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Everyday Thin Places

Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso

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In each episode of Everyday Thin Places, birth doula Elizabeth Varaso and interfaith hospice chaplain Rachael Gallagher ​draw from their experiences supporting birthing people and dying people to explore with honesty, authenticity and humor how we can all become more truly-living people.​ Although birth and death are two of the only truly universal human experiences, we often think of them as painful, frightening and best kept behind closed doors. But behind those closed doors Rachael and El ...
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We're so excited for another Everyday Thin Places episode after quite a while away! We chat about our energy coming back as we move from winter to spring. We're diving deep into all things spring! The ladies discuss Elizabeth's spring plans of the Broad Street Run, throwing the windows open, spring cleaning on Leap Day, as well as Rachael's "Elderl…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso return with guest Rob Bell to discuss Rob's new book, "Where'd You Park Your Spaceship?". Starting with a discussion about this being a departure from Rob's previous works of nonfiction, we assure you that this sci-fi fiction book is very "Rob Bell". We're pretty sure Rob just became best friends with all of h…
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It's Red October in Philadelphia, and Phillies fever is spreading. Symptoms include yelling, cheering, and . . . kindness? Elizabeth has been gushing to Rachael about Phillie's short stop Trea Turner for weeks now, so it's only right that we share his story with our listeners and invite you all to jump on the bandwagon of postseason baseball and tr…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso interview Nicki Cowan, psychotherapist, end-of-life doula, and co-founder of the Philly Death Doula Collective. In this special episode, Nicki discusses awe, existential intensity, and the greater-than-human world. It was very interesting for us to learn more about Nicki's perspective. In this episode we cover…
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Rachael and Elizabeth are back with Kay Bruner. They start the episode with some quick life updates from Kay, then begin talking about Kay's favorite aspects of life in the desert, "Agave Watch", and learning how to be okay with letting go. Featuring: Sedona, AZ Broken Arrow Hiking Trail Verde River Bitter Creek Villa The Trevor Project Reach Racha…
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On this episode, our new friend Josiah Haken, CEO of City Relief in NYC shares about serving those stuggling with housing insecurity and food insecurity. Josiah skillfully walks us through how serving people experiencing homelessness is a thin place and how each of us can offer hospitality to our neighbors regardless of our context. Mentioned in to…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso are joined by life partners and creative collaborators, Dan Martin and Michael Biello to discuss telling stories through art, music, and light. Dan and Michael skillfully walk us through how they create thin places for audiences all over the world and how they're currently working with Rachael and making new s…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso reflect on this past year and catch up on what Rachael's been doing this year. Featuring: "season" in south Florida and how locals enjoy summertime being challenged professionally buying a condo on the water in "the Venice of America" and feeling "home" therapy https://e2mfitness.com/ a sneak peek of our next …
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After being coy for a while, on this episode, Elizabeth finally shares what has kept her busy most summers, and what's been keeping her busy this year. Featuring: human milk oligosaccharides finally welcoming a baby into the world without a mask! https://www.facebook.com/center.nonreligious.spirituality/ reclaiming and redefining "bedlum" with the …
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In this very special episode, it's time for the Super Bowl. Joining us for the first time is Erik Johanson, Philadelphia sports fanatic. In the last 5 months, Philly fans have gotten quite a bit of excitement with both the Phillies and the Eagles competing in championship games. We talk to Erik about how his love for Phladelphia and it's sports tea…
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Rachael and Elizabeth react to Everyday Thin Places turning two years old, before reflecting on the amazing guests we have had the privilege to host. Plus, what’s next for Everyday Thin Places?! As promised, click here to read about the astounding good news announced this week that is a game changer in cancer research.…
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Elizabeth has been keeping busy making teacher appreciation gifts, and Rachael has been watching her teacher friends on social media as they wrap up the school year. It feels like a great time to talk about teachers and the impact the have made on our lives. •To share a teacher/student story for a future episode, reach us at everydaythinplaces@gmai…
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This is a second episode with Marla Taviano because she HAS A NEW BOOK in the world! We explore the poetry within "Unbelieve - Poems on the Journey to Becoming a Heretic". From "I was wrong" to "God Loves Everyone" to "growing up evangelical" to "chirp chirp", every poem in this new book is eye-opening and relatable and honest and authentic. Everyd…
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Rachael and Elizabeth record an actual conversation about silence! In their conversation, Rachael discusses her thoughts on how silence can be used as a weapon. Plus, Elizabeth talks about how she's gotten curious and open to silence. SPOILER: She's starting to offer spiritual direction and is using silence as a tool. Don't forget to rate and subsc…
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Nope, this isn't a glitch or a mistake. We'll be back to talk about silence in our next episode. But for today we invite you to take 7 minutes of silence for yourself. Think of this as an experiment. As a treat. As an opportunity to experience an everyday thin place. Because sometimes there aren't words. Because sometimes silence is the friend that…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso are joined by Angela Dobrynski, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Grief Specialist. While Angela has a wealth of professional experience in the world of grief and loss, this conversation focuses on her own personal story of grief, loss and the surprises that led to her building the family that sh…
