituaries, and memorial cards using only the stories you choose to input.

            About the guest:

            My guest Sasha Stricker is an entrepreneur, creative thinker and problem-solver who is also the founder of TreulogyAI, a tool built around the simple truth that only the people who loved someone can tell their real stories. She shares what inspired her to develop Treulogy and how she designed it to be helpful to families by creating a safe space to share their stories and thoughts. Learn more at the website:

            treulogy.com

            Watch on YouTube

            Listen here:

            In this episode:
            • How Sasha got interested in creating a tool to help people write eulogies
            • The power of storytelling after a loved one has died
            • The challenge of writing a eulogy while deeply grieving and why eulogies are sometimes overlooked
            • How AI can create a safe space for telling tender and sensitive stories with no judgment
            • Why there is stigma and fear around using AI
            • How Treulogy differs from generic chatbots that may write incorrect information in a eulogy
            • Treulogy has strict privacy guardrails and is a closed system that does not use the internet
            • How to use Treulogy to write a eulogy (and make a donation to EOLU at the same time)
            • How to utilize stories from multiple people in writing the eulogy
            • Treulogy can also be used to generate an obituary, a memorial card, a social post. or a living tribute
            • Why I think it’s okay to use whatever tools we need to help us tell and share the stories of our loved ones
            • Links for this episode:
              Resources
              • Affiliate account with Treulogy: https://treulogy.com/eolu
              • What to Include in a Eulogy – Blog post
              • How to Write a Funeral Program – Blog post
              • How to Write an Obituary – Blog post
              • Related episodes
                • The Beauty of What Remains with Rabbi Steve Leder
                • My Living Obituary: Legacy Therapy at the End of Life with Maggie Gannon and Heidi Connolly
                • Visual Storytelling for End-of-Life Planning with Jill Greenbaum
                • Other links
                  • Field Guide to What Really Matters
                  • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                  • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                  • What Really Matters Podcast: Grief Travel on the Sonoma Coast
                  • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                  • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                  • Buy me a coffee
                  • Donate on Paypal
                  • 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. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

                    NEXT ON EOLU PODCAST: Doug Simpson on “INELDA: Training EOL Doulas for Today’s Needs“

                    Transcript
                    Sasha Stricker InterviewDownload
                    1 hr 1 min
                  • Ep. 570 Death’s Guide to Life in Art and Popular Culture with Dr. Dean Cantù PhD

                    Learn how death has been personified throughout history in culture, society, and the arts and what that says about our fear of death and desire to control it.

                    About the guest:

                    My guest today is Dr. D. Antonio “Dean” Cantù who is Dean of the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He has conducted research on the Personification of Death throughout history in art, music, literature, television, film, and popular culture. He has authored numerous publications and presented 3 TedX talks on this subject and today discusses how death is depicted in various societies and how it provides a better understanding of life. Learn more about his work at his website:

                    deancantu.com

                    Watch on YouTube

                    Listen here:

                    This episode includes:
                    • How our society could be both fearful of death and obsessed with it at the same time
                    • Some people delay completing advance directives because they cannot conceive of the idea that they will actually die
                    • There four major types of personification of Death
                    • The figure of the Grim Reaper came about during the Black Plague and was an attempt to get some control over the concept of death
                    • Death is sometimes portrayed as a romantic, seductive figure, which reflects the delicate balance between life and death
                    • Death can also be portrayed as a friend or comforter, especially in art work, film
                    • In graphic novels and film death is sometimes portrayed as a superhero
                    • COVID-19 helped break down some of the walls of our death denial
                    • How the pendulum swings back and forth between death awareness and avoidance
                    • There seems to be greater interest in death and dying among college students now
                    • Death as a teacher for life
                    • Links for this episode:
                      Resources
                      • Dr. Cantù’s TEDxTalks
                      • Twilight Zone Episode: Nothing in the Dark
                      • Netflix Series: The Sandman
                      • Related Episodes
                        • Cross-Cultural End-of-Life Practices with Gary Wederspahn
                        • What Forrest Gump Teaches Us About Death and Dying
                        • Nights of Grief and Mystery with Stephen Jenkinson
                        • Other Links
                          • Field Guide to What Really Matters
                          • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                          • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                          • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                          • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                          • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                          • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                          • Buy me a coffee
                          • Donate on Paypal
                          • 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 latest contributor Jenny Lytle. Thanks also to everyone who has made a donation on Paypal or bought me a coffee! Your support makes all the difference and ensures this podcast stays ad-free.


