Episodes

  • Navigating Afghan Diaspora Identity with Mina Sharif

    Navigating Afghan Diaspora Identity with Mina Sharif
    Jul 30 2025
    On this episode of Halva for the Heart, I am thrilled to be interviewing Afghan-Canadian author Mina Sharif.

    Mina spent 15 years living and working in Kabul, Afghanistan. She’s the author of Your War, Our Lives, a short story collection that brings heart, humor, and nuance to everyday life in Afghanistan during the international occupation. Through her work, she shares the quieter, more human sides of conflict, and what it means to belong to more than one place at once.

    In this conversation, Mina and I speak about her new book (comes out August 1, 2025!), the diasporic experience, and how fully embody your heritage identity, even if others say you "don't count".

    You can purchase Your War, Our Lives ar Mina's website: www.minasharif.com
    And follow Mina on Instagram

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Ancestral Wisdom with Shivani

    Ancestral Wisdom with Shivani
    Jul 23 2025
    On this episode of Halva for the Heart, I am joined by my friend and fellow death doula Shivani Narang. Shivani is a death worker, a grief worker, and a postpartum, abortion, and post-abortion doula who is deeply connected to their ancestors. Their work is an act of devotion.

    In this conversation, Shivani and I speak about surrendering to the wisdom of our ancestors and allowing them to guide our death work. We also discuss magic of grandmthers and great-grandmothers, and how we stay connected to our ancestral homelands while having grown up in the US.

    You can connect with Shivani Narang on their website and on Instagram @deathworkwithshiv
    Also follow their new podcast series @of.sweetness.and.spirit

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, you can leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    55 mins
  • Meditation for the Iranian Diaspora

    Meditation for the Iranian Diaspora
    Jun 25 2025
    In this special episode of Halva for the Heart, I offer a guided meditation created specifically for the Iranian diaspora.

    Since Israel's attack on.Iran, many Iranians—myself included—have been struggling with emotional overwhelm, fear, grief, and dissociation. In response, I’ve been hosting grief support spaces for Iranians, and this meditation emerged from those gatherings.

    Rooted in the teachings of Valerie Kaur, Holly Truhlar, and my death midwifery mentor Narinder Bazen, this episode is a somatic, ancestral, and heart-centered meditation practice. Please find a quiet, comfortable place to rest. Bring your grief, your tenderness, your longing. It's all welcome here.

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    22 mins
  • Being a Death Doula in a Time of War

    Being a Death Doula in a Time of War
    Jun 19 2025
    In this episode, I discuss the recent Israeli bombings happening throughout Iran and how my work as an Iranian-American death doula can help me support my community in this moment.

    If you're Iranian, join us for Dard-e Del three times a month. Learn more and signup here. Let us support each other 🫂

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    31 mins
  • The Politics of Death & Grief

    The Politics of Death & Grief
    Jun 11 2025
    Death and grief are deeply political, especially during this moment in history. Listen as I discuss how turning towards our grief and deepening out death work can help us as we live through this time of collapse.

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân
    ❤️‍🩹 Cover image is Palestinian docter Dr. Alaa Al Najjar whose nine children were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    30 mins
  • Poetry and Grief with Mallory Dowd

    Poetry and Grief with Mallory Dowd
    May 27 2025
    In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Mallory Dowd. She is a clinical therapist, intuitive tarot reader, and art witch based in Seoul. Together, we will be hosting a community grief circle soon and I wanted to bring her on the podcast to talk about relationship to grief. 🖤

    Content Warning for discussions about grief from a loss by suicide.

    Get in touch with Mallory on Instagram @mallorydowd or through her website www.mallorydowd.com



    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Healing with my Sister

    Healing with my Sister
    May 17 2025
    This episode is all about my sister and our relationship. How we've finally found reconciliation after so many years of guilt and resentment from how we each handled our mom's death.

    We sat down to record this episode while she was visiting me in Korea with the simple topic of "Let's talk about our grief". I didn't know what to expect because we had never really spoken about our grief together before, but recording this episode brought us so much closer to one another.

    If you have any strained relationships in your life, I hope this brings you some hope and healing 🌹


    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • The Origins of my Deathwork

    The Origins of my Deathwork
    Apr 28 2025
    In this episode, you'll hear about:
    ● what drew me to deathwork
    ● when I first encountered the term 'death doula'
    ● why I named my podcast 'Halva for the Heart'

    Have some tissues ready for this one! I was in tears recording it 💙


    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you, leave me a voice note

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân

    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Follow me on instagram at @hafez.death.care
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins