What really happens in the final moments of life?

In this moving episode of Hey Soul Sista, Mel sits down with death doula, plant medicine practitioner and spiritual guide, Kat Courtney, to explore what she has witnessed after sitting with people as they transition from life to death.

Kat shares extraordinary insights from more than two decades working with dying patients, near-death experiences, spirit communication, and plant medicine journeys including ayahuasca.

Together, we explore:
What people see in their final moments
Whether loved ones really appear before death
What it feels like to leave the body
How plant medicine reveals the nature of the soul
The experience of ayahuasca rituals
Why death may not be an ending, but a transition

This conversation is not about fear—it’s about meaning, presence, and what it really means to live fully while we are here.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when we die, or felt a connection to something beyond this life, this episode will stay with you.

Connect with KAT COURTNEY: 
Instagram @plantmedicinepeople
Website: plantmedicinepeople.com 
Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @PlantMedicinePeople

Connect with MEL HISTON:
Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista!
Instagram @melissahiston
Instagram @heysoulsistapodcast
Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @heysoulsista
Website: heysoulsista.com
Website: gotyourbacksista.com

What really happens in the final moments of life?
In this moving episode of Hey Soul Sista, Mel sits down with death doula, plant medicine practitioner and spiritual guide, Kat Courtney, to explore what she has witnessed after sitting with people as they transition from life to death.
Kat shares extraordinary insights from more than two decades working with dying patients, near-death experiences, spirit communication, and plant medicine journeys including ayahuasca.
Together, we explore:
<ul data-start="891" data-end="1131">
<li data-section-id="1hs1cuw" data-start="891" data-end="933">What people see in their final moments</li>
<li data-section-id="rt4y6f" data-start="934" data-end="983">Whether loved ones really appear before death</li>
<li data-section-id="c2mgf8" data-start="984" data-end="1024">What it feels like to leave the body</li>
<li data-section-id="11g5olw" data-start="1025" data-end="1078">How plant medicine reveals the nature of the soul</li>
<li data-section-id="11g5olw" data-start="1025" data-end="1078">The experience of ayahuasca rituals</li>
<li data-section-id="c3vcgk" data-start="1079" data-end="1131">Why death may not be an ending, but a transition</li>
</ul>
This conversation is not about fear&mdash;it&rsquo;s about meaning, presence, and what it really means to live fully while we are here.
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered what happens when we die, or felt a connection to something beyond this life, this episode will stay with you.
Connect with KAT COURTNEY:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Instagram @plantmedicinepeople</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Website: <a href="https://www.plantmedicinepeople.com/">plantmedicinepeople.com&nbsp;</a></li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Watch the podcast video on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PlantMedicinePeople">@PlantMedicinePeople</a></li>
</ul>
Connect with MEL HISTON:
<ul>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista!</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Instagram @melissahiston</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Instagram @heysoulsistapodcast</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Watch the podcast video on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@heysoulsista">@heysoulsista</a></li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Website: heysoulsista.com</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1396">Website: gotyourbacksista.com</li>
</ul>

Welcome to Hey Soul Sista—the podcast for women who are ready to live with more joy, purpose, and SOUL! If you’re feeling the pull to re-discover yourself, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that truly lights you up, you’re in the right place.

Each episode, I sit down with incredible women who are sharing their soulful wisdoms and finding deeper meaning in this life. We dive into real stories, honest conversations, and practical wisdom to help you feel inspired, seen, and ready to say YES to yourself.

I’ll also bring on experts in health, wellness, mindset, and spirituality to share their best tips on how to nurture your body, mind, and soul—because thriving in midlife is about feeling good inside and out. Because midlife isn’t a crisis—it’s an awakening. 

And Hey Soul Sista is here to remind you that the best is yet to come. So hit that follow button, pour yourself a coffee (or a wine—no judgment here), and let’s navigate this journey together with laughter, courage, and a whole lot of soul.

This is Hey Soul Sista, and you are exactly where you need to be.

