Life Is A Sacred Journey

This week, Micheal Pope and her guests Julie Interrante and Jeremy Adam Smith, explore ‘The Body and Spirit of Love.’Julie Interrante is a writer, minister, and adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at Sacramento City College.Jeremy Adam Smith is Producer and Editor of the Greater Good Science Center ‘s website and a 2013 fellow with the Institute for Justice and Journalism.Join us on Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 5 pmSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Today we explore the power of innovation and how it is changing the face and experience of aging in America and around the world. Our guest Stephen Johnston, is the Co-Founder of Aging2.0 - a global organization on a mission to accelerate innovation to improve the lives of older adults around the world. A timely topic as the number of American's 65 and older is expected to double by the middle of the century. Having unprecedented access to the latest innovations in the aging space, Stephen gives us a sneak-peek into some of the latest trends not only changing the experience of aging for our 76.4 baby boomers but also changing the lives of  our 65 million caregivers.  

Our culture today, supports an image of holiday perfection that is especially hyped during the holiday season. Thanksgiving holidays are perfect examples of America's obssesion with fantasy images of perfect families happily enjoying each other's company during a holiday meal. Already filling overwhelmed with caregiving tasks, stressed out caregivers may see traditional holiday planning as more of a drain of precious energy than a joy. Today, grief expert Julie Interrante shares some tips to make the holidays more enjoyable for you and your loved ones. No matter what your caregiving situation looks like. 

Steven Morrison is back on Life is a Sacred Journey to talk about his new project "Financial Freedom Once and For All: A Master class. As Steven puts it, "There is no shortage of 'abundance' information out there for people who are struggling finnacially. Most of us have digested the lessons: visualize, believe, let go, etc. But then the nitty-gritty of making ends meet on a daily basis consumes us and the lessons go out the window." Steven is creating a groundbreaking Masterclass to help break this cycle by showing you "how to create financial freedom for your Self and your family, once and for all, by learning how to change how you think about the situation". SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Many communities are increasingly focusing on becoming more age-friendly - turning into great places not only to grow up but also to grow older. This is all good, and demands will only go up as America's population greys. But the big question is, how do we ensure that our communities not only serve our elders but also become more LGBT aging friendly? Micheal Pope and her guest Dan Ashbrook answer some of these big questions in today's episode. Join them for a groundbreaking discussion with many uplifting and new ideas to be shared. Only here on Life is a Sacred Journey. #StayTunedSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Our culture today, supports an image of holiday perfection that is especially hyped during the holiday season. Thanksgiving holidays are perfect examples of America’s obsession with fantasy images of perfect families happily enjoying each other’s company during a holiday meal.  Already feeling overwhelmed with caregiving tasks, stressed out caregivers may see traditional holiday planning as more of a drain of precious energy than a joy. Today, my dear friend and grief expert, Julie Interrante and I share some tips to help make the holidays more enjoyable for you and your loved ones. No matter what your caregiving situation looks like. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Micheal and her guests discuss 'End of life.'Lael Duncan, MD is the Medical Director of Consulting Services for the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, a statewide partnership dedicated to the advancement of palliative medicine and patient centered end-of-life care.Stephen Jenkinson discusses  ‘Grief Walker’ - a Canadian documentary film and poetic portrait of his work with dying people. Grief Walker is a ‘film about the redemptive power of the deep love for life, when life glimpses its end.’Airs on Thursday, December 11 at 5pm PST only here on Life is a Sacred Journey. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram. 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we take a journey outside the USA to discover other similar Thanksgiving traditions and cultures in the United Arab Emirates, Moldova, Germany, and Mexico. PLUS, we ask our guests Luis (Mexico), Felicia (Moldova), Annekathrin (Germany), Gaurav (United Arab Emirates) and John (USA)  to share how aging or getting older is perceived in their respective countries as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month comes to an end. An uplifting conversation, no doubt! SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Welcome to the month of November, National Family Caregivers Month. In this spirit, we answer the question, "Does America have the capacity to meet its caregiving demands as the country gets older?"   Our guest Lisa Winstel joins us from the Caregiver Action Network. The Caregiver Action Network is the nation's leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for the more than 90 million American's who care for loved one's with chronic conditions, diabilities, or frailties of old age. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagram.

In this week's episode, Mindfulness Practice for Caregivers we are excited to be joined by Kari Snowberg, currently directing the LEAF (Life Enhancing Activities for Family  Caregivers) Study at UCSF; and Marguerite Manteau-Rao, CEO and founder of the Presence Care Project. What is mindfulness? It is a way to improve your mood or simply stop your thoughts, right? WRONG! These mindfulness trailblazers, Kari & Marguerite help us dispel some of the misconceptions we've been taught about meditation - opening the doors to less stress and greater well-being for you. It is possible! Tune in this Thursday, October 30th at 5 pm (PT) or 8 pm (ET) and listen to previous episodes hereSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Life is a Sacred Journey host, Micheal Pope interviews New York Times and USA Today bestseller, Jane Heller. Her 13 novels of romantic comedy, nine of which have been optioned for movies and television, are now entertaining readers around the world. Her critically acclaimed new book You'd Better Not Die or I'll Kill You: A Caregiver's Suvival Guide to Keeping You in Good Health and Good Spirits chronicles her candid, often hilarious and always inspiring journey from novice caregiver to 20-year veteran. She speaks passionately about the caregiving experience, whether one is caring for a child with Autism or an aging parent with Alzheimer's. Tune in this Thursday April 30 at 5 pm (PDT) to hear Jane deliver, as the Library Journal puts it, " a valuable, virtual support group." About Life is a Sacred Journey: Awarded "Honorable Mention" for Best Blog at PR Daily's 2014 Non Profit Awards - LIFE IS A SACRED JOURNEY allows caregivers and elders awaken their best selves and discover a deeper connection to the world o

