Passport Confessional: India (part two)
Mental Health Monday: mindfulness, soldiers with autism, and treating schizophrenia with weed
Buenos tardes. Happy Monday, winnerperson. We hope your belly is full and your elbows are ash-free on this fine day, and that you're resting easier knowing that Janet just gave birth to the most talented child the Jackson family has seen in decades. That alone should make your dreams at least 12% sweeter. Anyhow, whether you're chillaxing or pursuing luchini on President's Day, you can take at least a quick moment to breathe, so we've got some guided meditation videos down below. And: stories about the mental warfare that happens when you've got both anxiety and depression, what it's like to live with autism, and a new perspective on weed's usefulness in decreasing symptoms of schizophrenia.
Also, a friendly reminder that Alex is compiling a database of Black mental health professionals, fitness/reiki/massage/herbologist/bootcamp folks, and agencies and programs, so if you are or know a Black therapist or counselor, or know of a resource that would be helpful for someone in need of mental health care or support, please have a gander at and fill out this form to be included. Thank you kindly.
THIS WEEK'S GOODNESS
On her podcast, A Different Perspective, Dr. Amber Thornton's dedicated an episode to Black psychology, the special relationship between Black patients and Black psychologists, and why we need more Black folks as mental health professionals. She also spoke on how she went about becoming a psychologist.
"Empty and Anxious: Life with Anxiety" [NAMI]
"Life with anxiety is being afraid to talk to a person face to face. I don’t know what to say especially when it’s a new person. Should I just introduce myself like “Hey, my name is Desirae and I suffer from depression and anxiety”? No. Then I’ll probably run them off. But if I get past that part without saying all that mumbo jumbo then I freak out about what I should say next. Because you know you don’t want to seem rude and just walk off but you start to panic because you don’t feel comfortable, then these thoughts start rushing through your mind and you don’t know what to do. It’s like your fight or flight sense kicks in and your mind is telling you to run, run as fast as you can."
And so you can get your calm on, here is a five-minute mindfulness meditation video, "Mindfulness Bell." And a mindful breathing exercise.
"Depression may be our brain's way of telling us to stop and solve a problem" by Kevin Loria [Business Insider]
"But there's also a theory that instead of being purely a disorder, depression might be a specific behavioral strategy that we've evolved — a biological adaptation that serves a purpose. As Matthew Hutson explains in a Nautilus feature on the potential evolutionary roots of depression and suicidal behavior, that purpose might be to make us stop to understand and deal with an important problem."
"The Cannabis-Schizophrenia Relationship Is Not What You Think" by Lauren Maul [Merry Jane]
"So, what happens when someone with schizophrenia becomes intoxicated with actual cannabis? A 2006 study found that patients who self-medicated with cannabis reported fewer negative symptoms than those who did not. Less avolution (general lack of drive to perform activities or pursue meaningful goals) and fewer apathy symptoms were detected in patients with schizophrenia who used cannabis than in those patients who did not partake."
"Are you considering suicide? Here’s messages from people who’ve been there!" [Brett Francis]
" When My Day Starts With a Battle in My Head Between Anxiety and Depression" by Heather LaSalle [The Mighty]
"On a regular weekday morning, I start my day with a battle in my head. My depression tells me not to get out of bed at all because it’s not really worth the energy it takes to get out of bed. Then my anxiety chimes in and begins to argue. My depression often has a laid-back kind of voice, while my anxiety talks fast. Those of you who know me can probably tell when my anxiety is high because my outer voice begins to sound like the anxiety voice I hear inside my head. It rushes and is sometimes hard to understand."
"Local high school students create suicide prevent PSA" by Christina Tetrault [Your Central Valley]
"The video explores the daily struggles teenagers face and encourages viewers to reach out when feeling pressure or having suicidal thoughts. The video was published on The Feather, the school's student-ran online newspaper.
"The title of our video is 'Hope: Let's Talk' and I really think that's what I wanted our message to be," said Fresno Christian High Senior Jarrod Markarian. "I just wanted to make sure that was a message that you're not alone in this big world," he said."