With love and soul, Mel Histon - your host xx

Welcome to Hey Soul Sista&mdash;the podcast for women who are ready to live with more joy, purpose, and SOUL!&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re feeling the pull to re-discover yourself, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that truly lights you up, you&rsquo;re in the right place.
Each episode, I sit down with incredible women who are sharing their soulful wisdoms and finding deeper meaning in this life. We dive into real stories, honest conversations, and practical wisdom to help you feel inspired, seen, and ready to say YES to yourself.
I&rsquo;ll also bring on experts in health, wellness, mindset, and spirituality to share their best tips on how to nurture your body, mind, and soul&mdash;because thriving in midlife is about feeling good inside and out. Because midlife isn&rsquo;t a crisis&mdash;it&rsquo;s an awakening.&nbsp;
And Hey Soul Sista is here to remind you that the best is yet to come. So hit that follow button, pour yourself a coffee (or a wine&mdash;no judgment here), and let&rsquo;s navigate this journey together with laughter, courage, and a whole lot of soul.
This is Hey Soul Sista, and you are exactly where you need to be.
With love and soul, Mel Histon - your host xx

Hey Soul Sista is the podcast for women who are ready to live with more joy, purpose, and SOUL! If you’re feeling the pull to re-discover yourself, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that truly lights you up, you’re in the right place.

Hey Soul Sista by Melissa Histon

 

Welcome to Hey Soul Sista—the podcast for women who are ready to live with more joy, purpose, and SOUL! If you’re feeling the pull to re-discover yourself, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that truly lights you up, you’re in the right place.

Each episode, I sit down with incredible women who are sharing their soulful wisdoms and finding deeper meaning in this life. We dive into real stories, honest conversations, and practical wisdom to help you feel inspired, seen, and ready to say YES to yourself.

I’ll also bring on experts in health, wellness, mindset, and spirituality to share their best tips on how to nurture your body, mind, and soul—because thriving in midlife is about feeling good inside and out.

Because midlife isn’t a crisis—it’s an awakening. And Hey Soul Sista is here to remind you that the best is yet to come.

So hit that follow button, pour yourself a coffee (or a wine—no judgment here), and let’s navigate this journey together with laughter, courage, and a whole lot of soul.

This is Hey Soul Sista, and you are exactly where you need to be.

With love and soul,

Mel Histon - your host xx

&nbsp;
Welcome to Hey Soul Sista&mdash;the podcast for women who are ready to live with more joy, purpose, and SOUL!&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re feeling the pull to re-discover yourself, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that truly lights you up, you&rsquo;re in the right place.
Each episode, I sit down with incredible women who are sharing their soulful wisdoms and finding deeper meaning in this life. We dive into real stories, honest conversations, and practical wisdom to help you feel inspired, seen, and ready to say YES to yourself.
I&rsquo;ll also bring on experts in health, wellness, mindset, and spirituality to share their best tips on how to nurture your body, mind, and soul&mdash;because thriving in midlife is about feeling good inside and out.
Because midlife isn&rsquo;t a crisis&mdash;it&rsquo;s an awakening. And Hey Soul Sista is here to remind you that the best is yet to come.
So hit that follow button, pour yourself a coffee (or a wine&mdash;no judgment here), and let&rsquo;s navigate this journey together with laughter, courage, and a whole lot of soul.
This is Hey Soul Sista, and you are exactly where you need to be.
With love and soul,
Mel Histon - your host xx

Hey Soul Sista 

A death doula and plant medicine guide reveals what she’s witnessed in people’s final moments—and why death may be nothing to fear.

What The Dying See Before They Let Go… A Death Doula Reveals All

Have you ever had that gut feeling… that quiet inner knowing… that whisper telling you something needs to change—but you ignored it?

What if that wasn’t “just a feeling”… what if it was your soul trying to get your attention?

In this deeply powerful episode of Hey Soul Sista, I sit down with breathwork facilitator, counsellor, educator and soulful guide Nicola Unite for a profound conversation about intuition, spiritual awakening, soul purpose, breathwork, meditation, ego, alignment, synchronicity, and what it truly means to come home to yourself.

After experiencing my own transformational healing journey through conscious connected breathwork with Nicola, I knew I needed to share her wisdom with you.