In this episode, America's Caregiver Empowerment Strategist™, Carolyn A. Brent talks about how to prepare for end-of-life financially, legally, and emotionally. She is the author of the best-selling book, Why Wait? The Baby-Boomers Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially, and Legally for a Parent’s Death. Brent has been featured on ABC, NBC, and CBS, as a frequent media guest and expert advisor on the subject of caregiving and its related issues. Her new book, The Caregiver's Companion will be published in January 2015. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram. 

We are going on a workout- not just any workout mind you, but a spiritual one. As Steven Morrison describes it, a spiritual workout is about looking at life- any aspect of life whatsoever- through the lens of universally spiritual concepts such as compassion, presence, gratitude and the law of attraction to name a few. You probably accept some of these spiritual concepts at some level. But how do you move from belief in these concepts to a regular practice of them? Our Guru, Steven Morrison is here to show us the path from knowing to doing. Only here on Life is a Sacred Journey. Tune in Thursday 9/11 at 5 pm PDT | 8pm ET. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram.

Changes in the behavior of a person with dementia are very common. Understanding why someone is behaving in a particular way may help you with some ideas about how to cope.Today’s show will share tips and resources to help you thrive in the midst of caring for someone with these challenging behaviors. For more on this relevant and interesting topic, tune in Thursday 8/28 at 5pm (PDT) via any device that connects you to the internet, or call (949) 270-5908. #LifeisaSacredJourneySUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram.

The use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, health related education and health administration is no longer a foreign idea. New technologies such as video conferencing, the internet, streaming media and other wireless communications are making it possible to check symptoms and measure vital signs in the home.In the future there will likely be more laptop based and tablet based devices used in the home. David Lindeman, Ph.D, Director at the Universitry of Berkeley, Center for Information and Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) joins us for an insightful discussion on this topic.SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram.

The consumer marketplace has been overwhelmingly youth-obsessed for decades, but this is about to change dramatically – and in ways that will spotlight a traditionally-overlooked upside of aging.Baby Boomers are transforming aging. This 78 million-strong generation has unrivaled amounts of money to spend, and they control 77% of the total net worth of US households. Even though they are largely ignored by advertisers, they represent 50% of all discretionary spending power. What does this all mean?Join host Micheal Pope for an insightful hour with Richard Eisenberg, Assistant Managing Editor of PBS’s Nextavenue.org who says, “Everybody talks about the problems the aging of America is creating, real and otherwise (stress on Social Security, older workers keep younger workers from moving up…) But some noted experts say we are looking at this all wrong."SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.L!KE us on Facebook. FOLLOW us on Instagram.

What is happening in retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes? You might imagine quiet reading, crossword puzzles, bingo, maybe some shuffleboard. Think again. Think about sex – unsafe sex. Much as a society might prefer to see older adults as asexual, the rates of STDs among older adults are climbing. Despite rising infections, gay and lesbian older adults remain an invisible population. Yet sex goes on anyway.HIV/AIDS is not just an LGBT issue but a community issue as well. Terri Clark (Action Aids) & Robert Espinoza (SAGE) address these health disparities among marginalized populations, as well as offer important steps to advance health equity for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Listen to more episodes.Click here to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.Like us on Facebook.

On an airplane, an oxygen mask descends in front of you. What do you do? As we all know, the first rule is to put on your own oxygen mask before you assist anyone else. Only when we first help ourselves can we effectively help others. Caring for yourself is one of the most important—and one of the most often forgotten—things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you care for will benefit, too.Whether or not you want to consider it one, being a caregiver is a job. It’s physically and mentally draining and it is important that you reward yourself in order to stay sane. Take a vacation every now and then, or at least dedicate a few hours a week to you. Go for a walk or shopping; read a book, listen to music, go out with friends, etc.  It doesn’t matter what you do or for how long; even if it’s only for a few minutes, take time for you.Listen to more episodes.Click here to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.Like us on Facebook.

Is home care right for me or my loved one? If these are questions you are currently pondering, you are not alone. Many older adults prefer to stay at home for as long as possible.Our guest, Linda Fodrini-Johnson, Founder & Executive Director of Eldercare Services shows you how you can maintain your independence and stay at home for as long as possible. Join us this Thursday, June 12 | 5pm via your mobile phone, tablet, or any device that connects you to the internet. You can also tune in by dialing (949) 270-5908.  Listen to more episodes.Click here to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.Like us on Facebook.

Thumbs up for Older American's Month! A majority of us will be caregivers at some point in our lives. For some people, caregiving occurs gradually over time. For you, it may have happened overnight. However it happened, you are not alone - there are 65 million caregivers across the country, providing an average of 20 hours of care per week or in some cases, around the clock care. Whether you are caregiving part-time or full-time, live-in, or long-distance, one thing is certain: you need tools, tips, support...a break! Micheal Pope answers your toughest caregiving questions this Thursday, May 22 at 5 pm.Tweet @micheal_pope or email asebinterns@gmail.com with your caregiving questions and stories. Listen to more episodes.Click here to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.Like us on Facebook.