Best Life Best Death

In this enlightening conversation, Mike Reagan, an end-of-life doula and CEO of The Natural Funeral, shares his experiences from hospice care. He emphasizes the healing power of silence and presence, illustrating how being there for someone can mean more than words. Mike discusses society's discomfort with death and the vital role doulas play in supporting families. He also reflects on the profound connections formed during life's final moments, advocating for an embrace of stillness and compassion as we face the end of life.

Sarah Kerr joins BLBD again this week, as we share exciting news about a new course we’ve been developing at the Centre for Sacred Deathcare. Launching in 2025, the Sacred Deathcare Guide Training and Certification is designed as a modern “Mystery School for Deathwalkers.” Participants will learn to cooperate with the deep archetypal patterns that shape the process of death and trust their intuitive intelligence as they guide others. They will be equipped to explain the energetic and spiritual dimensions of death and loss as we explore healing not only for the living, but also for the dying and the dead. As one person said about Sarah’s classes: “It's like a path that’s been lit up on the runway. It’s why I'm here, it's why I was always here. My life now blows my mind.”  https://sacreddeathcare.com/our-courses/ https://www.instagram.com/sacreddeathcare/ https://www.youtube.com/@SacredDeathcare https://www.facebook.com/Sacred.Deathcare https://www.tiktok.com/@sacreddeathcare

This week’s conversation with Sarah Kerr invites you to broaden your perspective on death, shifting toward a soul-centered understanding. We talk about the role of archetypes: what are they, and why do they matter? In particular, we delve into the Archetype of the Deathwalker. As Sarah notes, “We are creatures of narrative. Everything in our world makes sense to us because we tell ourselves a story about it.” This leads us to consider the dominant cultural narrative around death, and how that story shapes our experiences. Could a new/old healing story emerge – one rooted in the journey of the soul – that would better serve the dead, the dying, and the living? instagram.com/sacreddeathcare

In this insightful discussion, Su Park, founder of Die Well, shares her journey of creating a digital time capsule service for terminally ill parents. She explores how embracing mortality can enhance life quality and drive intentional living. Listeners learn about the significance of legacy conversations and leaving structured messages that help children process grief after loss. Su's innovative approach fosters enduring connections, giving parents a voice to guide their children through life's transitions, even after they're gone.

Rhea Mader and I chat about the mysteries that this time of year brings forth. We start out with some light-hearted remembrances of Halloween costumes, and then we ask each other the famous (perhaps seasonal) question: Do you believe in ghosts? Plus, why do some say there are two separate autumn seasons, and why is it said that “veil is thin” this time of year? Finally, Rhea shares an experience with the ancestors of the land, and we mull over our own impending ancestorhood. https://consciouslivingconsciousdying.com/ https://www.instagram.com/consciouslivingconsciousdying https://www.facebook.com/consciouslivingconsciousdying https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheamader/

Listening to Dr Matthew Tyler mull over the intricacies of conversations between doctors and patients always gives me hope. How do we figure out when to say yes or no to treatment? How do we create conversations that navigate these waters with honesty and grace? How do doctors break bad news, and how do patients prepare to hear whatever is going to be said? Plus – what’s “the surprise question”? (Hint: it’s a way of getting at your life expectancy.) This is a wide-ranging conversation with seeds that I hope will bear fruit in your future. https://www.instagram.com/howtotrainyourdoctor/ https://howtotrainyourdoctor.com/

In this conversation with long-time hospice nurse and educator Barbara Karnes, she states: “We’ve lost our role models on what it’s like to die, and we’ve lost our role models on how to take care of someone who is dying.” What does she mean? What are we missing?  What would be the benefit of learning more, for the dying as well as for those who are caregiving and grieving? Barbara shares her thinking on these matters and so much more, including additional thoughts about her personal loss of her husband one year ago. www.bkbooks.com

This podcast is personal, and I thank Barbara Karnes for her candid sharing of what the first year has been like after the death of her long-time husband, Jack. She reflects on her experience of caregiving and talks openly about what she has learned through this year of grieving. What I see is that Barbara lives her truth: “Because I work in the end of life, I’ve learned this: do and say what you want to do and say today. Because you never know what tomorrow’s going to bring.” www.bkbooks.com

Resilient grief, complicated grief, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief. These are terms you may or may not be familiar with, but trust me, learning about them will help you and help you understand your friends and family in times of loss and grief. – Which, by the way, is pretty much going on all the time, hand-in-hand with joy and expansion. This human life is filled with grief. Let’s learn from an expert, steeped in her own experience plus backed by research, author of Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief , Annie Sklaver Orenstein.

When Annie Sklaver Orenstein’s brother died, she looked for books that would help her to understand her experience as a surviving sibling. While she encountered a fair number of books about grief, she found nothing that began to touch on her experience – so she set out to write the book she needed. Part personal story, part interviews and surveys  with hundreds of siblings, and part a collection of important material on trauma, grief and families, this book rocked my world and my understanding of the importance of siblings and grief. www.instagram.com/anniesklaverorenstein