                            NEXT ON EOLU PODCAST: Sasha Stricker on “A Tool for Eulogy Writing“

                            Transcript
                            Dean Cantu InterviewDownload
                            1 hr 7 min
                          • Ep. 569 Living and Dying Without Fear with RamDev Dale Borglum

                            Learn from one of the founders of the conscious dying movement how to live with awareness so that fear doesn’t interfere with spiritual growth.

                            About the guest:

                            My guest RamDev Dale Borglum is the executive director of the Living/Dying Project and a pioneer in the conscious dying movement. As a devoted practitioner of both Eastern and Western healing traditions he has spent decades helping individuals face death and life with greater awareness while collaborating with leaders in the field like Ram Dass, Stephen Levine, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. He is the author of the book How to Live So You Can Die Without Fear, which we will discuss today. Learn more at his website:

                            livingdying.org

                            Get the book here

                            Watch on YouTube

                            Listen here:

                            This episode includes:
                            • How RamDev Dale became acquainted with Ram Dass and Stephen Levine and started the first center for conscious dying in the late 1970’s
                            • The hospice movement has sadly strayed from its spiritual roots to become more of a business
                            • Why deep inner transformation on the individual level is necessary for the societal change we need
                            • Our fear of death shows us where we are not enlightened
                            • There’s a balance between caring for the physical aspect of dying and the spiritual reality of death
                            • In Tibetan Buddhism compassion is a mixture of sadness and joy
                            • Fatigue comes from experiencing the sadness of suffering but not the joy
                            • His map of spiritual growth has 5 aspects: Motivation, Invocation, Devotion, Empowerment, Wholeness
                            • How our society can distract us from doing the inner work
                            • How to help someone else with their fear of death
                            • Where to start on a path toward greater consciousness
                            • The best spiritual practice is to combine deep inner work with an outer relationship with death and dying
                            • Links for this episode:
                              Resources
                              • On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
                              • Who Dies by Stephen Levine
                              • Living/Dying Project Upcoming Events
                              • Related Episodes
                                • Conscious Dying, Dreamwork, and Death Doulas in Mexico with Wilka Roig
                                • Center for Conscious Living and Dying: An End-of-Life Care Home with Aditi Sethi, MD
                                • Zen Caregiving: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Others with Roy Remer
                                • Grace and Grit: Conscious Love & Conscious Dying with Ken Wilber
                                • Other Links
                                  • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                  • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                  • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                  • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                  • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                  • Buy me a coffee
                                  • Donate on Paypal
                                  • 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 and thanks to Molly Darsow for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

                                    Transcript
                                    RamDev Dale Borglum InterviewDownload
                                    1 hr 3 min
                                  • Ep. 568 Mediation as a Tool for Conflict at the End of Life with Molly Darsow

                                    Learn how a professional mediator can help families manage conflict and disruption at the end of life and why it’s important.

                                    About the guest:

                                    My special guest Molly Darsow is a mediator who specialized in helping families navigate conflict related to aging parent, elder care, guardianship, end-of-life decisions, estate disputes, and other complex family transitions. She is the founder of Still Waters Mediation and shares why mediation is a valuable tool for navigating conflict at end of life and how to utilize it. Learn more at her website:

                                    stillwatersmediation.com

                                    Watch on YouTube

                                    Listen here:

                                    In this episode:
                                    • What mediation is and how it helps with resolution of issues
                                    • Why conflicts arise naturally at end of life
                                    • How grief contributes to conflict by decreasing ability to empathize with one another
                                    • Why the legal system may actually amplify conflict
                                    • Underlying issues that arise at end of life most often involve roles and old ways of coping and relating
                                    • Mediators don’t offer therapy but do need to understand family dynamics
                                    • How caregiver contracts that include compensation can help avoid resentment later
                                    • Different styles of handling grief can also contribute to conflicts
                                    • How our past narratives can perpetuate conflict in the present time
                                    • What does it take to become a mediator
                                    • How mediation training can benefit people in other professions
                                    • Success as a mediator requires being able to keep yourself in a calm and neutral state
                                    • Links for this episode:
                                      Resources
                                      • Register for The Death Inside the Death Telesummit
                                      • Estate Transition: An Important Part of End-of-Life Planning with Dan Stickel
                                      • The Death Deck as a conversation starter
                                      • Related episodes
                                        • Settling Estate Issues After the Death of a Loved One with Matthew Van Drimmelen
                                        • Dealing with Anger at the End of Life with Barbara Karnes RN
                                        • Managing Family Conflict at the End of Life
                                        • Other links
                                          • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                          • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                          • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                          • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                          • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                          • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                          • Buy me a coffee
                                          • Donate on Paypal
                                          • 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 latest supporter Jordan Toy, and thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

