Breathing Wind

" When we give ourselves some space to just be, that's where those quiet little moments [of joy] can pop up alongside the grief." Lindsay Joy Taylor In this bonus episode, Sarah talks with Lindsay Joy Taylor, grief advocate and founder of The Joyful Jewelry Box, about her mom, inspiration behind the remembrance jewelry she creates, Mother’s Day and toxic positivity. The Joyful Jewelry Box is memor...

“Out there, we are not our Mercedes or our home or our job or our degrees. We are just us. And it's enough.” Karen Najarian This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Inner and Outer Wilderness, hosted by Duncan Cheung. The Inner and Outer Wilderness miniseries explores the wonderment of and between the wilderness out there and within each of us. In this episode, Duncan talks with...

“So, in the pursuit of healing, joy is kind of a natural byproduct of that for me. But it takes a tremendous amount of work and awareness to recognize joy when it's present, because it's not always sunshine and rainbows and unicorns and hippie dippy stuff. Sometimes joy is just the absence of despair, that can feel tremendous — especially coming out of these really deep, dark and long periods — wh...

"Be fully there. Breathe it in, listen to what the winds have to say. What the birds have to say, what the water has to say, and (this sounds so crunchy granola) it really boils down to that simple thing: it's just being there. And when I'm there, I'm here. I'm fully present in the moment, in time and in space. And when I sit after a long, grueling hike, and I sit whether it's next to a beautiful...

"The undercurrent of the Camino is pilgrimage; it's walking in some spiritual way and being willing to rely on the kindness and support of others. You're removed from everything that you know. It's not your language, it's not your home, it's not your community. It's not your anything. And yet you put yourself in that situation, expecting that there will be some sort of transformation, change, shif...

“Chemo was really hard. But there were really good days too – they weren't the best feeling healthy days – but there was something that happened on those days. You suddenly have the shift in perspective of appreciating the smallest things, because when you have something that's knocking you, sideways, weekly – I was having chemo every week for 12 weeks – when you have a good moment, the world is m...

“The joy was not just in the simple stuff — like a good cup of coffee and being being mindful and present — but experiencing joy, looking for joy, and having a hand in it. And knowing that does not have to be completed necessarily by somebody validating it.” -Dr. Jason Ridler This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Finding Unexpected Joy, hosted by Sarah Davis. The Finding Unexp...

" Everyone goes through their own grief in their own way. And to know your own allows you to respect that of others, gives you the opportunity to respect that of others. " Colleen Stobbe This episode is part of a Breathing Wind miniseries titled Finding Unexpected Joy, hosted by Sarah Davis. The Finding Unexpected Joy miniseries explores the idea that joy can happen in the midst of grief, and that...

"Joy is who we are when our hearts are at their wildest. It's the integration between our doing and our being." - Duncan Cheung "Humor has always allowed me to get closer to my grief, explore it, and better understand it by creating a gateway into the hard feelings that isn't so scary, so heavy. And when I'm deep in my grief, humor lets me come up for air, and then go even deeper."  - Dara Kosberg...

This season, four hosts covered healing from very different perspectives. This episode is a compilation of a few conversations they held. Wendy Rolón, death doula and bereavement counselor, hosted the first mini-series called “Transforming Grief.” The guest featured in this episode is Christine Kovach, bereavement counselor with Mission Hospice. In their episode, they covered grief counseling, hea...

How might you care for someone at the end of their life when your relationship isn’t perfect? In this episode, Laura Davis and Sarah Davis talk about caregiving when still healing from past traumas, power dynamic flip from child to caregiver and caring for people with dementia. Laura Davis is a six-time bestselling author who leads transformative writing workshops internationally. Her latest book,...

What are mantras? What is their purpose? In this bonus episode, I explore this concept and Serena Malkani provides a caregiving mantra. 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 care...

Who is advocating for cancer awareness in your state? What is their story? In this episode, Kandis Draw and I have a conversation about her caregiving and cancer advocacy. Kandis Draw lives in Chicago, is a classically trained pianist and a lover of philanthropy. She is a member of the Aids Foundation of Chicago Associate Board, Gilda’s Club Chicago Associate Board, and is an active National Advoc...

How might you care for yourself while caregiving? In this episode, Rachel Mark, Lucy Bellwood and I talk about caregiving. Rachel Mark is a fabrication artist for stop-motion animation and an ADHD/Creative Coach. She took care of her brother, Daniel, who was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and her uncle, Lou, when he was diagnosed with MAL syndrome. Lucy Bellwood is a professional Adventure...

How do you let go of making everything perfect when caregiving? In this episode, Rachel Mark, Lucy Bellwood and I had a conversation about caregiving. Rachel Mark is a fabrication artist for stop-motion animation and an ADHD/Creative Coach. She took care of her brother, Daniel, who was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and her uncle, Lou, when he was diagnosed with MAL syndrome. Lucy Bellwood...

Cheryl Jones prepared for 10 years for her first wife’s passing. She did this in a way that was true to her and true to how they chose to live. This prepared her to be able to support others. In this episode, Sarah talks with Cheryl about her caregiving journey, her different experiences with loss after her wife died and how her children dealt with the loss.  Cheryl Jones is a grief counselor, edu...

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...

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...

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...

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 tit...

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 h...

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 minis...

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, Mortali...

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...

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...