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Rachael and Elizabeth talk all about ADVANCING (most notably, the Battle of Little Round Top, chemotherapy, and athletic training). Also, Elizabeth shares about an advance she received in order to help her neighbors and her family. Everyday Thin Places appreciates its supporters! Want to support? Buy us a coffee! Sign up: https://www.everydaythinpl…
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On this very special edition of "Everyday Thin Places", it's finally time for our first ever Everyday Thin Places RETREAT!!!!! We discuss our differing opinions on taking baths, our motivations for being in water, what we think about retreat, and some ideas for small everyday opportunities for retreats before we make the big announcement that we're…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso break down the everyday thin places we experienced in the Disney film, Encanto. Encanto is amazing, and if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go watch this movie on Disney+. We will share some spoilers in this episode, but the movie is still worth watching even if it's been "spoiled". And of cour…
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Life Coach, Melissa Jill Clark joins us on the Everyday Thin Places podcast to talk about having all we need within us now, yoga as embodied prayer, and Melissa's poem that was recently published in book form: Your Chrysalis: A Message of Hope for End of Life. We really talk about everything. Yoga? Yes. Fulfilling our legacies? Obviously. Birth and…
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Today on the podcast, hosts Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso talk with Philadelphia-area-based pastor and author, Matt Gorkos. Matt has built Storied Church Ministry Consulting , focused on cultivating connections through stories. One of his latest efforts: The Storied Church: A Strategy for Congregational Renewal explores the power of a good…
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Today on the podcast we go down memory lane - 2021 has been another doozy. We reflect on our hopefulness and cautious optimism last year at this time. Rachael reflects on the struggles that existed in 2021 as well as her ideas of how life would be once vaccines became available, and then Elizabeth shares her resolution that she made last year and t…
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In this special mini episode, Elizabeth interviews Rachael about the last six months of living back in her home state of Florida! Rachael talks about her latest projects and how this new lifestyle has become a thin place for her. Thanks for listening! Contribute to the show at https://ko-fi.com/everydaythinplaces. Email us at everydaythinplaces@gma…
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On this week's episode, Elizabeth Varaso shares about her latest thin place endeavor. Featuring: How she went from being the proud owner of 25 fragrance oils to owning 122 fragrance oils. Why she receives 55 pound bags of salt delivered to her home regularly. How Sharon Weiss fits into all of this. Everyday Thin Places is powered by subscribers lik…
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Rachael and Elizabeth celebrate miniature things. Elizabeth shares about her household's delight in the thin places of miniature things and Rachael talks (again) about her love of small dogs. Then, we talk about the power of miniature things working their ways into places that larger things cannot: little things can have huge impacts. You can email…
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Just in time, it's the last night of Hanukkah and so we are replaying this episode from last year. In this episode, Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso are joined by Dr. Liam Robins to discuss Hanukkah, embracing Judaism as an adult, the "thin place" experience of lighting the Hanukkah candles, and more. Buy us a cup of coffee: https://ko-fi.com…
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This week Rachael and Elizabeth are hosting a conversation with David Richman, author of the book Cycle of Lives: 15 People's stories, 5,000 miles and a Journey through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer. After losing his sister June to cancer, David was inspired to push the limits of what his body was capable of, and to engage his heart and mind with t…
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Rachael and Elizabeth give thanks for each other, for this podcast, and for our listeners. Plus, we take some time to share how you can help to support the podcast. Everyday Thin PLaces is powered by subscribers like you! To keep all our Everyday Thin Places content ad-free, consider making a donation by buying us a cup of coffee! To support the po…
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This week, we bring you a conversation about generosity as a thin place. More than anything, this episode felt like a really fun, yet super meaningful time of reflection. Featuring: different motivations for generosity the spiritual practice of generosity barriers to generosity Elizabeth's research into the origins of the word generosity a challeng…
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In celebration of the 65th episode of our podcast, this episode is all about nostalgia (New Kids on the Block, I Love Lucy, Goosebumps, etc.)! We are honored to take you on a nostalgic journey! To reach us, email everydaythinplaces@gmail.com. Visit https://www.everydaythinplaces.com/ Follow the podcast on Instagram (@everydaythinplaces).…
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Rachel & Elizabeth have referenced this conversation so many times recently that it seemed worthy of a replay! Even with Halloween just having passed, you may still be in the mood for a good horror film, and the insights that film scholar and expert Jennifer Moorman has to offer will have you experiencing, yes, even horror films, as a thin place. J…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso discuss activism and theology as a thin place with Dr. Drew Hart. Drew is a writer and a speaker on topics of justice black theology, Anabaptism, and white supremacy and he follows in a long line of theologists who have done theology on the fly in the midst of struggling with justice and liberation. You’ll wan…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso check in with honesty, authenticity, and humor about curiosity as a thin place. We begin by talking about Elizabeth's far-fetched husband and his skeptical nature versus Elizabeth's curious nature. After talking through all the possible ways to view the world, Rachael and Elizabeth land on a good healthy way t…
