Reverence for Impulse with Akilah S. Richards

Akilah S. Richards is a grief literacy educator, Certified Integrative Thanatologist, and Savor coach who supports people through the often-overlooked losses of life—not just death, but shifts in identity, role, and relationship. Her work helps people slow down, honor what's ending, and listen for what still wants to live.

For over a decade, Akilah was a leading voice in the global unschooling movement, helping families reclaim autonomy, question hierarchy, and build consent-based relationships. That legacy of liberation now lives through her grief and joy work, where she invites us to trade performance for presence and urgency for rhythm.

She is the creator of What I Let Die, a public service podcast on grief literacy, and co-creator of Bringing Flowers, a collaborative offering with Thea Monyeé that explores the sacred interplay between grief and joy. Through coaching, courses, and creative community spaces, Akilah helps us practice being with what hurts without rushing to fix it.

Whether facilitating grief circles or crafting language for the unnameable, Akilah's work reminds us that grief is a teacher—not a threat—and that we are allowed to grieve out loud, in rhythm, and in community.

Monthly Grief Circle: https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/grief-affinity-circle

Grief + Joy Work: https://bringingflowers.org/

Waitlist for ILID Grief Course: https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/grief

Savor Coaching: https://schoolishness.com/coaching/

My blog: https://radicalselfie.org/

Reverence for Impulse Is an unscripted and unplanned podcast with me, Weena Pauly-Tarr and my brother Tim Pauly, both working in the worlds of somatics: exploring bodies and all they hold/do/feel. We start each guest encounter with a few minutes of meeting each other without words, through the language of our bodies, before we press record and bring it to a conversation. This is not a hard hitting agenda or getting to the bottom of things. It's about finding each other in the not-knowing. We're here for the spaciousness, the awkwardness, the silliness, the silence — from the dark insides of our bodies to the bright insights of our minds, we're excited to welcome people who's impulses we'd like to get to know.

Intro Music by Annie Hart

Weena's Website: weenapauly.com

Weena's IG: @weenapaulytarr

Tim's Website: intheserviceoflife.com

Tim's IG: @in.the.service.of.life