In this second and final part of this podcast episode, Holly Lyon-Hawk speaks with Felicity Warner.
Felicity Warner created the idea of Soul Midwifery for the dying after sitting with many hundreds of people at the end of life.
Her pioneering work over the last twenty-five years has brought a new dimension to holistic and spiritual palliative care, both in the UK and abroad (there are now Soul Midwives working in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe). She is a respected lecturer, teacher and author of four acclaimed books – ‘Gentle Dying’, ‘A Safe Journey Home’, ‘The Soul Midwives’ Handbook’ and ‘Sacred Oils’.
About the Host
Holly Lyon-Hawk is a holistic funeral director, ceremonial care of the body specialist, end-of-life doula, educator, speaker and founder of the International Institute for Supported Ceremonial Care.
For over a decade, Holly has walked alongside hundreds of families as they faced death, grief and profound change. Her work has taken her into homes, hospices, hospitals, woodlands and natural burial grounds, helping people rediscover something that modern society has often forgotten - that death does not have to be hidden away, feared or rushed through.
She believes that ritual matters. That caring for the body after death can be a final act of love. That grief deserves space. And that when we are willing to look mortality in the eye, life itself becomes richer, deeper and infinitely more precious.
On No One Gets Out of Here Alive, Holly brings together honest conversations about death, dying, grief, spirituality, love, purpose and what it truly means to be alive. Through interviews, stories and reflections from her own work, she explores the questions we often avoid but that connect every one of us.
Whether you're caring for someone at the end of life, grieving a loss, working in healthcare, or simply curious about the human experience, this podcast offers a gentle place to reflect, learn and remember that none of us walks this path alone.
The reality that no one gets out of here alive isn't a reason for despair. It is an invitation to live more fully, love more deeply, and leave nothing important unsaid.
Connect with Holly:
www.hollylyonhawk.com
www.gentlegoodbye.co.uk
www.gentleendings.com
More about Felicity:
‘The Soul Midwives’ Handbook’ is a textbook used by both complementary therapists and in medical and nursing schools.
After winning two major national awards for her services to the dying, she says:
“To have the validation and support of the UK’s top clinicians and policymakers is a major step forward for Soul Midwives and the work we do. I am absolutely delighted to have won these prestigious awards, but I’m sharing the honour with all the wonderful Soul Midwives I have trained, who are taking the work out into their communities and helping the dying in many places.”
Felicity was also named End-of-Life Doula of the Year by The Good Funeral Awards in 2017 in recognition of her services to the bereaved. She holds an honorary Knowledge Exchange Fellowship with the University of Winchester, and she lectures both internationally and across the UK.
In 2010 Felicity was nominated for the prestigious Woman of the Year award for her campaigning and work in palliative care and was named one of the most Inspirational Women of the Year by the ‘Daily Mail’ in 2017.
Her passion is for doing ordinary work with “extra” ordinary love, supporting the dying and their families, promoting end-of-life education, and collaborating with important community projects.
Her teachings also focus on understanding the mysteries of death and dying and the less obvious aspects of the journey and how to embrace them.
Felicity's website: https://www.soulmidwives.co.uk/
Soul Midwives Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulmidwives.co.uk
No One Gets Out of Here Alive exists because conversations about death, grief, love, loss and what it means to be human matter.
Every episode is independently created, researched, recorded and edited with the hope of making these often difficult conversations more accessible and less frightening. My aim is simple: to help people feel a little less alone when facing death - whether that is their own, someone they love, or the loss of an animal companion.
If you have found comfort, inspiration or hope through the podcast and would like to support its future, donations are deeply appreciated. Your contribution helps cover the very real costs of production, including recording and editing software, hosting platforms, technical equipment, travel, and the time needed to create thoughtful, high-quality conversations.
More importantly, your support helps these conversations reach more people and contributes to a culture where talking about death is no longer something we avoid, but something that helps us live more fully.
There is absolutely no expectation to donate - simply listening and sharing the podcast with others is a wonderful way to help. But if you would like to become part of supporting this work, I would be incredibly grateful.
Thank you for walking this path with...