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It's our first repeat guest! This time last year Halley Kim joined us to talk about the importance of Birth Stories. At the time, she had a secret that only a handful of people in her life knew about. But today, Halley is sharing freely about what she once believed, what she believes now, and how we can compassionately usher people towards changing…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso discuss what pets have to teach us about birth and death, and truly living. Understanding our personal relationships with pets is an important part of understanding ourselves. We support our life's journey when we embrace caregiving, whether it be another person or an animal. You can email the podcast at every…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso enjoy a conversation with Eileen Shaklee, aka "Mama Fry," who blogs at "Autism With A Side of Fries." Eileen first began blogging about life with her french-fry-loving Autistic son 9 years ago, and has built an online community where the unique joys and challenges of living with Autism can be shared. You can f…
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Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso have the privilege of talking through how Tara McAlonan's family has come to be, challenge by challenge, heartbreak by heartbreak and how it all led to the adoption of Cade Francis. We are delighted to share this with you! Resources: Resolve Support GroupsBy Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso
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In this week's episode we're celebrating being back to regular podcasting! Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso start the podcast off with a recap of the thin places they experienced over the summer. Then, they share some insight on where the podcast is headed in the coming weeks and months. Mentioned in this episode: In the Heights Local 44 Camp…
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One more week of Summer break before new episodes return on September 6th, and we're replaying our most downloaded episode of 2020. Author, speaker and podcaster Rob Bell joins us to talk about his book, "Everything is Spiritual," the power of well-asked questions, and what is giving him hope right now. We begin by talking about the power of a good…
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You've heard of "Christmas in July" - how about "Advent in August"? We'll be back with brand new episodes in a few weeks, but we're rounding out our final two weeks of summer break with our two most downloaded episodes from last year. In this episode we are joined by poet Kaitlin Shetler to discuss her poem "Sometimes I Wonder," the concept of inca…
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Another replay of a favorite episode for you to enjoy while we enjoy our summer break! To consider fear and pain, we also had to think about ritual. We hope this week's episode opens up conversations to help us to learn about helpful rituals that we can practice throughout all of life. Like what you hear and want to help support this podcast? Say t…
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Another replay of a favorite episode for you to enjoy while we enjoy our summer break! We've had pain on our minds. After last week's episode about fear, we decided to release a three-episode series on fear, pain, and ritual. We hope this week's episode helps shine a light on the different types of pain that we ourselves have experienced and witnes…
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Another replay of a favorite episode for you to enjoy while we enjoy our summer break! Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso dive into the topic of fear, its role and purpose in our lives, and how we can work with our fear in helpful ways. Like what you hear and want to help support this podcast? Say thank you by buying us a cup of coffee! www.ko-…
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One of the most frequent topics we think about as a birth doula and a hospice chaplain is the topic of the cycle of life, death, and new life. We hope this week's episode about the element of earth with Christa Barfield helps you to understand the heart, intention, and inspiration behind Farmer Jawn Greenhouses, and to have a deeper connection to w…
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Enjoy this replay of a favorite episode! In 2014, Keri McGinn opened Halcyon Floats in Philadelphia. It was the first flotation therapy location in Philadelphia, but it quickly gained popularity in the Philadelphia area. Keri joins us to talk about water and how floating can help with stress management, letting go, and even meditating to help us ex…
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In this replay of a favorite episode, Ilyssa and Dave Kyu, authors of Campfire Stories: Tales From America's National Parks are here! Ilyssa and Dave recount their time spent traveling around the US National Parks and reveal how campfires facilitate community, preserve history, and celebrate our shared heritage. Plus, Rachael and Elizabeth share so…
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In this replay of a favorite episode, Rachael and Elizabeth welcome Amy Wright Glenn to the show! Amy is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death and the author of Birth, Breath, and Death: Meditations on Motherhood, Chaplaincy, and Life as a Doula and Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go. Amy talks about ho…
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In this replay of one of our favorite episodes, Rachael Gallagher and Elizabeth Varaso talk about what to expect in their upcoming series about the 4 elements. Rachael and Elizabeth open up about their experiences with each of the 4 elements as they relate to birth and death. Plus, you'll get a brief primer of each of the 4 elements. Don't forget t…
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