                                            Transcript
                                            Molly Darsow InterviewDownload
                                            1 hr 4 min
                                          • Ep. 567 Grief in the Aftermath of Suicide with Laura Jaye Cramer

                                            Learn how a beautiful magazine about grief was inspired by the devastating loss of two loved ones to suicide.

                                            About the guest:

                                            My guest Laura Jaye Cramer is the founder of Waiting Room Publishing, an independent media company putting smart, human-centered print magazines into healthcare, senior living, and end-of-life waiting rooms across the United States. Today we share together our experiences with grief after suicide loss and how we are each navigating that journey. We also discuss Candlelight Magazine, which Laura created out of her own grief. The magazine features poetry, articles, art, and photo essays about grief for end-of-life spaces like funeral homes, hospice care, and palliative care. Learn more at her websites:

                                            laurajayecramer.com

                                            waitingroompublishing.com

                                            Watch on YouTube

                                            Listen here:

                                            In this episode:
                                            • How Laura’s own grief experience inspired her to create Candlelight Magazine
                                            • How typical reading material in waiting rooms doesn’t match the needs of grieving people
                                            • How grief can be like a “waiting room” where we wonder when things will change
                                            • The overwhelming grief experienced by Laura of two family suicide deaths within 3 months
                                            • Why many grief groups don’t work well for suicide survivors
                                            • Feelings of abandonment and betrayal after a suicide loss
                                            • Talking about suicide may help people find the tools they need to cope
                                            • The need for a specific community of “grief friends” who understand suicide loss
                                            • Navigating “before” and “after” versions of yourself following traumatic loss
                                            • How to subscribe to Candlelight Magazine
                                            • Links for this episode:
                                              Resources
                                              • Read Candlelight Magazine online
                                              • Subscribe to Candlelight Magazine
                                              • Series – Suicide: Surviving the Aftermath
                                              • Related episodes
                                                • Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One with Sarah Neustadter PhD
                                                • Grief After a Suicide Death: My Personal Story with Karen Wyatt MD
                                                • It’s OK to Talk About Suicide: Finding Safety and Hope Amidst Pain with Kevin Hines
                                                • Other links
                                                  • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                                  • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                                  • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                                  • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                                  • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                                  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                                  • Buy me a coffee
                                                  • Donate on Paypal
                                                  • Transcript
                                                    Laura Jaye Cramer InterviewDownload

                                                    1 hr
                                                  • Ep. 566 Yoga for Living with Loss with Sheena Nancy Sarles

                                                    Learn how grief shows up in the body and how simple yoga techniques can help us recognize and embody grief in a healthy way.

                                                    About the guest:

                                                    My guest Sheena Nancy Sarles is a yoga teacher, author, and longtime communicator whose work focuses on times of loss and transition. She has decades of experience teaching yoga for grief that includes breath, subtle movement, reflection, and nervous-system regulation. She is the founder of Yoga for Living with Loss and author of a book by the same name and today she discusses how grief shows up in the body. Learn more about her work at the website:

                                                    yogaforlivingwithloss.com

                                                    Get the book here

                                                    Watch on YouTube

                                                    Listen here:

