In this episode, Ariba and Iqra talk to guest speaker, Abhi, about his cross-cultural experiences of growing up and living in two different countries--the U.S. and India. Abhi shares his experiences with confronting insecurities about his identity and explains how he got through it with the help of his mentors and his love of sports. Most importantly, he emphasized his hope for inspiring other young adults and kids within the South Asian community and beyond to ensure they don't feel alone and can also find confidence in their identity.  Check out our conversation and let us know if you resonate with Abhi's journey by reaching out to us on our Instagram, @SoulSoching, or Abhi's, @speedyindian_08.

In this episode, Wafa, Ariba, and Iqra talk all about self-stigma, how to recognize it, and how to work towards combating it. Self-stigma can occur when one begins to internalize the stigma we often witness in our environment. It can affect how we think of ourselves, our relationship with others, or even get in the way of our recovery.  Check out our conversation and let us know if you've been impacted by self-stigma in your life by reaching out to us on our Instagram, @SoulSoching.  . . . . Episode Notes/Resources: Hope For The Day: HFTD is a non-profit movement empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. Rethink: Rethink promotes mental health advocacy, education, and creative expression in an effort to eliminate the stigmatization of mental health, especially among children and young adults.  National Alliance of Mental Illness: The nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for those impacted by mental health illnesses. Social Media accounts that destigmatize mental health  Click link to get a list of resourceful accounts!

"From the outside looking in, it seems like I've got it all, the super cool mom, the perfect boyfriend, and the supportive friends that are always there, even when you don't want them to be...So how did I get here?" These are words of Aisha, based on a character in an upcoming web series called Get up Aisha that navigates through the life of a 20-year-old woman who struggles with her mental health in her perfect world.  In this episode, we had the opportunity to talk to Marushka Almeida and Nisha Khan who are two of the three writers of this amazing show. These talented women share how the concept of Get Up Aisha came about, the importance and the stigma of mental health in the South Asian community as well as their own journey of conquering mental health. As South Asian Women ourselves we are so proud of seeing them and other South Asians follow their dreams and making it happen (YAAS QUEENS 👏🏽) and we hope others are inspired and motivated to follow theirs as well 💫  If you haven't already, please make sure to watch the trailer for Get up Aisha available on YouTube! Watch and Spread the word 🙌🏾  Twitter:https://mobile.twitter.com/RabiyaMansoorhttps://mobile.twitter.com/AlmeidaMarushka/status/1303385744447287299  Insta:https://instagram.com/getupaisha?igshid=9kvzggluof73  YouTube:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tRIa8_cpZjg

"Turn your demons into art, your shadow into your friend, your fears into fuel, your mistakes into teachers, and your weakness into reasons to keep fighting. Don’t waste your pain. Recycle your heart." - Andrea Balt On this episode, our awe-inspiring guest speaker, Mytrae Meliana, takes us on her perilous journey, from being "Broken to Beautiful". Her journey conveys an important message about the afflictions certain cultural norms and soch (thinking) can serve as a threat to personal happiness, love, and peace. Mytrae Meliana (pronounced "My-thray-yee") is a women’s empowerment and spiritual teacher, holistic psychotherapist, trauma expert, speaker, and author. She leads workshops and programs for women which empower them to heal from trauma, free themselves from the shackles of patriarchy, and claim their truth, power, heart, and soul purpose. Mytrae is a WOC (woman of color) immigrant from India. She shares her personal story of healing, empowerment, and awakening in her memoir "Brown Skin Girl: An Indian-American Woman’s Magical Journey from Broken to Beautiful." Mytrae's social media links: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Link to her book: Brown Skin Girl: An Indian-American Woman’s Magical Journey from Broken to Beautiful

“If you plan to climb high and reach for the stars in your life, isn't it important that you have balance established within yourself first? Without proper balance, you risk falling and ending up far, far away from that mountain top or galaxy…”                                             -Mentor Dida  In this episode, we are joined by an oh-so-remarkable human being, Mentor Dida, who has made it his life mission to use the teachings of his trials and tribulations to inspire and empower others! He will be sharing his journey and what he has learned when it comes to focusing on our holistic wellbeing and how we can strive for positive change within ourselves. He has already inspired thousands of individuals as a founder of numerous change organizations, in addition to being a former Social Entrepreneur at Ashoka, the world’s leading social entrepreneur organization. He is working currently at the United Nations Development Project as a Movement Building Architect Consultant. In his free time, he serves as a coach for aspiring changemakers throughout the world. Check out his initiative “The 60 Day Leadership & Wellbeing Challenge” (link below)! Mentor Didas’ IG: @wayoutisin  Click here: The 60 Day Leadership & Wellbeing Challenge Site

In this episode, we are joined by Najwan Kaakani, an ASU graduate with degrees in business and sustainability. Najwan shares her personal experiences as an Iraqi refugee and talks us through the toll it took on her mental health, and how it continues to this day. Najwan is currently lending her efforts to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) and their very first virtual Gaza 5K Run/Walk campaign. The initiative is focused on raising funds for their Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) and makes access to mental health care a reality for all Palestine refugee children in the Gaza Strip. If you are interested in donating, please refer to the information below. Every dollar counts--so please support in whatever way you're able to give mental health access to children in the Gaza strip with mental health needs as well as provide relief fund for Palestine refugees in Lebanon. Fundraising site: https://getinvolved.unrwausa.org/fundraiser/2861129 Donations can also be made via Venmo: @Najwan-kaakani Najwan's IG handle: @najwaannn

For this very insightful episode, we are joined by Dr. Mateen Khokhar, an Internal Medicine physician at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. He talks us through the complexities of end of life discussions with patients and loved ones, how to have those difficult conversations, and what we can do during these strange and unprecedented times to navigate a reality many have never faced before.

Disclaimer: This episode contains conversations surrounding suicide, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal ideation. Please be mindful of listening to the episode if you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may listen to this episode and feel triggered. If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or the Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), both of which are staffed by certified crisis response professionals, or call 911. In this episode, we are joined by Prakash, a brilliant South Asian man working on crushing the stigma surrounding mental health with his initiative, TalkFreely.  TalkFreely tries to deliver affordable and culturally aware help so that the South Asian community can start having better relationships with their family, their partners, and themselves. As an added bonus, TalkFreely also helps new users of mental health care by providing them with bi-weekly peer support, creating a community of like-minded individuals around the world.

Four brilliant students from Michigan State University joined us for this episode to discuss their mental health initiative--Spartan Shifa. Their community-building group empowers Muslim students by promoting self-knowledge, help-seeking, and the will to combat social issues. Along with the above, their group holds workshops on topics such as healthy relationships, spiritual wellness, and the lasting effects of historical trauma.   Instagram: @spartanshifa

These are difficult and strange times, and more now than ever, we require all the tools we can get to nurture our mental health. Join us as we talk about tips and tools to make it through the quarantine, our personal routines, and how we can continue to keep our spirits and mood lifted. And remember, we're all in this together!