Dec 29, 2020
Guest Introduction:
This is episode 39 of Exploring the Seasons of Life podcast with me, your host Cindy MacMillan and today’s guest Teisha Casasanta.
Welcome to Exploring the Seasons of Life, a podcast for women with a big heart on a spiritual journey. Each week, join Cindy MacMillan as she interviews coaches, spiritual explorers, and celebrants from all walks of life about beginnings, endings, and the messy bits in-between. Self-love, well-being, and mindset are at the heart of our conversations because once you change the inside, the outside will begin to change as well.
I’m so excited about today’s conversation.
Teisha Casasanta has been in the deathcare industry since 1997. She is a Funeral Director and Embalmer and transitioned her career to being a Grief coach for her business, Upward Spiral Grief Coaching. She is also a Teacher of Mindfulness and lives in Atlanta, GA, and is the mom to her 3-year-old Whippet, her first book, An Upward Spiral Grief Journey will be released in February of 2021.
Here’s a glimpse of our conversation:
1:36 Well, to me the seasons of life are the changes that have happened that we didn't plan and how we've adapted to the good and the bad. Seasons happen, whether we like them or not.
2:42 The role of a Funeral Director is a very important one. It all starts with that initial phone call when we're notified that a death has occurred. We make arrangements to retrieve the decedent from where they should be when they pass away, we schedule an appointment with the family, and we sit down and talk. And I know that it’s very intimidating, even to walk through the front doors of a funeral home.
5:26 And one of the questions that we would have to ask is, what type of legacy would you like to leave your loved one? It was intended to be a financial question because I'm trying to sell life insurance. But it always ended up being a very personable story…they would say, well, when my husband died, we did this, and we did that, and being who I am I would say, Well, tell me about your husband.
14:33 But when they focus on their current state, their current moment, it brings a lot of clarity to where they are now and, you know, we always tell people just take it day by day, moment by moment, minute by minute. That really is the way to get through sadness, or loneliness is to just take it in little bite sizes, it reduces anxiety, depression, it improves the clarity of memory. So, you're not missing out on life when you are fully in the now.
24:09 And I really didn't know how to love myself. And I was carrying that into relationships where I thought, well, this person will love me and that's where I'll get my love for myself. Huge misconception. You really do need to know who you are before you could even give love to another individual. It's not fair to them until you have a solid foundation and can honestly 100% with your heart, love that person without needing their love to depend on.
25:00 My website is Upward Spiral Grief Coaching and I'm also under that name on Facebook. I have a mindfulness group, which is called Mindfulness and Inner Peace. And I have a personal profile.
Resources Mentioned:
What Doesn't Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth by Stephen Joseph PhD
You can find Teisha Casasanta at:
Website Facebook
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Until next time live inspired!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Teisha Casasanta, you might also enjoy these other episodes:
When We Shut Down on Grief We Shut Down on Life With Jasmin Jenkins