Hey all! Navigating my own Grief while hosting a podcast about Grief has been interesting. And today’s episode is a short, honest check in from the middle of a season that’s held more grief and complexity than I can fully name. Not here, or now.

But what I can do, is show up the best way I know how, in the middle of the messy and not just at the end. While simultaneously practicing what it means to honor my capacity, show up without full clarity and to follow the quiet invitation to observe rather than explain.

You’re gonna hear my reflection on faith, the irony of my last episode on repression (thank you, Ricky!) and the sacred tension of asking God for assurance and finding presence instead.

Short and sweet.

And as always, thank you for being here.

-Rachel

How well can you experience big emotions and still stay present with yourself and others? Do you tend to push your feelings down or find them overwhelming to navigate? These questions are at the heart of what we discuss in today’s episode.

Dr. Ricky Barrows is a Clinical Psychologist originally from Lester, England now based in Nova Scotia, Canada. In his private practice, he provides psychological therapy and assessment for adults facing a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges.

If you've ever found it difficult to process your emotions or noticed a recurring pattern of shutting down during intense conversations, this episode will equip you with practical tools to break free from that cycle.

With his incredible gift of knowledge and grounding presence, Dr. Barrows makes this conversation both effortless and full of practical wisdom.

Press play and soak in an hour of free therapy that just might change the way you approach your emotions.

-Rachel

Find Dr. Barrow, here: https://www.drrickybarrows.com/

I can’t imagine hosting a podcast about grief and not having a conversation about suffering and how we understand its role and impact in our lives.

Today’s episode is a nod to my 16 year old self, who having experienced some life changing events already, craved conversations that could help me make sense of the suffering I had witnessed.

With me today to dive deep, is my friend Tamal. He is a mentor, storyteller, social-philosopher, retreat-leader and ceremonialist. He is also a painter, dancer, hermit and preposterous clown.

Tamal has been studying and teaching ancestral wisdom traditions for 27 years. Among other things, he was a monk for 11 years based in India, and trained in shamanism in Peru for 4 years after that. His summary conclusion about life is that the task is to transform our paradigm of duality into one of polarity. A fundamental part of this process is a re-orientation toward suffering.

We discuss his perspective on why looking directly at our own suffering, as well as that of those around us—in our homes, communities, and globally—can help us become more loving, beautiful, and potent in our service and our callings.

Imagine what can shift in our lives when we allow ourselves to be honest about the effects of our suffering, name our confusion and doubt, and dive deep beneath the surface to connect to sacred wisdom.

If you are someone who has wrestled with your own faith while suffering, no matter the framework of belief you come from, I believe this conversation will encourage you in your deeper exploration.

Push play, share and subscribe (of course)!

Also, thank you for supporting the show!

-Rachel

Where to Find Tamal:

Moonshine Mundali Community

Instagram: @Tamal.Kunj

If you're looking to deepen your self-awareness, the Enneagram offers a powerful framework that can help you better understand your inner world. Whether you're new to it or a seasoned student, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.

In this episode, you'll discover what the Enneagram is and the unique messages each type may encounter while navigating their grief.

My guest, Mandy Capehart, is on a mission to normalize grieving and cultivate the conversations that bring us healing. She is the founder and CEO of The Restorative Grief Project, an online community focusing on one another’s stories and new methodologies for grief to create a safe environment for our souls to heal and our spirits to be revived. She is also the host of a weekly podcast, Restorative Grief with Mandy Capehart, as well as a published author, certified trauma professional, grief educator, one-to-one coach, and somatic embodiment practitioner.

So, if you're ready to expand your capacity for more compassion with yourself and in all your relations, press play and join us for an incredibly powerful conversation!

-Rachel

All things Mandy:

https://www.mandycapehart.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mandycapehart/?hl=en

https://www.amazon.com/Restorative-Grief-Embracing-without-ourselves/dp/B096TRSSG1

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restorative-grief-with-mandy-capehart/id1583949156

Mentioned In the Show:

Take the Enneagram test: Truity or The Enneagram Institute

Sleeping At Last and the Enneagram Album

Today’s episode is an End of the Year Recap of the amazing conversations we’ve had in this space.

If you haven’t listened to any of the podcast yet, but have wondered what topics we cover under the umbrella of grief, today’s episode is a great summary.

And also, these are snippets of the incredibly vulnerable stories my guests have shared with the shared desire to see our lives, relationships and communities transformed through the healing work of honoring our grief as necessary and sacred.

If your grief is decades old or accutely recent, I’m hopefully optimistic that you will feel seen and supported here.

Thank you for joining me!

-Rachel

There are moments when I meet someone who can effortlessly articulate profound ideas, making them much easier to metabolize.

That’s John Onwucheckwa, to me.

John, a middle child born in Texas to Nigerian immigrant parents, opens up about the profound loss of his brother and the deep impact grief had on his life.

He’s been a church planter, a pastor and recently completed his PhD covering the subject I love to discuss- Grief. Whether it’s spoken or written, John knows how to use words to convey the complexities of grief, hopefulness and joy with incredible depth and insight.

With a shared admiration for Francis Weller, we deep dive into how to give language to our grief, what can help us when we feel trapped in hopelessness and the insights he's gained from years of witnessing both his own grief and that of others.

If you are open to removing “grief as a journey” from your conceptual thinking and replace it with “grief as a language we become fluent in,” press play and be ready to take notes! He’s no doubt going to inspire hopefulness in your day today!

Thank you for listening!

-Rachel

All things John O:

Website: https://www.johno.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jawn_o/?hl=en

Blog: https://www.johno.blog/

Podcast: Four In The Morning https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/four-in-the-morning/id1521008739

Portrait Coffee: https://www.johno.co/ventures#portrait

At the end of 2023, I knew I wanted to start a podcast to talk all things Grief, Joy and our shared human experiences and I also knew that I wanted Heather to be my first guest. As life would have it, she was meant to be on the show now, instead.

I first met Heather and her husband, Cord, twelve years ago when I was their Childbirth Doula for the birth of their sixth child, Gideon.

Please laugh with us as we open the podcast with his birth story, a birth I will never forget!

The strength of this woman is clear, as is her genuine transparency as she recounts the event that changed her family’s life nearly five years ago—when that same sweet boy survived a terrifying brain injury after a fall from a bunk bed during a family vacation.

She shares, vulnerably, what she’s learned about grief and also discusses the “party favor no one wants: PTSD.” She offers invaluable insights on navigating the daily struggle to find a sense of peace and a regulated nervous system when your past experience leaves you on high alert, indefinitely.

One of my favorite things about Heather is her willingness to talk about how her Faith has been impacted by outcomes she was told she “should” be happy for, what its like to feel guilt for things you can’t go back and change, and why it’s important to allow all the big feelings to be felt.

If you're seeking a conversation that can uplift your weary heart and soothe your overwhelmed nervous system while navigating difficult times, press play and dive right in with us.

Thank you for being here!

~Rachel

Find Heather on Instagram here.

What does it mean to learn to grieve?

In this solo episode, I’ll share what that’s looked like in my life and why I’m hopeful we can shift the collective aversion to acknowledging how our experiences affect us. It’s not just about giving ourselves permission to feel; grief is an invitation to attune more deeply to our own needs.

So with a mix of humor and heartfelt vulnerability, join me as I shed a little more light on my own process.

Enjoy!

Rachel

*I mentioned Oakwood University and this is the IG for their incredible choir, "The Aeolians."