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Halva for the Heart: Dying and Grieving in Diaspora

Halva for the Heart: Dying and Grieving in Diaspora

By: Misha | Hafez Death Care
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Halva for the Heart is for both the collective in general, and for those of us living in diaspora specifically. Here we will explore topics of grief tending and death care as a way to build the liberated future we envision for our world, as well as what is means to be dying and grieving while living in diaspora, especially for those of us who have roots in the SWANA region. All are welcome here - befarmāid.Copyright Misha Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • When Grief Becomes Song with Elaheh Roya: The Healing Power of Sound for Iranian Grief

    When Grief Becomes Song with Elaheh Roya: The Healing Power of Sound for Iranian Grief
    Jun 27 2026
    In this episode of Halva for the Heart: Dying & Grieving in Diaspora, I'm joined by Iranian vocalist, sound practitioner, and grief alchemist Elaheh Roya for a deeply moving conversation about inherited grief, migration, family history, and the ways sound can carry us through what words cannot.Elaheh shares the story of growing up in Iran, discovering her family's hidden history of political imprisonment and execution, immigrating to the United States as a child, and living with the quiet ache of separation, exile, and ancestral grief. Together we explore what it means to inherit grief before we have language for it, how the body remembers what families cannot always speak aloud, and how creative practice can become a pathway toward healing.After the death of her father in 2024, Elaheh found herself returning to her voice, not to perform, but to grieve. Through chanting, Persian song, and the simple drone of the Shruti box, she discovered a form of sound practice that transformed both her relationship to grief and her understanding of spirituality.We also talk about:growing up with inherited political traumaimmigration, belonging, and diaspora griefcaring for a parent with dementiasurrender as a grief practicedreams, death, and spiritual awakeningwhy sound can reach places that language cannotAt the end of the episode, you'll hear Elaheh's beautiful rendition of the beloved Persian classic "Gol-e Sangam" that she released as a single earlier this year. Her latest album Grief Alchemy comes out June 30th.Connect with ElahehLinktree (offerings and events)Instagram: @medicinechantsTikTok: @elahehroyaBandcamp (download her music)🎁 Gift for Halva for the Heart listenersThe first three listeners to reach out through Elaheh's Linktree can receive a free 20-minute one-on-one Grief Alchemy session via Zoom🎶 Album Listening CeremonyJoin Elaheh's virtual listening ceremony on June 30 at 4:00 PM PT, where the full album will be played together online. Details are available on her Bandcamp.Resources shared by Elaheh:Tree Carr: Dream teacher and death doula whose work has deeply influenced Elaheh's pathChristine: Coach who supported Elaheh in building the foundation of her offeringsDance of the Blossoms: Elaheh's essay reflecting on her mother's experiences as a political prisonerMissing Mum: A memoir by Elaheh's brother, translated into English by Elaheh, sharing his experience as a child while their mother was imprisonedIf you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you...Leave me a 90 second voice noteMessage me on InstagramSend me an emailLearn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.comSubscribe to my weekly newsletter🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • The Grief of Displacement with Uma Girish: Mourning Home, Family, and Belonging

    The Grief of Displacement with Uma Girish: Mourning Home, Family, and Belonging
    Jun 13 2026
    In this episode of Halva for the Heart: Dying and Grieving in Diaspora, I sit down with grief companion, author, and Human Design guide Uma Girish to explore the intertwined losses of death, migration, home, and belonging.

    Born and raised in India and now living in the United States, Uma shares the story of her mother's death shortly after her immigration to the U.S., and the profound loneliness of grieving far from home, family, and the cultural rituals that once held her. Together, we explore how South Asian traditions make space for grief through community and ritual, what those in diaspora lose when they are unable to return home for a loved one's death, and how maintaining relationships with the dead can help us navigate loss.

    Uma reflects on the unexpected lessons she learned while working in a retirement community, where she discovered that grief is not limited to death. Through stories of displacement, aging, and leaving behind beloved homes, she came to understand grief as a universal human experience.

    In this episode, we also discuss:
    • South Asian grief rituals and the first year after a death
    • The grief of immigration and losing connection to home
    • Building altars for loved ones and ancestors
    • How grief can become a path toward purpose and service
    • The importance of skilled facilitation in grief circles and community spaces
    Throughout the conversation, Uma offers gentle wisdom for anyone navigating loss, reminding us that we do not need to grieve perfectly—we only need to give ourselves what we need most.

    Connect with Uma Girish
    • Website: www.umagirish.com
    • Podcast: Being Fully Me
    • Substack: Light After Loss
    • Book: Losing Amma, Finding Home
    Also mentioned in this episode:
    • Holly Truhlar
    A Gift for Listeners
    The first two listeners to email Uma after listening to this episode will receive a free gift. Listen to the end of the episode to learn what what she's generously offering, then contact Uma through email

    If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you...
    • Leave me a 90 second voice note
    • Message me on Instagram
    • Send me an email
    Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter

    🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Returning to Iran: Mixed Identity, Belonging, and Diaspora Experience with artist Roxanne Cassehgari

    Returning to Iran: Mixed Identity, Belonging, and Diaspora Experience with artist Roxanne Cassehgari
    Apr 27 2026
    In this episode, I sit down with Roxanne Cassehgari, a writer, photographer, and artist documenting the Iranian diaspora.We talk about growing up Iranian outside of Iran, navigating mixed identity, and the complicated relationship to a homeland you may not fully know but deeply long for. Roxanne shares about returning to Iran and how it reshaped her understanding of belonging, language, and self.We explore language loss, cultural disconnection, and the feeling of not being “enough,” alongside her work documenting diaspora stories through interviews and photography. From everyday objects to food and ritual, we reflect on how Iran continues to live within people across distance and generations.We also touch on the tensions between diaspora and homeland perspectives, and how migration, assimilation, and politics shape these experiences.This is a conversation about exile, memory, and the many ways people try to return.About RoxanneRoxane Cassehgari is an artist and photographer born in France to an Iranian father and Colombian mother. Alongside her artistic practice, she is a human rights lawyer and researcher. While law and research allow her to articulate questions about our world, photography is a space of freedom, a more intuitive terrain where she can explore what words cannot capture. Her work explores diasporic memory, emotions linked to exile, and the transmission—or loss—of culture. Through a sensitive and personal approach, she also seeks to reflect on our relationship with the land: as our origin, our heritage, but also as a place where we root ourselves within the living world.In this episode, we explore...Growing up Iranian in the diasporaReturning to Iran after living abroadMixed identity and cultural belongingLanguage loss and reclaiming FarsiThe emotional impact of exile and disconnectionIranian diaspora identity across different countriesThe tension between diaspora and homeland perspectivesHow art and storytelling preserve cultural memoryEveryday ways people stay connected to Iran (food, objects, ritual)Mentioned in this episode:📕 Roxanne's project Le Retour (The Return)🏝️ Roxanne's project Exile is an Island🎧 Halva for the Heart episode with Afghan author and activist Mina Sharif📚 Your War Our Lives by Mina Sharif📚 The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan KamaliConnect with Roxanne📸 Follow Roxanne on Instagram📥 Submit your story to Roxanne’s project Exile is an IslandIf you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you...Leave me a 90 second voice noteMessage me on InstagramSend me an emailLearn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.comSubscribe to my weekly newsletter🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân
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    1 hr and 20 mins
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