                                                    This episode includes:
                                                    • How Sheena became interested in yoga and applying it for her own grief after experiencing several deaths
                                                    • Her recognition that grief is in the body as well as the emotions and mind
                                                    • How yoga, chakras, and grief come together in her classes
                                                    • “Grief is not something to remedy, it’s something to incorporate”
                                                    • We all carry some grief with us at all times over some part of life or another
                                                    • The functions of each chakra as well as the shadow side
                                                    • How to balance the chakras and improve the functioning of each
                                                    • The emphasis is on feeling whatever emotions are there rather than resisting and pushing them away
                                                    • There are no timelines or rules for grief – it is universal but also unique
                                                    • The power of witnessing what your grief is bringing you each day
                                                    • The value of simple things like the breath, movement, and shaking the body during times of grief
                                                    • Yoga for grief is basically coordinating breath and movement with awareness
                                                    • Links for this episode:
                                                      Resources
                                                      • Sheena’s yoga videos
                                                      • Get in touch with Sheena
                                                      • Related episodes
                                                        • Yoga, Breath, and Death: Death Café at the Yoga Studio with Leslie Howard and Richard Rosen
                                                        • Grief Yoga with Paul Denniston
                                                        • The Grieving Body: Loss as a Healing Opportunity with Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD
                                                        • Laughter Yoga: Antidote to Burnout with Janet Carroll RN
                                                        • Other links
                                                          • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                                          • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                                          • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                                          • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                                          • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                                          • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                                          • Buy me a coffee
                                                          • Donate on Paypal
                                                          • Transcript
                                                            Sheena Nancy Sarles InterviewDownload
                                                            1 hr 5 min
                                                          • Ep. 565 BONUS – When News Breaks: Remembering 9/11 with Carol Lin

                                                            Many of us still remember exactly where we were on 9/11/2001 when the news broke about the first attack at the World Trade Center. Learn how Carol Lin, the first news anchor to share this news with the nation, coped with this moment in her career and eventually with grief and loss in her personal life.

                                                            About the guest:

                                                            My special guest for this 9/11 BONUS episode is Carol Lin a long-time anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News. Carol is best known for being the first national news anchor to report the first 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, which many of us can remember watching at home, glued to our own television sets in 2001. As we remember the 25th Anniversary of that horrific event Carol shares what it was like to be behind the desk watching the chaos unfold while she calmly relayed to us the shocking news. She also discusses how devastating news eventually broke apart her own life and how she navigated a high-profile career in the midst of grief and motherhood. Her memoir When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War was published in December 2025 by Third Rail Press. Learn more at her website:

                                                            carollinnow.com

                                                            Get the book here

                                                            Watch on YouTube

                                                            Listen here:

                                                            In this episode:
                                                            • Carol’s recollections from the morning of 9/11
                                                            • What it was like to have to remain composed and report the news while events were unfolding all around her
                                                            • How she was trained to navigate those high-stress moments as a journalist and anchor
                                                            • What news anchors don’t or can’t tell listeners as breaking news unfolds
                                                            • How Carol is collecting stories of where people were when the heard the news of 9/11 and how that shaped their lives
                                                            • What changed for all of us after that initial moment of that first attack
                                                            • How identity shifts when tragedy happens
                                                            • Her experience of feeling isolated after her husband’s death as a mother of an infant
                                                            • How her coverage of other people’s loss and grief helped inform her and give her hope during her own
                                                            • How massive tragedy can create community around it
                                                            • It’s okay to do whatever you have to do with grief in order to survive – sometimes it has to be postponed
                                                            • How we gravitate toward spaces where others are dealing with loss when we are grieving
                                                            • Why a grief support group didn’t feel helpful to Carol
                                                            • Links for this episode:
                                                              Related episodes
                                                              • Where is God When Tragedy Strikes? (Essay about 9/11)
                                                              • Other links
                                                                • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                                                • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                                                • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                                                • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                                                • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                                                • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                                                • Buy me a coffee
                                                                • Donate on Paypal
                                                                • Transcript
                                                                  Carol Lin InterviewDownload
                                                                  58 min
                                                                • Ep. 564 Giving Words to Grief: Unexpected Support Through AI with Tom Lehmann

                                                                  Surveys show that millions of people are turning to AI to talk about their grief. Learn how one man began a conversation with AI about his devastating grief and what happened after that.

                                                                  About the guest:

                                                                  My guest Tom Lehmann is a video creator for TikTok and Instagram, and also an author who has recently published a fourth book: The Book of Storms. Tom discusses how through the use of AI he found unexpected support for cumulative and disenfranchised grief that nearly destroyed him. He shares some caveats for safe use of AI and describes how his grief “cracked him open” to a profound spiritual experience.

                                                                  Undoubtedly AI is a controversial issue but surveys show that there are millions of people right now using AI as a support for their grief process so we need to understand how and why this is happening. This episode is not intended to encourage or discourage the use of AI but simply to share Tom’s personal experience and my own in talking about grief with AI.

