How I Made It Through

In this week's episode, I have the honor of hosting recurring guest, Richard Martini. The conversation starts with him beginning to explain the origin story of his latest book (which is phenomenal, btw!): "The Greatest Story Never Told; as Told by Jesus and Those Who Knew Him, but then we segue (and I really mean segue...). Rich turns the tables on me (with my permission, of course): he facilitates a journey, starting with the famous lyric; "Picture yourself on a boat on a river", which leads to all sorts of unexpected twists and turns as his questions connect me with my Divine Council. The experience is unlike anything I have ever had before. Stay with me loyal listeners - I know it's a departure, but at the very least, a very interesting one. Stuff that emerges is wild and wonderful and keeps me wondering; is this me or is this my spirit guide(s) coming through? Honestly, I think there are moments of both!

In this episode of How I Made It Through, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Martha Heymann, an end of life doula who has been advocating for the dying conversation since the death of her late husband in 1993. Martha's journey led her to become a certified lay chaplain for Children's Hospital, a grief coach, and eventually an end of life doula with the International End of Life Doula Association. She is also a Deaf educator, facilitator at death over dinner game nights, a writer, and a ceramic artist.

Key Discussion Points:

1. The Role of an End of Life Doula: Martha explains that an end of life doula provides non-medical, emotional, and holistic spiritual death education. They offer support and planning from the moment of diagnosis, helping families understand when to introduce hospice for the comfort and care of their loved ones.

2. Martha's Personal Journey: Martha shares her personal experience of losing her husband while being a new mother to twin boys. This experience led her to volunteer at a hospital, which eventually evolved into her becoming a hospital chaplain and later an end of life doula.

3. Death Over Dinner Game Nights: Martha discusses the concept of death over dinner game nights, an initiative that combines two different concepts to create a safe space for people to discuss death, dying, and grief. The aim is to normalize the conversation around death and provide a platform for people to share their thoughts and fears.

4. Legacy Projects: Martha shares an example of a legacy project, an initiative where the dying person leaves something behind for their loved ones. This can be an interview, a piece of writing, or anything that the person wishes to be remembered by.

5. The Dying Process: Martha gives a poignant account of the dying process from the perspective of an end of life doula. She talks about the importance of creating a comforting environment for the dying person, filled with their favorite sounds, smells, and memories.

6. The Importance of Language in Grief: Martha stresses the importance of using the right language when consoling someone who is grieving. Instead of using generic phrases, she encourages people to express their feelings honestly and offer specific ways in which they can support the grieving person.

7. Self-Care for End of Life Doulas: Martha discusses the importance of self-care for end of life doulas. She emphasizes the need for meditation, journal writing, and quiet time to process the intense experiences they are exposed to.

This episode provides a deep and compassionate insight into the work of end of life doulas and the importance of creating a safe and comforting space for people to navigate their grief.

Show Notes:

In this episode of How I Made It Through, host Kristin Taylor shares her personal experiences and insights on overcoming fears and embracing one's true self.

Key Points:

- Kristin shares her experience with public speaking, a personal fear she faced and overcame. She reflects on the exhilarating feeling of conquering a fear and how it can lead to personal growth and development.

- She introduces the idea of life as a game, a concept she learned from Franco Romero, one of her previous guests. This concept encourages us to live life to its fullest and make the most out of every situation.

- Kristin discusses the concept of soul types, a theory developed by psychic medium Ainslie MacLeod. She encourages listeners to identify their dominant soul type(s) which could be a caregiver, creator, educator, helper, hunter, leader, performer, spiritualist, or thinker.

- She reflects on her own soul types and explains how she has embraced them in her life. For instance, she identifies as a spiritualist and a performer, which she expresses through her podcasting and coaching.

- Kristin emphasizes the importance of self-expression and confronting the fear of being seen. She talks about how she uses her skills as a coach to self-soothe and regulate her emotions when facing fears.

- She encourages listeners to identify their soul types and confront their fears. She recommends taking the soul type quiz on Ainslie MacLeod's website to better understand oneself.

Resources Mentioned:

- Franco Romero
- Ainslie MacLeod's Soul Type Quiz

Tune in to this episode of How I Made It Through to learn more about embracing your true self, overcoming fears, and living life to the fullest.

In today's PFR, I share a bit about what to expect in the final three episodes of Season Two, as well as the new format for Season 3 (still focused on spirituality and the afterlife). I am so excited! As always, thank you for tuning in!

The author of "The Way of the Soul", Mike Benavee shares his extraordinary spiritual journey, which began as a result of a highly unusual NDE that resulted from a car accident. While unconscious, a "walk-in" soul entered his body and merged with his own soul, forever changing his life and propelling his commitment to guide others in healing their own souls. In today's episode, Mike shares how he found himself connected to the root of his soul in the higher realms and how it has lead to a depth of peace and love that he is now sharing with the world.

When it comes to therapy, coaching and so many other modalities for emotional and psychological healing, we always talk about "healing our inner child" or the "wounded" inner child. What if we had that backwards? What if it wasn't the child who was wounded, but instead, so very intact, while it is our adult self who needs to be rescued by our inner child? Tune in as I meander this week about the framework of healing the inner child and how our capacity for wonder and imagination are our greatest sources for both emotional healing and connection to spirit.