The Mind Space
A journey to find ourselves, heal our wounds, and spread the light we all carry...
This past month has been one of the most intense months in our time on earth, one that has been all-consuming and challenging. In many ways, Rema and I, both as humans and especially as mothers, will never look at life the same way again.
Thus, it goes without saying that it has had a direct impact on our mental health as we go through cycles of guilt, hope, anger, sadness, and more, all while trying to stay true to our purpose and our existence as one human race.
One of the things we’ve uncovered during our mental health journey is the crucial role coping mechanisms play, and how these methods can help us acknowledge, accept, process, and release emotions among other things.
We’re highlighting one such coping mechanism in this month’s newsletter, releasing emotions, with an exclusive Chaiversation with Nandini Kannan.
PS: It’s the perfect time to sit back, take a Chai Break, and read on!
LISTEN to Episode 2
A NEW episode of the podcast is now live, a continuation of Episode 1 that delves into the skewed statistics when it comes to South Asian mental health and why it is so. We also discuss some of the most common barriers faced by South Asians when trying to access mental health. Lastly, Rema shares some insightful reads that have inspired her to seek therapy.
If you’d like to share your thoughts about the episode, we’re all ears!
Email us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com
JOURNAL in a Therapy Notebook(s)
Journaling as we already know is one of the best ways to express our thoughts and can serve as a cathartic release of our emotions. It is a mental health practice that is rooted in self-care and self-love because as the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup!
Speaking of journaling, I recently stumbled upon Therapy Notebooks, an NYC-based, South-Asian-founded brand, whose notebooks are designed by experts and act as a tool to support your mental health journey.
Therapy Notebooks as seen in NY Times, Cosmopolitan, Popsugar
“Over the past several decades, researchers have developed mental health tools that can help us with everything from building self-awareness to managing anxiety to regulating our emotions. However, understanding and using these evidence-based tools is challenging, especially without the support of a therapist. Therapy Notebooks translate these tools into beautiful guided notebooks that anyone can use. Each notebook is thoughtfully designed by therapists and combines education, guidance, and journaling prompts to bridge the gap between the most useful research and your real-life needs.”
- Varshil Patel, Co-Founder & CEO
Their most popular bundle is their Self-Care Set which is right now 40% Off! We cannot recommend it enough.
PS: These books are not a substitute for seeking therapy but a tool to enable you on your journey to healing.
CHAIVERASTION with Nandini Kannan, Founder of “We Feel to Heal”
Nandini Kannan is a multidisciplinary artist with a Master’s in Public Health and the founder of We Feel to Heal — a movement vocabulary she developed based on her combined knowledge and experience in psychology, public health, and dance.
Chai Break Podcast caught up with Nandini Kannan to hear more about her journey behind We Feel to Heal.
1. When, why, and how did the idea for your initiative begin?
We Feel to Heal was a seed thought back in 2021. During the pandemic, I spent even more time dancing than ever before, as it was a huge outlet for my stress when things did not make sense. I realized that dance was a constant throughout my life, and the reason was that I was able to channel a lot of my personal healing through it. In the art form of Bharatanatyam, which has been my base training for 25 years and counting, and specifically with my Guru, Ramya Harishankar, we are taught to always think of the intention of what we are portraying:
What story are we telling?
Who’s perspective and voice are we channeling?
Where is this taking place?
When is this happening?
Why are we telling this story?
This philosophy and mindset carried out through all of the other dance forms I have started learning since and has been the basis of the choreography I create and envision. I also tend to gravitate towards instructors and dance educators with a similar philosophy (such as Galen Hooks and Liana Blackburn) and have been inspired by their respective choreographies and styles.
From a young age, I also was very moved by music and lyrics of different genres. A few years back, I started to play music in my room and started moving the way my body felt, which was very therapeutic because of how much power music has. Allowing the music to guide me, no matter what it looked like, started to become very cathartic. So many artists put a lot of emotion, intention, and story in their songs, so I wanted a way to pair that with the intention of dance to create even more powerful releases and connections.
I have a background in both psychology and public health, so wellness promotion and community have always been at the forefront of what I do. A big part of my work’s mission requires an immense amount of empathy. In pursuit of harmonizing my passion for community health and dance, I started dreaming of a way for a community to form to be able to cultivate more empathy and understanding of not only each other, but one’s self through art. The more and more we are able to share spaces and stories, witness each other, and understand our own emotional ranges as well as that of others, we can strengthen our ability to listen and relate more.
2. In your bio you say, " Much of my work is rooted in emotion-based dancing and ideas, as I truly believe in feeling to heal as human beings. " - can you talk us through this, and how you developed this movement vocabulary?
We move through life so quickly and absorb so much on a daily basis. A lot of times we don’t carve out the time and space for identifying emotions and feeling them out due to “survival mode” or attending to pressing things. However, these emotions still stay in our bodies. I found that dance has helped me release a lot of those repressed emotions, both directly and indirectly. So when I started creating emotion-based choreography and ideas with that very intention, it helped channel and transform those repressed emotions even more.
