17 episodes
Philotimo Life Philotimo Life
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- Society & Culture
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5.0 • 7 Ratings
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”A podcast about death? That‘s kinda morbid.” - You, probably. But it doesn‘t have to be. Join Maria Vassiliou & Ammo Somal as they breathe life into the conversation around death, grief, & bereavement.
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Surviving Season 2 (#016)
Now that you've survived season 2, join your hosts as we look back at the most mind-blowing moments, funniest bits, and guest insights so far. But that's not all...
You'll also hear a brand-new, exclusive blooper dance track (courtesy of editor Stacie), some hilarious skits, cameos, and we'll even spitball some ideas for season three and beyond!
Oh, and you won't want to miss the head-to-head showdown for the title of "Season 2 Ultimate Thanatologist".
Stay tuned for more, folks.
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook! -
Dying Well, ft. Olga Nikolajev (#015)
Welcome to the penultimate episode of season 2!
There’s nobody more suited to guide us through this last stage than an end-of-life expert with over 25 years of experience. Olga Nikolajev RN, MA, CT is an end-of-life nurse, doula, dying well advocate, and cannabis educator.
She’ll use her death doula skills to teach us about dying well from a holistic point of view. This includes the spiritual, mental, physical, sexual, and emotional aspects. Yep. You read that right! We’ll also talk about her work in policy change, death literacy, social support, and even advocacy for psychedelics.
Join us as we change how we approach our dying experience...
Show notes:
Kathy Kortes-Miller Working on educating children about Death Literacy
Politics Behind Ontario’s SexEd Curriculum
“Strong social support decreases mental health problems in young adults” via McGill University
“Ontario ‘completely ignored and bulldozed’ problems in long-term care: former inspector” via Global News
“Comfort Care, Hospice or Palliative Care; What's the Difference?” via Compassus
Kerry Newnin
“Cannabis In Hospice: Growing Demand And Acceptance For End-Of-Life Care” via Forbes
“A Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System” via Healthline
“Four Terminally Ill Canadians Gain Legal Right To Use Magic Mushrooms For End-Of-Life Distress” via Forbes
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook! -
A History Of Death (#014)
Since you all loved the “Ancient Perspectives On Death” episode from last season, we’re resurrecting it as a regular format!
This time around, Maria and Ammo discuss The Torajan people of Indonesia, who hang out with their dead on an annual basis, Tibetan Sky Burials, and more!
Let’s see what we can learn from other cultures about giving our loved ones a proper send-off and even continuing our relationship with them.
And don’t forget to let us know what other cultures you want us to cover in future episodes.
Show notes:
BBC News: Living with the dead in Indonesia
Cleaning the dead: the afterlife rituals of the Torajan people
Tibetan Sky Burials: Stumbling upon the secret ritual of feeding the dead to vulture 'angels'
Sky Burials: Tradition Becomes Controversial Tourist Attraction | Short Film Showcase
Spiritfarer
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook! -
A Celebrant Funeral? ft. Linda Stuart (#013)
It’s the 21st Century, so why are funerals still so religious and downbeat? If only there was an alternative… some sort of Life Cycle Celebrant?
You’re in luck! Gone are the stuffy old preachers, and in comes the secular master of ceremonies, Linda Stuart. Linda creates meaningful ceremonies to help people honour the difficult changes in life and to also celebrate the joyful ones.
We’ll discuss what she does, the myth of closure, the Welsh word to describe a grieving “homesickness for something to which you cannot return,” and even toxic positivity (Ammo rant detected!)
Join us and see why cold, dusty churches don’t always have to be written into your final chapter.
Show notes:
Check out Linda Stuart’s work
What is Toxic Positivity? Via Very Well Mind
The Myth of Closure: Why Experts Say It Doesn’t Exist via How Stuff Works
Welsh word: Hiraeth
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook! -
This Is Your Death: Forgotten Fatalities (#012)
Join your unhallowed hosts for This Is Your Death!
This is a game show where we detail the wildest, most unusual, and downright brutal deaths throughout history.
From blood eagles to laughing yourself to death, Blackbeard’s last stand, and more, Ammo and Maria cover the lot. We’ll also quiz each other on which incidents sound more like they were from Ancient Greece or the UK!
Reach out to us with more infamous fatalities and this may not be the last you see of this format... Muahahaha.
Show notes:
“Dying from Laughing Too Hard” Via Healthline
“10 Incredibly Bizarre Ways People Died In Ancient Greece” via List Verse
Hugh le Despenser being hanged, drawn, and quartered
“The BRUTAL Murder of King Edward II” via video
The Brazen Bull Torture and Death Device
Blast from the past: The Battle of York
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook! -
Grief Counselling 101, ft. Irish Dhindsa (#011)
Grieving is never easy. But who said you’ve got to deal with it alone? Bring in an expert - that’s what we did!
Irish Dhindsa is a professional grief support worker, specializing in community outreach at the Bereaved Families of Ontario. She’s here to talk to us about support systems, our journey of healing, and even her similar experiences to Ammo with Punjabi culture.
We then put what we’ve learned to the test with a game of Wheel of Misfortune!
Finally, Irish walks us through the physical changes that our brains go through when experiencing trauma - the neuroanatomy of grief.
Get to grips with your grief right here, folks.
Show notes:
https://www.bereavedfamilies.ca/
Ontario support systems for grief and bereavement
Sikh and Punjabi death and end-of-life rituals
https://deathcafe.com/
https://www.bereavedfamilies.ca/tipsheets
What to expect when grieving via Bereaved Families of Ontario
Functional Neuroanatomy of Grief via American Journal of Psychiatry
Personality changes and grief
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Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!
Customer Reviews
Learning so much!
Really insightful podcast full of information that I wish my family knew sooner since, like Maria, I lost my mom prematurely. Thank you for making difficult conversation around death not only bearable, but also interesting and humorous. Stoked for season 3!
To Die for
This podcast makes me want to die…..5 stars
Hilarious
Charming banter between the hosts Maria and Ammo while learning all things about death. Excited for the next season!