Behind the Mask Podcast – Sitting with Death

Joe Sehee and Annie Whitlocke recently sat down with Josh Piterman as part of the ‘Behind the Mask’ podcast, delving into what SHA and companioning is all about.

You can view the full episode below:

Episode Synopsis:
Death is often considered a morbid and taboo topic, socialised silence teaches us to avoid speaking about it, to cast it in the shadows, to hide it away until we’re ultimately faced with it’s inevitable presence. But if death is the culminating adventure of the adventure of life, how can we best approach that final instalment and how does the idea of death help us to live life more fully in the now. This episode features Death Doula and Buddhist Chaplain, Annie Whitlocke who has sat supportively and compassionately with those nearing death for 14 years, and the Executive Director of Social Health Australia and the founder of the Green Burial Council in the USA, Joe Sehee. In this episode we discuss:

• The role of Social Health Australia is for the ill, dying and grieving
• What spiritual or community companioning is and what it looks like
• The fear of loneliness, the unknown and dying alone
• Why we need community in death and how we’ve lost that
• The role of a death doula, or elder
• Some of the more emotional experiences she has faced
• That death needs to be done slowly and sacredly
• Wisdom on grieving and how we can lean into grief
• The beauty, spirituality and importance of green burial sites
• Emotional boundaries and keeping the heart open

And…

• Josh and Annie share the definitions of love and how death opens one up to love more
• Joe shares his near death experiences
• Annie discusses her successful suicide attempt
• Annie shares her experiences of miscarriage and how that has motivated her
• Non religious or non theistic work in death and dying
• Ram Dass’ spiritual companioning work in the documentary Fierce Grace

You can learn more about Josh Piterman and the Behind the Mask podcast HERE.

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