Together we explore:

✨ What your soul actually is—and why so many of us feel disconnected from it
✨ How to trust your intuition and recognise the signs your inner wisdom is speaking
✨ The difference between ego, fear, and your higher self
✨ Why so many women experience a spiritual awakening in midlife
✨ How breathwork, meditation, and stillness can reconnect you to your authentic self
✨ Understanding synchronicities, angel numbers, and intuitive nudges
✨ How to stop spiralling in fear-based stories and come back into alignment
✨ Why perimenopause, burnout, and major life transitions can be a sacred rite of passage
✨ How to listen when your soul is calling you toward something bigger

If you’ve been feeling burnt out, disconnected, stuck, overwhelmed… or quietly hearing the whisper that there’s more for you—this conversation is for you.

Your intuition is not random.
Your inner knowing is not “woo woo.”
And your soul may already know the next step.

The question is… are you listening?

Connect with Nicola:
Website: nicolaunite.com
https://www.instagram.com/the.unite.space/

Connect with Mel & Hey Soul Sista:
Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista! https://www.instagram.com/heysoulsistapodcast/
https://www.instagram.com/melissahiston/
Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @heysoulsista
Website: heysoulsista.com

Have you ever had that gut feeling&hellip; that quiet inner knowing&hellip; that whisper telling you something needs to change&mdash;but you ignored it?
What if that wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;just a feeling&rdquo;&hellip; what if it was your soul trying to get your attention?
In this deeply powerful episode of Hey Soul Sista, I sit down with breathwork facilitator, counsellor, educator and soulful guide Nicola Unite for a profound conversation about intuition, spiritual awakening, soul purpose, breathwork, meditation, ego, alignment, synchronicity, and what it truly means to come home to yourself.
After experiencing my own transformational healing journey through conscious connected breathwork with Nicola, I knew I needed to share her wisdom with you.
Together we explore:
✨ What your soul actually is&mdash;and why so many of us feel disconnected from it ✨ How to trust your intuition and recognise the signs your inner wisdom is speaking ✨ The difference between ego, fear, and your higher self ✨ Why so many women experience a spiritual awakening in midlife ✨ How breathwork, meditation, and stillness can reconnect you to your authentic self ✨ Understanding synchronicities, angel numbers, and intuitive nudges ✨ How to stop spiralling in fear-based stories and come back into alignment ✨ Why perimenopause, burnout, and major life transitions can be a sacred rite of passage ✨ How to listen when your soul is calling you toward something bigger
If you&rsquo;ve been feeling burnt out, disconnected, stuck, overwhelmed&hellip; or quietly hearing the whisper that there&rsquo;s more for you&mdash;this conversation is for you.
Your intuition is not random. Your inner knowing is not &ldquo;woo woo.&rdquo; And your soul may already know the next step.
The question is&hellip; are you listening?
Connect with Nicola:
<ul>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487">Website: nicolaunite.com</li>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.unite.space/">https://www.instagram.com/the.unite.space/</a></li>
</ul>
Connect with Mel &amp; Hey Soul Sista:
<ul>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487">Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heysoulsistapodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/heysoulsistapodcast/</a></li>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/melissahiston/">https://www.instagram.com/melissahiston/</a></li>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487">Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @heysoulsista</li>
<li data-start="2448" data-end="2487">Website: heysoulsista.com</li>
</ul>

A soulful conversation on intuition, breathwork, and learning to hear the quiet voice of your soul guiding you back to yourself.

Your Soul Has Been Trying to Tell You Something… Are You Listening?

A tragic event in our hometown of Newcastle has sparked a much bigger conversation about the world we are living in.

In this episode of Hey Soul Sista, host, Mel Histon, is joined by writer and social commentator Alex Morris to explore one of the most complex questions of our time:

Are we becoming safer… or slowly giving away our freedom?

After the devastating loss of a young man on Beaumont Street, calls for increased CCTV surveillance have divided the community — raising deeper questions about safety, control, and how societies respond to fear.

