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In this episode, we spoke with two new friends we met at a recent death care conference in Seattle. They are both Death Doulas and some of their cohort will share their inspiration and work in a special premium video episode called “What is a Death Doula?” We hope you’ll subscribe to enjoy that and other premium content.
Phoenix and Myra share their personal experiences with death and how it has shaped their lives and careers. They discuss the importance of community, the challenges they face in their work, and the profound impact of early encounters with death.
The conversation highlights the role of death doulas in providing support and care during end-of-life transitions, emphasizing the need for compassion and understanding in navigating grief and loss. They explore the importance of community in creative work, the practices that sustain their energy, their perspectives on death and legacy, the role of storytelling in healing, and the need to normalize discussions around death and life cycles. They emphasize the interconnectedness of their experiences and the significance of sharing stories to foster understanding and support.

From Myra
https://thresholdchoir.org/webform/ma...
https://www.modamyra.org/
https://inelda.org/

From Phoenix
Personal Website: www.cosmikplayground.com
Pacific Death Doula Collaborative:
https://www.pacificdeathdoulacollaborative.com/
Ceremony/ Integration Collective: http://www.medicinewecarry.org

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And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Laura Musselman is the Director of Communications (and program facilitator) for the Humane Prison Hospice Project. She is also a trauma-support specialist and advocate for compassionate, dignified end-of-life care.

A mother of one child and three dogs, she enjoys exploring how privilege affects access to a “good death” and learning from others’ stories.

In this conversation, Laura Musselman shares her journey from teaching philosophy to becoming an end-of-life care specialist. After losing her parents, she became a doula and now works with the Humane Prison Hospice Project at the Central California Women’s Facility, providing support and education to caregivers in prison. The discussion explores her early awareness of death, the challenges of her work, and the importance of community in caregiving. In this conversation,
Laura discusses the complexities of self-care in high-stress environments like prisons, the importance of nature and gardening for emotional well-being, and her fears surrounding death and dying. She emphasizes the need for planning and open conversations about end-of-life issues and shares her appreciation for poetry as a means of processing grief.

humaneprisonhospiceproject.org
Insight Garden Project
Buried in Work

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And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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NOTE: You can see the video version of this episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/L-mUMV5shaA

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In this episode, hosts Wakil and Annalouiza reflect on the highlights of their second season.

They discuss various topics related to end-of-life practices from the episodes in this second season, including alternative funeral methods, medical assistance in dying, and end-of-life planning resources.

They emphasize the importance of community support, preparation (especially with completing your advanced care directive), and the normalization of conversations surrounding death and dying.

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send us a text

In this conversation, Teresa Yung shares her profound journey through grief and healing, exploring the impact of death on her life and work. As an activist and therapist in training, she discusses her experiences with plant medicine, the awakening process, and her role as a life doula. Teresa emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and the challenges faced in the healing journey, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of life, death, and the infinite nature of the soul. In this conversation, Teresa Yung shares her insights on finding support during overwhelming times, the importance of community, and the healing power of plant medicine. She discusses the fear of death and the regrets that often accompany it, emphasizing the need to live life fully and authentically. The dialogue highlights the significance of vulnerability, asking for help, and being present in the moment.

Teresa's website - https://www.beautifulwisdom.us/

"Your task is not to seek for love but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

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And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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In this conversation, Anastasia Dadashpour shares her profound experiences with death and loss, exploring how these events have shaped her understanding of life, love, and spirituality. She discusses the impact of her grandmother's fear of death, the loss of her daughter, and her father's suicide, emphasizing the connections that remain after death. Anastasia also highlights her work in creating a play about children imagining peace after an apocalypse, reflecting on the importance of love and community in healing and transformation. The conversation delves into the significance of acknowledging grief and the role of death doulas in supporting those who are transitioning.

Love: A Manual For Humanity

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You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Duane Kelly is an award-winning author of eleven full-length plays. His plays often delve into end-of-life themes. The two most recent productions were a premiere of Abacus in Seattle in September 2024 and the play Patrimony in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in October 2024. Abacus tells the story of a synthetic human replicant who experiences unexpected concerns as she cares for a man who suffers the indignities of old age and cognitive decline.

His plays, which often delve into end-of-life themes, were produced at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 and 2023. Duane is also writing a history book about the American West titled Journeys to Zion.

In this conversation, Duane discusses his experiences with death and how it has influenced his work. He shares personal stories of loss and reflects on the impact of mortality on storytelling. The discussion also delves into his recent plays, the intersection of artificial intelligence and humanity, and the importance of empathy in understanding our shared fate. Duane emphasizes the need to create meaningful art and the moral obligation to make the most of our time on earth.

Links:
Duane's Website
The Search for Wandla
Terror Management - Ernest Becker
The Monk and the Robot series
Klara and the Sun byKazuo Ishiguro
Dover Beach By Matthew Arnold
Thanatopsis By William Cullen Bryant

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send us a text

In this conversation, Dr. Kimberly Harms shares her profound experiences with grief and loss, detailing the impact of her mother's and son's deaths on her life. She discusses the importance of processing grief, the role of legacy planning, and how to support others through their grief journeys. Dr. Harms emphasizes the significance of reconciliation, forgiveness, and the need for community support in navigating the challenges of loss. She also highlights the importance of leaving a legacy of love and preparing for death to ease the burden on loved ones.

Dr. Harms has been around the block in life. She has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, grief counselor, and death doula. She is an award-winning, best-selling author and international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict and legacy planning. Her latest book, "Are you Ready, How to Build a Legacy to Die For."

Dr Harms has also suffered many personal losses, including the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son’s death. Her most important role now is mother to her two surviving children and grandmother to 6 precious grandchildren.

She shared this scripture with us -

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wordens Four Tasks of Mourning
Her book Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For
Dr Harms website

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send us a text

In this conversation, Jamie Sarche discusses her mission to help people confront their mortality and plan for their funerals, which she believes leads to more meaningful lives. She shares personal experiences with death, the importance of open conversations about grief, and the various options available for funeral planning. Jamie emphasizes the need for rituals and the emotional landscape of grief, advocating for a society that embraces these discussions rather than shying away from them.

Jamie's calling is to help people be less afraid of death. By arranging for them to provide their loved ones with a planned and funded funeral or memorial service, she helps them create a path for bereavement, long before it's needed. And by facing their mortality, her clients can live better, more meaningful lives.

Jamie is a seasoned speaker who brings deep experience in death care to a broad range of audiences around the country. She shares insights and approaches on how to have difficult conversations and address sensitive issues. Her message extends well beyond death and dying, resonating across industries and individuals. She is bridging her passion to demystify death while enlightening communicators on overcoming challenging conversations.

Breaking down the taboos about death | Jamie Sarche | TEDxCrestmoorParkWomen
Talking About Death Won't Kill You
Talk on Death Ritual

To contact Jamie:
Personal email messages and Pre-Arranged Funeral Plan questions: jamie@feldmanmortuary.com
Professional, at-the-time-of-need email message: director@feldmanmortuary.com

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.