"My Journey With Autism" [NAMI]
"I then joined the Marine Corps Infantry, not only to serve my country, but to get people to respect me. I went through three tours and a good deal of abuse for my condition that I didn’t even know I had. I left with an honorable discharge and returned to the civilian world an emotionally and psychologically broken human being. I enrolled in college again. My peers, who I hoped would respect me more for my service, couldn’t understand how such a strange individual could make it through something like the Infantry and gave me even less respect."
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Passport Confessional: India (Part 1)
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY
Kerala, India is known as God’s Own Country. With it’s backwaters and tea plantations it looked like, once again, nothing I’d ever seen before. It’s also respectful to many religions including Jainism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism. It has a thriving Communist Party and embraces socialism. Malayalam is the most common spoken language in Kerala, not Hindi. Ayurvedic treatments, yoga, and amazing South Indian cuisine rounded out the trip.
As with Brazil and Australia, I needed a travel visa to visit India. Every country has its own travel visa rules. But I’ve learned to be patient, do exactly as they say, and come prepared.
This process started in early June. After six temporary IDs, four trips to CKGS (the company the Indian Embassy outsources to process its travel visas), three different web browsers, two tracking IDs, two missing additional proofs of ID, waiting 10-15 business days, and one carefully worded email to sort out the hold-up, I was finally able to book my airfare, lodging, and day trips…just three weeks shy of my scheduled departure.
Given that I was also applying for a design patent at the same time, dealing with two bureaucratic nightmares … tew much.
ANTI-BLACKNESS IN INDIA
I was aware of the caste system before arriving to India. Further reading of abuses to dark-skinned Indians and people of African descent game me pause. But people have a way of showing up and being their best selves. I saw that. But I also experienced staring that was rude at best, hostile at worst. The vast majority of Indian people I met were generous and hospitable. But from strangers, this was my experience:
At every airport. Every mode of transportation. Nearly everywhere I sat to eat, or wash my hands. A lot of lines in my actual journal are dedicated to the anxiety this induced. It was intimidating, awkward — at times humorous. You’re told this happens because many native Indians don’t come across a lot of foreigners, especially those who are black. Given that millions of foreign travelers come to this country every year, I found that hard to believe. I also experienced classic street harassment and unwelcome advances, which I will briefly cover in the next few entries.
I could let those negative experiences define my entire time in India. But that would disregard the kind, intelligent, honest, funny, generous people I met along this journey. Their stories will be here as well.
FORT KOCHI
"ALL YOUR SENSES AROUND BITTER, SPICY, SMOKY, TART, EARTHY ARE TRIGGERED, AND COMING OVER YOU IN THESE WAVES. THEN 20-30 MINUTES LATER, YOU TASTE NOTHING. YOU FEEL NOTHING. LIKE NOTHING EVERY HAPPENED. LIKE GOOD SEX."
My room tempted me to stay in and not be social. But the two days it took to get here reminded me to take advantage of a full day in Fort Kochi. After breakfast, I secured a motor cycle day tour and just loved how freeing it was be on the scooter. One thing I loved about traffic here is that, give or take a cop, it’s self-managed. The combination of drivers, motorcycles, and pedestrians make it impossible to over-regulate. And as long as you’re a little fearless, it’s actually easy and safe to navigate.
My guide took me to the Kochi Museum, the ancient synagogue in Jewtown, and Alleppey Beach. But we mostly rode around town. We were going off the beaten path, as I saw fewer and fewer tourists. Unfortunately, the one place I wanted to visit—the Jainist Temple—was closed to visitors until later this month.
Now, the spicy masala we get in the States—even highly-rated authentic Indian restaurants—don’t make them very spicy. But bae-BAE when I tell you this masala…orgasm was the best word to describe it. Fusion Bay in Fort Kochi is typical of a local favorite: small, unassuming, near touristy areas but not overcrowded. Then it hits you with the best regional cuisine. All your senses around bitter, spicy, smoky, tart, earthy are triggered, and coming over you in these waves. Then 20-30 minutes later, you taste nothing. You feel nothing. Like nothing every happened. Like good sex.