Together, Alex and Mel explore:
The emotional impact of violence in close-knit communities
Why fear often drives calls for more surveillance and control
Whether CCTV actually prevents crime or simply records it
The “slippery slope” between protection and overreach
How technology is reshaping privacy and human behaviour
What books like Nineteen Eighty-Four reveal about surveillance, power, and control
And whether it’s possible to build a society based on trust rather than fear

This is not a black-and-white conversation.

It’s a human one.

A reflection on how we respond to tragedy, how fear shapes policy, and what it really means to feel free in today’s world.

A tragic event in our hometown of Newcastle has sparked a much bigger conversation about the world we are living in.
In this episode of Hey Soul Sista, host, Mel Histon, is joined by writer and social commentator Alex Morris to explore one of the most complex questions of our time:
Are we becoming safer&hellip; or slowly giving away our freedom?
After the devastating loss of a young man on Beaumont Street, calls for increased CCTV surveillance have divided the community &mdash; raising deeper questions about safety, control, and how societies respond to fear.
Together, Alex and Mel explore:
<ul data-start="921" data-end="1414">
<li data-section-id="1d8p8z0" data-start="921" data-end="983">The emotional impact of violence in close-knit communities</li>
<li data-section-id="1pnkzoj" data-start="984" data-end="1049">Why fear often drives calls for more surveillance and control</li>
<li data-section-id="1kiqaw1" data-start="1050" data-end="1111">Whether CCTV actually prevents crime or simply records it</li>
<li data-section-id="ot4tss" data-start="1112" data-end="1169">The &ldquo;slippery slope&rdquo; between protection and overreach</li>
<li data-section-id="1p9yq5u" data-start="1170" data-end="1229">How technology is reshaping privacy and human behaviour</li>
<li data-section-id="v8sam6" data-start="1230" data-end="1333">What books like Nineteen Eighty-Four reveal about surveillance, power, and control</li>
<li data-section-id="4j4vg5" data-start="1334" data-end="1414">And whether it&rsquo;s possible to build a society based on trust rather than fear</li>
</ul>
This is not a black-and-white conversation.
It&rsquo;s a human one.
A reflection on how we respond to tragedy, how fear shapes policy, and what it really means to feel free in today&rsquo;s world.

A deeply human conversation exploring whether society is trading freedom for safety in an age of rising surveillance, fear, and technological control.

Are We Slowly Losing Our Freedom?

What happens when the life you’ve built over decades begins to fall apart?

In this deeply moving episode of Hey Soul Sista, I sit down with acclaimed author and journalist Karina Machado — the writer behind the beloved books Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell, and Love Never Dies.

For years, Karina has dedicated her work to exploring extraordinary real-life stories of spiritual experiences, intuition, and connection beyond the physical world.

But in midlife, she found herself living her own.

After the gradual end of her 27-year marriage, Karina entered what she describes as a profound tarot “Tower moment” — a time of loss, identity unraveling, and deep emotional transformation.

And then something began to shift.

Not in an overnight, dramatic way… but through subtle experiences of meaning, synchronicity, and life feeling strangely alive with messages and guidance.

In this conversation, Karina shares:
The emotional reality of her marriage ending after 27 years
What it feels like when your identity begins to dissolve in midlife
How creativity and writing became a lifeline through grief and change
The synchronicities and meaningful experiences that began to emerge
Why she believes midlife is not a crisis — but a powerful threshold of awakening
The inspiration behind her app Reconnect & Create
And how women can begin to reconnect with their inner voice, creativity, and truth

We also explore powerful themes of spiritual experience, intuition, and the invisible threads that seem to guide us through life’s most uncertain moments.

Karina’s perspective is both grounded and deeply expansive — shaped by decades of storytelling, journalism, and listening to others share their most intimate encounters with the unseen.

This is an episode about endings… but also what becomes possible when we allow something new to emerge.

✨ If this episode resonates with you, share it with a woman who may be navigating change, grief, or a midlife awakening.

💛 Follow Hey Soul Sista for more conversations on healing, intuition, spirituality, and soulful living.

