Breathing Wind

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 grandma, she developed a passion for caregiving and dedicated her career to elevate the caregiver role with fun, love, and positivity. Jenn also facilitates support groups for LGBTQ seniors, dementia caregivers, and young caregivers. 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 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 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

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 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

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 how we can live fuller lives while embracing and normalizing death.  Episode Length: 37 mins. 3:41 - Naila’s career journey from journalist to death midwife 5:54 - Naila’s views on her father’s experience passing away at a Saint Lucia hospital 11:37 - How Naila views what could have been different about how her father died, as well as how grace-filled her experience was to be by his side 15:31 - The lack of a roadmap for navigating her father’s death 16:04 - Cultural and relational reasons for not having a conversation about death and dying beforehand 18:32 - The difference between “death midwife” and “death doula” 20:52 - How death midwives and death doulas fill a gap that hospice and other forms of healthcare cannot 23:57 - Guiding conversations about wishes and quality of life at end of life and questions Naila asks during consultations with clients 29:09 - Working with death changes the way Naila and Deborah live their lives 31:38 - Views on working with the full range of ritual and occasions, from baby blessings to end of life 34:05 - Families have choice and agency in how to encounter death To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 Death, Live Life miniseries explores the work of palliative care in healing and how we can live fuller lives while embracing and normalizing death.  Jeffrey and Deborah talk about how: The role of a chaplain transcends much more than religion/spirituality (although that is still important) As a society, we have become removed from and fearful of death; it feels sterile and foreign Palliative care is about relieving suffering, finding meaning, promoting quality of life We have to start normalizing conversations about medical goals and end-of-life wishes Episode Length: 36 mins. [2:54] Chaplaincy: What it is and role in patient care [7:49] Jeffrey’s story in how he became a chaplain [14:20] It’s all about grief [19:56] How Jeffrey encourages patients to think about life and legacy [23:45] How the palliative care team works with patients to improve quality of life [24:44] Misunderstandings about palliative care [29:48] How to have the end of life conversation with loved ones To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 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 about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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, plant medicine integration specialist and a thanatologist. Ken’s miniseries explores finding ways to bring meaning in our grief journeys, making sense of being mortal and and making the most out of life, and healing medicines, which he defines as “what we create for healing in our grief journey.” To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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, certified yoga therapist, plant medicine integration specialist and a thanatologist. Ken’s miniseries explores finding ways to bring meaning in our grief journeys, making sense of being mortal and and making the most out of life, and healing medicines, which he defines as “what we create for healing in our grief journey.” To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 hueman experiences of grief and growth can be witnessed by others, as well as be a precious contribution to the flowing quality of Life.     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 ways to bring meaning in our grief journeys, making sense of being mortal and and making the most out of life, and healing medicines, which he defines as “what we create for healing in our grief journey.” To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 ways to bring meaning in our grief journeys, making sense of being mortal and and making the most out of life, and healing medicines, which he defines as “what we create for healing in our grief journey.” To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 to embrace grief as a tool for growth.  To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

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 miniseries explores what we can do as humans to embrace grief as a tool for growth.  To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

"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 expressive arts, and the hope she sees in her work. 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 to embrace grief as a tool for growth.  To find out more about this episode and subscribe to the newsletter, 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

“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 SzetoThis is the official trailer for Season Two. Join Season One guests-turned-hosts, Wendy Rolón (episode 15) and Ken Breniman (episode 08), as well as newcomer Deborah Szeto and Season One host Sarah Davis (episode 00) for a conversation on healing. During Season 2, we will talk with healers, musicians, facilitators and artists to discuss transforming grief; meaning making, mortality and medicine; embracing death and living life; and caregiving at the end of life.To learn more about the hosts, visit the show notes.Connect with us on social media:FacebookInstagram 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

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 access to bonus episodes, visit www.breathingwind.com

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 subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.breathingwind.com

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 public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.breathingwind.com

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 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

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 catalyzed her growth from being a silver linings person to someone who feels all of her feelings authentically, her relationship with grief and happiness, and how she came to understand compassionate communication was her gift to the world. 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

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 this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.breathingwind.com