In today's podcast, we welcome two special guests, Rev. Annalouiza Armendariz, an Interfaith Chaplain, and Rev. Wakil David Matthews, MA, an interfaith minister, who are hosts of the popular podcast, "End of Life Conversations." Listen in to this insightful conversation about their mission—life work and podcast—what it was from the very beginning, normalizing conversations about death and dying. Together, they also explore the many ways our conversations open up pathways for others to d...

Guest Bio: In this episode, we feature Nancy Philpott who serves as the Research Manager for the Shared Crossing Project and the Shared Crossing Research Initiative. She shares her expertise and personal experience with what is known as a Shared Death Experience. The term “shared crossing” (or Shared Death Experience) "broadly refers to an experience that one or more people may have before, during, or after a death. A shared crossing typically includes receiving information about dying or the...

In today's podcast, Dr. Jan hosts two very special guests who have been with us on the podcast before: Kelly Guest and Christine Hiester. Each is a spiritual director/companion/guide, and also a Grief Companion. Living gently with ourselves is generally not a message we receive from our modern Western culture—and this is where our conversation begins. We explore why and how we can overcome the messages to push through grief, to get over it and "back to normal" as quickly as possible. We explo...

Join host, Jan Lundy and two very special guests, each a wise woman in her endearing years, pondering her own aging and giving voice to the feelings of grief that emerge during the aging process. Elizabeth Ritz, PhD, and Rebecca Serpe, both spiritual directors and grief companions, share tender thoughts about how it feels to age and the many changes that arise as one's body-mind experiences the impact of years. Discussion surrounds these questions: •How are you uniquely experienci...

In today's podcast, meet the co-creator of the world's first virtual Near Death Experience, Daniel Ryan. "The Virtual NDE" can be viewed through virtual reality technology to help those who have not had a near death experience better understand them, and develop positive views about life, death and what comes next. The Virtual NDE was created in collaboration with "The International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). The experience uses virtual reality technology to synthesize common...

Many people believe when it comes to loss and the grief that follows happiness and joy cannot, maybe even should not, be experienced. Today's guest invites us to reconsider this misconception and plants the seeds for joy, even during times of grief. Dr. Kristina Kaiser, author of the new book, Abundant Joy: A 90-Day Journey towards Sustainable, Authentic, Life-Changing Joy, offers unique insights and gentle practices that help us honor our sorrow and still leave the door open for moments of j...

Do you know what to say to someone who has suffered a significant loss? If you don't, you're not alone. Many people struggle with how to respond and realize they aren't equipped with the proper tools. Meet Catherine Hodge, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor from Tampa, FL who has authored a beautiful little book on the subject. "What Do I Say: How to Support Others in Grief" is a treasure trove of timeless advice on what to say and what not to say to someone who is grieving. Join us for a dee...

Be prepared to feel your heart fill with wonder and gratitude as our conversation unfolds today with special guest, Sarah Hill. Sarah is an end-of-life doula who brings keen insight and profound presence to an individual's dying time. Sarah unpacks for Dr. Jan and listeners how she prepares and companions the dying and their families to approach this sacred time of life. Just as doulas have been present at the birth of babies for eons, so have loving companions, known as death doulas, been pr...

Liza Hyatt is our return guest, this time sharing her perspectives on "Earth Grief," something she experiences along with millions of others around the world. In this heart-touching podcast, we explore what Earth Grief is, and how it's showing up individually and in the collective. We also explore compassionate ways to tend this kind of grief, including how each of us can creatively engage with it in the imaginal realm. Besides serving as a Grief Companion and Art Therapist, Liza is a dreamwo...

Today's podcast focuses on how our intuition may serve us especially well during times of grief and loss. Our special guest is Betty Kovacs, Hospice and Grief Companion. During grief, when feelings can be most strong, we may experience "nudges" or prompts to make particular choices. Betty calls these "God Winks" and shares how she has learned to pay attention to these and how, as a result, her experiences with grief where intermediated by the Divine. With heartfelt intention, we can ac...

In this episode, we meet Courney Ronca, a hypnosis and healing arts practitioner and a grief companion with years of experience in the mortuary field. A unique combination of gifts and skills for a care provider! Courtney and Dr. Jan discuss the many ways that hypnosis can be helpful when it comes to not only grief, but all kinds of loss and life transitions, death and dying, end-of life-anxiety, pain management, and fear about "what's next?", i.e. the afterlife. GUEST BIO: Courtney Ron...

Dr. Jan welcomes Dreamwork Practitioner, Liza Hyatt, to discuss the ways that engaging in Dreamwork can be helpful and healing to people experiencing grief. They discuss: •What led Liza to become a dreamwork practitioner and how she uses it in her own life • What role Dreamwork can play in spiritual direction/companionship • How talking about dreams with a trained Dreamwork practitioner can help someone who is grieving. Liza provides concrete examples from her own life that contributed to her...

If you are someone, or you love someone, who lives with chronic illness, this podcast is for you because grief is likely present. Our special guest is Maddy Marr, a wise spiritual guide and someone who lives AWAP ("As Well As Possible") with chronic illness, addressing with transparency, humility, and kindness, what it means to have grief around your illness. In this podcast, we explore how Maddy coped with her grief and how she helps others do this too. We discuss what the hardes...

In this episode, we explore how creative expression helps us process and navigate loss in a meaningful way. Dr. Jan hosts special guest Christine Hiester, a spiritual director and grief companion, and the creator/teacher of a new class offered by The Metta Center, Translating Our Grief: Creativity as a Language for Exploring Experiences of Loss.* Christine is a musician and self-taught artist who has guided creative and contemplative workshops and retreats for 15 years. Topics o...

What does it mean to open to grief? To allow the reality of loss and the feelings of grief to sink into our experience? Dr. Jan hosts special guests Christine Hiester and Kelly Gest, both spiritual directors and grief companions, to the podcast to discuss this important topic. Together, we explore what allows us to open to our grief, and what prevents us from opening up to this potentially this transformative experience—on a personal level as well as a societal level. Each guest share...

Premier episode of the podcast, "Little Losses Everywhere (and some big ones too)" with Dr. Jan Lundy of The Metta Center and special guest Ashley Davis Bush, author and grief counselor. Their conversation focuses on the varieties of non-death losses that people experience throughout their lives; shedding light on the current losses so many people struggle with in these challenging times. Bush proposes a model of care and attention to assist people in recognizing these losses, attending to th...