Interestingly, Bharatanatyam teaches us to portray other characters and create their stories or situations. However, in other styles, putting more of your own self and the ”human” aspect within the dancing is encouraged. In both cases, the root is expression. We are able to express things that are either repressed or things that we may feel about another situation or about the world through a different perspective or experience, even if imagined or dramatized.
Seeing how dancing with intentionality is so important and impactful, I feel strongly that Indian dance, in particular and at large, is so special because of this very expression. That itself translates to the audience. In Bharatanatyam, the goal is to be able to evoke a feeling (rasa) within an audience member. Throughout my dance journey, I felt so honored when I heard that my expression and intention resonated with folks, which was a big reason for continuing on this journey. People actually saw me and what I was feeling and experiencing. This is when I discovered the beauty of vulnerability. What I was unable to say for so long through my voice, was through dance. It’s so special that so many dancers have their own way of expression. I want to translate the facial expression and storytelling aspect from Bharatanatyam to a wider audience - which you will see is the basis in my We Feel to Heal choreography along with the use of hastas or hand gestures.
Dance is a universal language and is for everyone! A lot of people who aren’t formally trained in it also find so much joy in dancing or watching dance. So, I aim to contribute to making it more accessible and relatable, which is what inspired my movement vocabulary. I call it emotion-based choreography because it is more about the feeling than the movement itself. The movement is the channel and vessel, but the intention of what you put into the movement changes the meaning and the power of the emotional release.
3. I've closely followed your work, and being a dancer myself I can relate to movement/dance as a healing methodology. For our readers who may not be dancers but would like to explore this modality and its benefits, how they can go about it?
Dance, just like any other physical form or exercise, is really what you put into it. For those who have experienced doing yoga, the philosophy is so similar. Being in tune with your breath and having intention within your movements, mindfulness of how your body is feeling, and sending energy in and from every part really changes not only your relationship with your body and mind but also the power of the movement. Even within a workout, how you control your core and other muscles can change the intensity and effectiveness.
A big part of what I put into We Feel to Heal is inspired by a method I learned while in therapy called progressive muscle relaxation, which you can find different versions on YouTube and follow along. The premise of this exercise is to create a physiological relaxation response which, in turn, helps psychologically and mentally. It is a guided meditation to focus on different areas of your body - you clench and hold tension there (for example, in your hands by making a fist), for at least 10 seconds or more, then release and feel the contrast. This exercise can be very uncomfortable but is a way of discovering and being mindful about where we hold tension, our ability to release tension, as well as how to manipulate that response. I incorporate this modality within We Feel to Heal because when we hold any movement or position in our bodies, the amount that we stretch our fingers, for example, can create that same feeling of tension. Within any dance choreography, there are so many opportunities to stay in control of that intentional movement, which can create those cathartic releases.
Another way to get started is by dancing and moving to music that moves you or sparks certain emotions. Create a playlist of different songs that have different emotions to it. Yes, it may feel awkward at first, but you will be dancing and moving by yourself and for yourself only. Remove judgment, listen to your body, and breathe. Feeling and understanding how music makes you feel can open up movement that can make you feel that way too, and eventually release and transform emotions that come up or resurface. You can always start simply by pairing breath to the music and movement, or visualizing the movement and a story (who, what, where, when, why?). If you prefer writing or speaking, you can journal or voice record so you note those ways of expressing, and it can inspire movement and release.
4. Although for now, the initiative is on the back burner, what is your vision for the future?
Sadly, I have had to pivot multiple times in the past couple of years since soft launching we feel to heal, but I am excited to be creating and building the curriculum and plan to share with folks to continue cultivating the community.
I envision a community that feels safe to move and express through their bodies. I have been creating and keeping a repository of emotion-based choreography, a playlist, exercises, and techniques. At some point next year, I will be rebranding and posting a lot more snippets of what this program entails, and offer both in-person and virtual workshops that build upon the techniques and modalities. I want these sessions to be low-stress and meaningful. I also wish to highlight the faces and stories of the community in any way they prefer - if they wish to share movement, words, thoughts, or any part of themselves through this platform.
I hope to spread the message to this community that vulnerability and empathy are such integral aspects of our humanity that open the door to so much possibility and being in tune with ourselves, one another, and the universe. Everyone holds so much power and is so special. I look forward to sharing with you all when the divine time aligns.
BEFORE WE GO….
November is also the month when South Asians across the globe gather to celebrate the festival of lights - Deepavali/Diwali. This year it came as a somber reminder to ignite the light within us and give a voice to the voiceless. This quote by Rumi in particular resonates with our feelings. Here’s hoping our collective activism brings about positive change.
If you’d like to make a difference, here are some vetted organizations you can donate to DoctosWithoutBorders, and UNRWA- Save Gaza
PS: Chai is best when shared with friends, so spread the love and help us grow our “Your Vibe, Your Tribe” community.
See you next month!
-- Shwetha Ravishankar, Founder & Co-Host of Chai Break Podcast