human connection series | Episode 1 : Connection in nature
Humans exhibit a deeply ingrained need for connection, mirrored in nature through phenomena like mycelial networks and cosmic patterns, emphasizing our universal interconnectedness across micro and macro scales and its crucial role in survival and development.
investigating mental health labels and diagnoses
Our minds naturally like things in neat, tidy boxes. Our brains crave organizing things into categories and labeling them. It often makes life easier, helps things make more sense, and can potentially help us create more meaning and fun as it affords us the space to think and feel in an orderly way. What happens when we ask the simple yet riddling questions: Could we better help people by categorizing and organizing their experience? Are there any drawbacks to labeling people and their mental health symptoms? Is there a place for diagnostic sticky-notes on people? Is there value in making … More
the new imagination of mental health
The World Health Organization says mental health disorders are responsible for more disability in developed nations than ANY other health problem. The paradigm of mental wellness is slowly shifting to be more inclusive of various cultures, age groups, and even indigenous wisdom to some degree. The traditional perspective of mental health is being challenged by movements and policies alike. Ideally, this shift would happen at a much quicker rate, and would follow the trend of dissolving mental health stigma around the world. To tackle mental health on a deeper level, we first start with individual responsibility. A tiny shift in … More
addressing the system of mental un-health
In one of my previous jobs, I had frequented psychiatric wards, high-level group homes, and institutional settings that housed the people on the fringes of our society. Many of these souls had lost their voice to a system that saw them as nothing but numbers and diagnoses in a system largely devoid of grace. The patient’s “pathology” preceded their humanity, which somehow justified their prolonged imprisonment in these places of limbo. In 2012, California issued a moratorium on all non-forensic developmental centers. What that means is that people with developmental disabilities that did not commit a crime would be released … More
reflections during a pandemic
LOVE IN PRACTICE Learning to love in a new authentic way, especially someone you’re already used to loving, can at first feel like war. This makes sense. The old cemented family patterns, generational wounds, and pre-programmed behaviors are dying, killed off by the light of new growth and healing. Hence freedom is built on the backs of those sacrificed in battle. Except this time there is no enemy other than the fear that is leaving you and all those you are freeing. Drop all expectation and march gallantly into the unknown. Seek truth as if your life depended on it. … More
the value of difficult emotions (part 2)
The healing of our most painful experiences often needs to happen in small parts. Part 1 of this article talked about understanding, and potentially using, our difficult emotions. This discussion is about the consequences of unresolved emotions and how to transform them to bring us closer to wholeness and optimal health. We previously mentioned how holding onto feelings for too long can have harmful consequences. Much like spoiled milk creates havoc on our stomachs, expired feelings can also damage us. When we hold onto behavior patterns or thoughts that trigger unresolved feelings for too long, we re-circulate stale energy inside … More
the Value of difficult emotions (part 1)
Ah, emotions. The thing that colors our thoughts and gives our life meaning. The fuel that drives our decisions, desires, and impulses. The primal precursor to those pesky feelings. Whether we judge them as “good” or “bad”, each emotion serves a purpose. Whether or not we believe in a higher purpose behind everyday happenings, every emotional experience has the potential to teach us something. This extends even to our most painful or unwanted emotions. Let’s consider some of them below: Confusion Being lost in our mind with no clear answers can feel frustrating, or even bewildering. Confusion often robs us … More
B Corps: a way to keep companies honest or a clever marketing trick?
With the current waves of social upheaval, more companies are feeling the pressing call to include public transparency, moral fortitude, and environmental accountability into the fabric of their business practices. The hope is that enforcing better standards of ethical and effective leadership directly into the structure of the organization will help usher the next wave of conscious capitalism. The B Corp certification was created in the midst of this paradigm shift. It was an attempt to systematically recognize and uphold organizations that were concerned about doing better by their employees, shareholders, the public, the consumers, and the environment alike. B … More
Better Living through Biomimicry: The Natural Design of the world
Are we to change the world? To begin answering this question, we must first understand what it is that we are changing. In the greater sense, there is no need to change the world. The world has and will continue to change, with or without our priggish impressions about what should be. If we truly want to make impact, our aim shouldn’t be to change, but to restore the world, aka ourselves, back to its original design. Perhaps the most inspired application of this idea is called biomimicry, which essentially means looking towards nature to provide the blueprint for human … More
greenwashing
More people today are adopting an environmentally-conscious mindset and seeking sustainable design, zero-waste living practices, and companies in line with this philosophy. Businesses are well-aware that younger generations are more willing to pay top-dollar for products and services that promise to endeavor towards a healthier planet. Due to this ethical and financial incentive, companies often look towards effective marketing, PR campaigns, and feel-good “best practice” promises to bolster their eco-friendly public image. The pressure for companies and organizations to go green are reaching a critical turning point as claims of eco-friendliness and sustainability are now being investigated with a finer-toothed … More