I ventured to a Kathikali show and listened to classical Indian music. That evening’s performance focused on the sitar of Northern India. All I have to say is respect the game. The music was like jazz, with room for solos what seemed like improvisations. I was so overcome with the Raja, the feeling, that I began to cry. During the Q&A, I asked about last song’s meaning. The percussionist said it was meant to evoke a kind of sadness; to live in that feeling. Word, yung.
The show started at 9pm, but on the way it did not take long before street harassers approached. One asked me where I was from. I told him the U.S. and kept walking, but he continued to walk with me. He asked if I was from Jamaica or South Africa. I turned to him and said, in the clearest American accent,
If you know where I’m from, you will respect me.
That stopped him. But left me very terrified. Fort Kochi did not have a lot street lights. And guys kept staring and following. Just when I lost all faith, a friend I made here named Aaron came up on his bike and invited me to dinner. He’s travelled more, and his worldview was more nuanced. I told him how good it was to see him. He told me that there is a saying in Kerala. When a guest comes to our country, we are to treat them like a God, or like the way we would want to be treated.
The next morning, I made my way to Munnar, thinking about the good, bad, and ugly of traveling alone, as an African American. It comes with challenges, but there’s too much kindness and beauty in the world to let it pass you by.
MUNNAR
"THIS AIN'T TEAVANA, WHERE TEA COMES OUT LOOKING LIKE GRANOLA."
The road to Munnar was a long and winding 3 hours and 45 minutes. I snaked up to the mountains of Munnar, with visions of tea plantations in my head. But every few minutes felt like Mad Max. My driver was skilled. But when I saw a skull and crossbones on one of the few traffic signs, my lower-lip curled.
By day, Gruenberg Tea Plantation Haus was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. Up there with the beaches of Jericoacoara, and witnessing the first inauguration of President Obama. Nestled into a working tea garden on all sides. I got a tastefully decorated room, with a balcony and views of the mountains and garden. People sung nightly chants as I walked the garden grounds.
Munnar is more like a farming town. Munnar Village is a small town of about 30,000, all of whom either work in eco-tourism or for the privately-owned tea gardens. Tata tea company is owned and operates exclusively in India and owns really all the gardens in Munnar. Tea pickers live on the grounds, and the company covers housing, utilities, health care, and education for their children. All workers are adult. Most are women, but some are men. They get paid Rs300/day, and work a standard 8-hour shift including breaks.
Munnar was like Napa Valley to us. Where the focus in winemaking is about environmental factors, tea growers focus on the process: The use of silver oak trees planted in set distances, to rehydrate the tea trees. Determining which tea leaves work best. Separating black, green, and white tea leaves. A cutting and drying process that dries the outside, but keeps enough moisture inside the leaves.
They also focus on refined powder tea over our preference for visible leaves. This ain’t Teavana, where tea comes out looking like granola. Rather, the best teas in India come out feeling like talcum powder. For example at the Talayer Tea Factory, they refine up to six types of tea. And guess which one the U.S. gets? The crappiest, grainiest, lowest grade tea. Even I wasn’t smart enough to get some well-refined tea.
Our hotel’s local tour guide and fixer gave me and a few guests a walking tour of the area. Cloves, cardamon, coffee, peppers, tree tomatoes, lemon trees, nutmeg, sandalwood, tumeric, are all grown here. Either cultivated or grow wild on the side of the road. We also went into town, and checked out the markets.
Through the cultivation of quality tea, prayer, meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda, India has cultivated a sense that life is hard. Hard enough to practice relaxation.
In Part 2, I’ll get into the more passive phase of the trip, Tamil Nadu and an Ayurvedic ashram in Palakkad.
Sela Lewis is the owner of Inherent Design by Sela Lewis (IDSL). She is a graphic designer, world traveler, feminist, a pretty decent cook, and a strong believer in the power of fashion and design. Sela has worked in such varied settings as commercial real estate, law firms, retail, and political campaigns. Currently she works in education advocacy. IDSL is based on the idea the strong design is set within the fibers of the work. More Sela: Inherent Design By Sela Lewis
Why I follow every member of the Trump administration and why you should too.
