177: Yoga, Life & Death: Community Conversations with Dr. Marnie Hartman

Death will inevitably touch us all, yet it’s a topic many of us instinctively shrink from. In this episode, host Rachel Land is joined by returning guest Dr. Marnie Hartman to explore this dichotomy.

Dr. Hartman is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, yoga teacher, and now death doula. Today she shares how her personal journey led her into end-of-life care. She unpacks the problem with cultural avoidance of death, and highlights the unique role yoga teachers can play in supporting students through grief, uncertainty, and end-of-life reflection.

This conversation offers practical tools, philosophical insights, and a powerful reminder that awareness of death can profoundly deepen how we live.

“Don’t wait. Stop waiting. Like today, today is the day you start having that conversation.” — Dr. Marnie Hartman

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS. AND BE SURE TO LEAVE US A RATING AND REVIEW!

“Every breath has a beginning and an end. And every life has a beginning and an end.” — Dr. Marnie Hartman

Show Notes:

• Introduction: why this topic? [0:53]
• We avoid talking about death, and that’s a problem [6:07]
• Medical professionals & family members aren’t talking about end-of-life [10:00]
• Holding space without needing to be expert [16:07]
• Discussing loss in group classes vs. private sessions [20:42]
• What end-of life yoga practice might look like [29:44]
• Savasana as a reflection of death [35:32]
• How awareness of mortality can shift priorities and deepen meaning [41:33]
• The power of community, other final takeaways [44:52]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Rubenstein Fazzio L, Pitman A, Prosko S. Turning toward mortality: yoga’s savasana as a salutogenic practice for engaging with death anxiety. Front Public Health. 2026 Mar 4;14:1771782. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1771782. PMID: 41859253; PMCID: PMC12995684.
• The Art of Dying Before You Die, Aditi Sethi
• Yoga Medicine® Online Classes with Marnie:
  • Embracing Mortality
  • Thresholds
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 15: Shifting Persistent Pain
  • 78: Pain Science Insights on Performance
• Connect with Marnie Hartman:

Body IQ PT | LinkedIn | Email | Pain Science – Yoga – Life | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

“This death denial, this death taboo… this avoidance behavior actually makes so many of those losses harder.” — Dr. Marnie Hartman