Photo by Charlotte Karlsen Clinical Somatics changed my life and it might yours, too. When I find something that works, I am not shy about it. That’s why I’ve been shouting from the rooftops about Sarah Warren and her work bringing Thomas Hanna’s clinical somatics to the wider world via through her book and online courses. In this Q&A I get the chance to ask Sarah the questions I’ve had since first starting my clinical somatics practice. Two reasons to be thankful for our digital age: access to new information and the ability to connect with the people who inspire you! Thank you, Sarah, f ..read more

Happy President’s Day to all US-based voyagers, How great is it to have a day off for no reason? Fear not, I’m using my day wisely to write you all, wherever you may be, about artificial intelligence1 and mental health. “But wait!” you may be saying to yourself, “Isn’t AI the bad guy? Don’t we hate AI?” Some people certainly do, and many more fear what AI could become, but for now, I’m taking Hamlet’s approach: There is nothing either good nor bad, but thinking makes it so. To me, AI is not a prison. That said, it’s an easy topic to get sick of. I’m not sure exactly where we are in the curren ..read more

Meet real humans. Not friendly bots. Have you heard of the group chat platform called Slack? If yes, read on for how to join the Beautiful Voyager Slack community. If not, here’s a short video that introduces the concept: Increasingly, Slack has becoming a way for special interest groups to gather, meet, and “talk” (virtually) about whatever’s on their mind. I first started the BV Slack channel in 2016. I wanted a space to be able to connect with people without having to go through the hassle of using social media apps, and I wanted the connection to be seamless with the rest of my life ..read more

Hello dear beautiful voyagers, I’m embarking on my most ambitious writing project to date and I need your help! I’m looking for a wide range of perspectives from people who have experienced mental breakdowns. My goal is to help readers understand what the landscape of a mental breakdown (a period of weeks or months when you dropped out of work and society) looks like and what the future may hold. If you have any interest in sharing your breakdown story (anonymous or not), please answer the 4 questions below. Thank you for all you do to light the path for other voyagers, Meredith Please answer ..read more

Photo by Matthew Waring Signs, Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment When confronted with intense emotions, some teens may turn to self-harm, such as cutting, as a means of coping. While some claim that cutting serves as a temporary distraction from difficult feelings, this confuses others who wonder how physical pain can ease emotional pain. Familiarize yourself with this self-harming behavior so you'll know what to do when your teenager engages in it. What Is Teen Cutting? Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the intentional harming of the body without the intent to end one’s life. Cutting is on ..read more

Editor’s note: Rachel emailed to ask if she could share an essay about her mental health in honor of the launch of her new blog, Positively Anxious. She describes her goal as “to help others who might be experiencing the same issues feel seen and supported, and to put a splash of positivity into the planet, too!” Here’s her post! Ohh Rachel, you worry too much. Oh Rachel, just relax! Hey Rachel, uh, I think you’ve sweated through your shirt…yep, all phrases I have heard uttered countless times in my worrisome little life. You see, I have an anxiety disorder called, Generalized Anxiety Disorde ..read more

Editor’s note: Betty Lee reached out to me to share some of her favorite Qigong exercises. I happened to be angsty when I got her email and immediately tried the breathing and movement exercises and they did help! Breathing exercise Did you know Qi means “Breath of Life?”  Here’s a basic Qigong breathing technique that’s good for relieving stress. Breathe in through your nose for 8 counts deeply from your diaphragm Blow out through your lips for 8 counts.  Do this 8 times, and you will feel calmer. Movement exercise Chow Qigong exercises balance your energy to boost your imm ..read more

Mike Mather is the founder of the Dharmaholic newsletter and community, and this bird is their mascot. Q: Can you tell me about your childhood? I was born in 1963 in Brisbane with 2 larger sisters, and in 1965, a sickly brother was born. Just before my 6th birthday, David died. That year, my only male cousin choked and died, and my granddad passed after mowing the lawn. Dad and I were the only males the eye could see. Photo taken right before Mike’s dad died and Mike got sober. My father was a heavy drinker and hit the bottle hard then, and my mum, sisters, and I suffered from that as well a ..read more

The author Natalia Aniela Aíza My journey as an OCD therapist (and what I have yet to learn). Compulsions are some of my earliest childhood memories. I was the only daughter of a single mother, a political refugee from Poland, and a Mexican father that I didn’t know. I locked and relocked the front door, then picked up the landline to make sure there was a dial tone, then looked out the back window to see if there was a car in the alley. I was six years old when I started spending every afternoon, and many weekends alone on the top floor of a duplex in downtown Milwaukee.  In late elemen ..read more

Photo courtesy Fight Coop and Richard Sison. I learned about Richard when he emailed to ask if he could share a piece about mental health and martial arts on Bevoya.com. At first, I assumed that he was like so many people who write me — looking for a linkback. (Link backs are the currency of SEO rankings, which means if my site links to another site, it can appear higher in Google results). What I found, though, is that Richard was sincere in his desire to write about his own past experiences with anxiety. I love how he describes it in this interview as a “weird feeling” that he treated for y ..read more