So little attention is paid to children who grew up like I did. Children of parents with a severe mental illness are often referred to as ‘hidden children’ because the mental health community largely overlooks these children in much of its discourse, research and services. I decided to share my story to draw awareness to the hidden children and their need for support and...

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi. If you want more love, be loving. If you want more peace, be peaceful. If you want more joy, be joyful. Sounds simple enough. But simple isn’t always easy, especially since many of us are conditioned to look to someone else to fix our world. Being the change requires each of us to own our actions and to take responsibility for the impact we have on the...

Sixteen years and counting in recovery, my mother proves that a ‘normal’ life is possible for people with schizophrenia. A mental health consumer for over thirty years, Sakeenah has a wealth of first-hand knowledge about mental hospitals, mental health centers, and providers and how they can best support long-term recovery. Passionate about raising awareness about mental illness and eliminating stigma, she is a mental health...

Have you ever had a piece of rotten fruit? There’s no saving it. It’s rotten much like our political system. And if you keep it with the other fruit, it will cause the good fruit to rot faster. So how do we change a rotten system? Well one path is to try and change the system from the inside. Another is to expose the fact that it’s rotten. Both valid and necessary approaches. Here’s another less traveled path. What about planting new seeds instead of solely trying to revive...

Have you ever met someone who  talked a good game but couldn’t deliver? Unfortunately, I have. They were great on paper and could quote all kinds of information and facts. Yet when it came time to perform, they came up short. Which brings to mind this Chinese saying – Talk doesn’t cook the rice.Less Talk, More DoingYou can talk all day long about cooking rice. At end of the day, what cooks the rice is not talk but applying heat and stirring the pot. Talk is not the same...

You’re ready to start a home yoga practice. You’re on your yoga mat – now what?  Suddenly, you appreciate the challenge of coming up with a yoga sequence. For a few pointers on the art of yoga sequencing that I’ve learned from teaching yoga for a decade, check out my home yoga series...

I can’t believe it’s the holiday season. Where did the year go! It’s been a year full of change and movement for me. Life surely isn’t slowing down as the holidays approach. With all the holiday parties, shopping, family, and travel, it’s easy to get out of your normal routines including your yoga practice. With the stress of the holidays, now is the time when you can use yoga the most. Yet it can seem so hard to fit it in. Here are three reasons to do yoga over...