Connect with Karina Machado: 
App Reconnect & Create App
Podcast Spirit Sisters Podcast
Watch the Spirit Sisters Podcast on YouTube
Connect with me on Substack
Connect with me on Instagram
Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with Mel Histon:
Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista!
Follow Hey Soul Sista on Instagram: @heysoulsistapodcast
Follow Mel on Instagram: @melissahiston 
Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @heysoulsista 
Website: heysoulsista.com

What happens when the life you&rsquo;ve built over decades begins to fall apart?
In this deeply moving episode of Hey Soul Sista, I sit down with acclaimed author and journalist Karina Machado &mdash; the writer behind the beloved books Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell, and Love Never Dies.
For years, Karina has dedicated her work to exploring extraordinary real-life stories of spiritual experiences, intuition, and connection beyond the physical world.
But in midlife, she found herself living her own.
After the gradual end of her 27-year marriage, Karina entered what she describes as a profound tarot &ldquo;Tower moment&rdquo; &mdash; a time of loss, identity unraveling, and deep emotional transformation.
And then something began to shift.
Not in an overnight, dramatic way&hellip; but through subtle experiences of meaning, synchronicity, and life feeling strangely alive with messages and guidance.
In this conversation, Karina shares:
<ul data-start="1221" data-end="1730">
<li data-section-id="1s5c0rf" data-start="1221" data-end="1284">The emotional reality of her marriage ending after 27 years</li>
<li data-section-id="v34jwt" data-start="1285" data-end="1356">What it feels like when your identity begins to dissolve in midlife</li>
<li data-section-id="13m01zw" data-start="1357" data-end="1430">How creativity and writing became a lifeline through grief and change</li>
<li data-section-id="1dvf3zv" data-start="1431" data-end="1502">The synchronicities and meaningful experiences that began to emerge</li>
<li data-section-id="13873n5" data-start="1503" data-end="1587">Why she believes midlife is not a crisis &mdash; but a powerful threshold of awakening</li>
<li data-section-id="11cpz7u" data-start="1588" data-end="1643">The inspiration behind her app Reconnect &amp; Create</li>
<li data-section-id="166mfgi" data-start="1644" data-end="1730">And how women can begin to reconnect with their inner voice, creativity, and truth</li>
</ul>
We also explore powerful themes of spiritual experience, intuition, and the invisible threads that seem to guide us through life&rsquo;s most uncertain moments.
Karina&rsquo;s perspective is both grounded and deeply expansive &mdash; shaped by decades of storytelling, journalism, and listening to others share their most intimate encounters with the unseen.
This is an episode about endings&hellip; but also what becomes possible when we allow something new to emerge.
✨&nbsp;If this episode resonates with you, share it with a woman who may be navigating change, grief, or a midlife awakening.
💛 Follow Hey Soul Sista for more conversations on healing, intuition, spirituality, and soulful living.
Connect with Karina Machado:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>App <a href="https://studio.com/karina">Reconnect &amp; Create App</a></li>
<li>Podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1QXGVY4iGDSMemLPwWOgpI">Spirit Sisters Podcast</a></li>
<li>Watch the Spirit Sisters Podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@karinamachado1312">YouTube</a></li>
<li>Connect with me on&nbsp;<a href="https://substack.com/@karinamachado1">Substack</a></li>
<li>Connect with me on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/karinamachadoauthor/">Instagram</a></li>
<li>Connect with me on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarinaMachadoauthor/">Facebook</a></li>
</ul>
Connect with Mel Histon:
<ul>
<li data-start="2311" data-end="2417">Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista!</li>
<li data-start="2311" data-end="2417">Follow Hey Soul Sista on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/heysoulsistapodcast/">@heysoulsistapodcast</a></li>
<li data-start="2311" data-end="2417">Follow Mel on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/melissahiston/">@melissahiston&nbsp;</a></li>
<li data-start="2311" data-end="2417">Watch the podcast video on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@heysoulsista">@heysoulsista&nbsp;</a></li>
<li data-start="2311" data-end="2417">Website: <a href="https://heysoulsista.com/">heysoulsista.com</a></li>
</ul>

Author Karina Machado shares the story of her midlife marriage breakdown, and the unexpected spiritual and emotional shifts that followed, revealing how loss can become a powerful awakening.

What The Dying See Before They Let Go… A Death Doula Reveals All

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