189: Voices of Courage with Ken D. Foster - Episode 189189: Voices of Courage with Ken D. Foster - Episode 189
UK Health Radio Podcast
Ken D. Foster talks with Dr Norman Rosenthal about how poetry, light and meditation can ease grief, depression, addiction struggles and seasonal affective disorder. They share specific poems, practical habits and inner practices aimed at helping people move from pain towards connection and meaning.
46:00•24 Oct 2026
Healing with Words: Poetry, Light and Meditation with Dr Norman Rosenthal
Episode Overview
- Poetry can act as emotional medicine, helping people process grief, anger and fear through truthful, musical language.
- Hearing or reading specific poems, such as “Do not stand at my grave and weep”, can bring comfort and ease long-held grief.
- Seasonal affective disorder involves symptoms like lethargy, overeating and social withdrawal, and can respond to light, movement and routine.
- Simple actions such as morning light exposure, walking, social contact and healthier eating can support mood more than staying in bed and isolating.
- Practices like Transcendental Meditation may shift how people view and handle their lives, supporting a sense of connection rather than division.
“I wake to sleep and take my waking slow. I learn by going where I have to go.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction and emotional pain? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s Voices of Courage brings together host Ken D. Foster and psychiatrist, researcher and author Dr Norman Rosenthal for a heartfelt look at how words, light and stillness can help heal a struggling mind. The chat centres on poetry as “medicine”, especially for those weighed down by grief, depression or even alcohol problems.
Rosenthal shares how a grieving friend felt real relief after hearing Elizabeth Bishop’s poem One Art, leading him to the realisation that “words can actually heal.” He reads several powerful poems, including the much-loved “Do not stand at my grave and weep”, with its comforting lines: “Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there.
I did not die.” Ken and Norman talk about how poetry can safely surface anger, sorrow and love instead of bottling them up, and how that release can move someone closer to peace. They also connect this to everyday struggles like seasonal affective disorder, depression, overeating and addiction, with Rosenthal explaining how light, movement, connection and even reading aloud can shift a heavy mood.
The episode broadens out into meditation and states of consciousness, with Rosenthal explaining how practices like Transcendental Meditation helped him and his patients move from simple relaxation to new ways of seeing their lives, and eventually towards a sense of unity in a divided society. If you’re working on sobriety, dealing with grief or just feeling stuck, you’ll find practical ideas, gentle challenges and plenty of warmth in this mix of science, poetry and real-life experience.
Which poem might become part of your healing toolkit?
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