An Extraordinary Impact: Mr. Good Vibes is Here to Save Us All
Following in the footsteps of author Olivia A. Cole’s brilliant "Women of Wednesday" series, our own ongoing “An Extraordinary Impact” features people of color responsible for creating an extraordinary impact within their communities. By providing them with a platform to share their accomplishments, goals, and message, we hope to not only celebrate their achievements, but to galvanize support for their endeavors.
Mr. Good Vibes, Toronto
1. So what is it you’re doing and why are you so passionate about it?
I am leading a positivity movement as Mr. Good Vibes (currently 18 years old). I have seen the power of positive thinking and the results it can bring so I want to help others do the same and achieve their goals. When I was younger, I went through some hardships and realized that if I wanted to achieve something, I would have to work my butt off and trust that God knows what He's doing. After being cut from my soccer team, I trained day-in and day-out in order to eventually to become my high school's top scorer during my Senior years. I then received multiple Division 1 full-ride soccer scholarships to play in the States (before leaving and deciding to run my business full time). I was able to achieve these things because I stopped considering myself a victim of the world and started having a positive outlook on every situation while working hard and trusting in God. I have seen the impact that this positive mindset can bring and I really want other people to instill this way of thinking into their lives as well so we can all achieve great things.
2. What made you decide to pursue doing this work?
I decided to pursue this business full-time because I realized that there is a serious problem in the world: Negativity is currently much louder than positivity. Everywhere we turn we're hearing about another crime being committed, another death, negative comments about the presidential elections, and so on. The list keeps going. On social media, people like to rant or subtweet someone who's bothering them. It's very rare that we see positive posts. And sometimes when we do, people will criticize them. That’s a problem. I truly believe that most people are positive deep down and want to live a life filled with positivity, but they feel overwhelmed by all the negativity that's being put in our faces. I think that everyone who has something good to share or talk about needs to do so. We, as people who are positive, have a responsibility to make positivity louder. When we start doing this, the rest will follow. I feel that The Good Vibes Movement can change people's behavior for the better and we together, can create a world where positivity dominates.
3. Who have been some of your biggest influences and inspirations?
My biggest influence (aside from my grandmother), has been Gary Vaynerchuk, otherwise known as GaryVee. He is a serial entrepreneur and arguably the most influential person on this planet. He represents two main ideals: Self-Awareness and Hustle. After consuming his daily content on his social media platforms and executing on the advice he gives, I have learned more in the last year than I've learned my whole life in terms of business practices. GaryVee's message of self-awareness has helped my discover who I truly am: An entrepreneur. His other message, “hustle”, is pretty straightforward. You want something? Then go and work for it. Get it. Stop complaining. Stop being afraid. Stop whining. Just go out and work your butt off for what you want. You gotta put the time in.
4. What would it take for you to consider this endeavor a success?
For me to consider what I'm doing a success, it goes much deeper than just being wealthy. I'm doing it because I truly love it. I am in love with the journey and process of becoming a successful entrepreneur. I love the late nights, early mornings, high pressure situations, the days of uncertainty, the times when some people don't understand your vision. I am already considering myself successful. When you get to do what you wanna, and you're doing it well, then you've won. I'm doing what I wanna do with my life. I'm making my money. The business is expanding. We're bringing new people on board. We're developing our corporate programs to expand our revenue streams. I'm constantly building my personal brand as well (Mr Good Vibes), so that I can have the leverage to have another revenue stream in public speaking engagements while inspiring millions of people. When I do my speeches to high schools, youth groups or corporations right now, I have people come up to me and say I've changed their lives. They tell me how by listening to me, they feel inspired and unafraid to pursue their goals. That's much more rewarding than just money. I love that impact. That's legacy, and I care more about that, then the money that comes with this business. The greatest success will be knowing that we've impacted millions, if not billions of lives for the better.