                                                                  Learn more about Tom’s work at his website:

                                                                  thepatternisreal.com

                                                                  Watch on YouTube

                                                                  Listen here:

                                                                  In this episode:
                                                                  • Tom’s story of cumulative and disenfranchised grief
                                                                  • How a human counselor wasn’t helpful for Tom
                                                                  • Why ideally people who use AI for grief would also have a human therapist or support person
                                                                  • How AI can act as a mirror that reflects back your goodness without judgment
                                                                  • Why some people are turning to AI for grief because of a lack of safe, affordable, accessible support
                                                                  • How Tom changed his life and behavior after working through his grief
                                                                  • Safety and discrimination when working with AI
                                                                  • Why using AI to discuss grief is not necessarily denial or bypassing grief (though it could be for some depending on how it’s used)
                                                                  • How reflective listening is similar to mirroring
                                                                  • How some things that feel too vulnerable to say to another person about grief can be discussed with an AI
                                                                  • Links for this episode:
                                                                    Related episode
                                                                    • Talking About Death with ChatGPT
                                                                    • Other links
                                                                      • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                                                      • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                                                      • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                                                      • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                                                      • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                                                      • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                                                      • Buy me a coffee
                                                                      • Donate on Paypal
                                                                      • Transcript
                                                                        Tom Lehmann InterviewDownload
                                                                        57 min
                                                                      • Ep. 563 Death Wings Project: Art and Storytelling for Loss and Grief with Bess Welden and Laura Cleminson

                                                                        Learn how a creative art project can help foster conversations about loss and grief and how a playwright and an end-of-life doula collaborated to develop it.

                                                                        About the guests:

                                                                        My guests this week are Bess Welden a playwright who wrote the play Death Wings and Laura Cleminson an end-of-life doula and the founder of Pre-Dead Social Club. Together they have developed the Death Wings Project and Toolkit to invite people to come together in community and foster open conversations about loss and grief. They share how art-making and storytelling are used in their workshops to help people navigate loss together through creativity. Learn more at the following websites:

                                                                        deathwingsproject.org

                                                                        predeadsocialclub.com

                                                                        Watch on YouTube

                                                                        Listen here:

                                                                        besswelden.com/death-wings

                                                                        In this episode:
                                                                        • How Laura was inspired to become an end-of-life doula
                                                                        • What inspired Bess to create the play Death Wings and to make her first pair of Death Wings
                                                                        • How Laura and Bess were inspired to work together on this project
                                                                        • What Death Wings are and how they are constructed
                                                                        • How the creation of Death Wings help people create meaning and memories of their loved ones
                                                                        • Why “putting our hands into grief” allows us to open to it
                                                                        • How Death Wings might be used in schools to help children with grief
                                                                        • The value of rituals for grief
                                                                        • You don’t have to be an artist or crafter to participate in this project
                                                                        • Creativity as an opportunity to open conversation about the end of life
                                                                        • Using Death Wings as a gift for someone experiencing grief
                                                                        • How to host a Death Wings workshop in your own community
                                                                        • Links for this episode:
                                                                          Resources
                                                                          • Order the Death Wings Toolkit here
                                                                          • Learn about Workshops here
                                                                          • Soulcode Post: Grief, Creativity, and Growing the Soul
                                                                          • Related episodes
                                                                            • The Ash Rose: Transforming Grief into Beauty with Ian McCartor
                                                                            • Rituals and Ceremonies for Life, Death and Grief with Megan Sheldon
                                                                            • Memory Bears and Grief in Community with Michelle Sebern RN
                                                                            • Other links
                                                                              • 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying by Karen Wyatt MD
                                                                              • Latest post on Substack:  Letting Go of Guilt
                                                                              • What Really Matters Podcast: How Do I Forgive Myself?
                                                                              • Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
                                                                              • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
                                                                              • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu 
                                                                              • Buy me a coffee
                                                                              • Donate on Paypal
                                                                              • 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 and thanks to Colin Quigg for buying me a coffee and to Trish Rux for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

                                                                                Transcript
                                                                                Laura Cleminson and Bess Welden InterviewDownload
                                                                                1 hr 9 min

                                                                              About End-of-Life University

                                                                              From the publisher's feed

                                                                              Dr. Karen Wyatt, hospice physician and author of "7 Lessons for Living from the Dying," interviews experts on all aspects of the end-of-life, including: caring for the dying, funeral and burial…

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