History and Purpose

Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Did you know this has everything to do with you? We all have mental health. Just like we all have physical health. At any given moment, both our physical and mental health sit somewhere on the continuum between optimally healthy and critically unhealthy. Most days we may find ourselves in the middle. Some days we feel especially good, and on others we feel particularly bad. Our mental health, like our physical health, has a lot to do with our circumstances, and even more to do how we respond to them. Losing one’s job can kick off a spiral of depression if we aren’t equipped with the tools to see the opportunities that lie beyond. Sure, some of us are more susceptible to mental illness than others. Certain forms of mental illness are hereditary (like depression and addiction) while others are wired into our brain chemistry (like schizophrenia). But that doesn’t change the fact that we all have mental health that we need to look out for.Each of us has stress in our lives. Each of us will suffer a loss and experience moments of isolation or hopelessness. Each of us must contend with the impenetrable mystery of the future, and deal with moments of fear and anxiety. I was struggling with a combination of these challenges, which together amounted to a deep and rapid spiral of chaos and confusion, when I turned to therapy in 2008. A friend recommended his therapist, who turned out to be a mindfulness practitioner. Not only is meditation an important part of her life, but she applies mindfulness to her work with clients, and I got to see firsthand the beauty and benefit of being with the present moment, no matter what it held. She encouraged me to sit down and be with what was going on inside my head, to get curious about it and see what I could learn about myself. So I did. I took one meditation class, then another. I started meditating on my own at home. I started practicing presence in my daily life: in conversationswith family, friends and colleagues, and even on my own as I washed the dishes, or walked my dog. Over time, my spiral slowed down. I could see hopeless thoughts and choose whether or not to pay attention to them. I could feel anxiety in my body and know that it was one of many options available to me. I could peek out of the spiral and see everything that was going right in my life. So I kept practicing. My relationships started to shift. I began to relate to people in a more empathetic and generous way. I got to know my friends on a more profound level… and was able to let go when it was time to move on from a relationship. And most importantly, I came to know myself. (At least, myself such as I am in this particular moment.) I came to appreciate my own power and use it with honor. I was able to extend kindness and forgiveness to myself for all of my mistakes, so they could no longer obstruct my vision for the future. I got some peace. I got some clarity. I got some resilience. Andnow, looking back over the last six years, I how far I’ve moved in the direction of optimally healthy on the mental health (and physical health, since after all the two are closely entwined) spectrum. But that’s not all. I still have tough days. And for me the most important and valuable thing my mindfulness practice has given me is the ability to deal with them actively – not passively. Pain, dissatisfaction, conflict… these things are unavoidable. The difference is that now I know that I don’t have to suffer because of them. – There is a growing field of study around how mindfulness supports mental health. Here are a few recent highlights: If mental health is a topic close to your heart, I encourage you to check out . I’ve been fortunate to work with this growing movement for the last three years, and we’re just getting started!