5. How can interested parties support what you’re doing?
If anyone would like to join the Good Vibes Movement, we sell our gear on our website www.goodvibesenterprises.com. If anyone wants to contact me for anything, my email is mrgoodvibes@goodvibesenterprises.com. I'm sure there will be some students reading this, so if y'all vibe with the Good Vibes message, then let's talk about bringing it to your school. And if there's any adults involved with corporations, or the school board, I'm always open to coming in and inspiring more people through public speaking.
Are you making “An Extraordinary Impact” on your community and want to be featured in a future installment? Shoot us an email with your answers to the above questions to theextraordinarynegroes@gmail.com.
Mental Health Monday: Meditating kids, trap yoga, and boxers with bipolar disorder
Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer accepting the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture for Hidden Figures last week.
Happy Monday. Back to the grind. Here are a few morsels of goodness to help start your week on a sweeter note. This week: trap yoga, meditating kids, a talk between a boxer with bipolar disorder and his daughter, Wu-Tang, and so forth. And remember: ask for help when you need it and check in on somebody when you can. You're so pretty.
THIS WEEK'S GOODNESS:
Elementary school, like Chris Brown fandom, can be quite stressful. See what happened when Robert W. Coleman Elementary School replaced detention with meditation.
"Teen Designs a Colorful Way to Track Her Mental Health" by Jordan Davidson [The Mighty]
"The tracker, based off of a Pinterest “Year in Pixels” template, features eight different categories: “amazing, fantastic day,” “really good happy day,” “normal, average day,” “exhausted, tired day,” “depressed, sad day,” “frustrated, angry day,” “stressed, frantic day” and “sick day.”
“Using the tracker really helps my mental health, it makes me feel like every day I’m a new person,” Bailey told BuzzFeed. “This tracker has a huge impact on my everyday life – it’s a great way to keep track on how I am feeling during the week.”"
WNBA Star Chamique Holdsclaw discusses her mental health struggles in Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw. Learn more about the film and screenings here.
"How This Trap Yoga Studio Became A Sanctuary For Black People" by Lakin Starling [The Fader]
What are some things that you notice in your Trap Yoga classes? How does it impact the people who come to practice?
It’s amazing because I've never seen a multitude of different bodies in the same room like this that are all black people. It’s also great to see someone who is maybe overweight next to somebody who's been doing this forever, or who's never tried it, or does it every now and then. The way that the classes are set up, it's like everyone should be working hard and everyone should be feeling it.
The idea behind it is that it's a power yoga class, so in mirroring the trap music, it's intense. Honestly, while you're in the class, you don't really hear the music until you need to hear it because I'm talking. It may be in the background, but it becomes just that: background music. I'm helping you focus on your breath, and staying focused on the practice itself. It's interesting to see that people recognize, "I didn't even really hear what songs were playing." It wasn't the trap music that was working, it was just the fact that they felt the community ethic.
Years after his diagnosis with bipolar disorder, boxer Frank Bruno and his daughter Rachel had an open, frank discussion about his mental health journey and how it's affected their family dynamics.
"6 Actual Facts Show Why Mental Health Is an Issue in the Black Community" by Derrick Clifton [Mic]
"1. Black Americans are as likely to suffer from mental illness as whites. The American Psychiatric Association reports that as many as 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. will suffer from some kind of mental disorder each year. And, as the association notes, African-Americans are at least as likely to suffer from a mental health issue as their white counterparts.
That's why the myth that black people shouldn't worry about seeking professional mental health services — evidenced through statements such as "if black people could get through slavery, they can get through anything" and even the "strong black woman" trope, Mental Health America notes — are so damaging."
And here are two things you didn't know you needed: a Wu-Tang Clan coloring book and a Wu-Tang coaster set, from Paintings That Pop on Etsy, because self-care.
Do you have any other mental health-related content, events, or info we should know about? Hit us up here.
Previous Mental Health stuff:
Mental Health Monday: Hey, Go Check In On Someone
Mental Health Monday: Stock up on self-care. Winter is here.