I was 17, in my senior year of high school, when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I constantly felt a sense of impending doom, a fear of the unknown. I lost my appetite and I couldn’t sleep well. For the next several years, I was on and off medication and in and out of the hospital.

In 2002, after discussing it with my doctor, I went off medication because I wanted to get pregnant. During my pregnancy, I started yoga. Four times a week, I’d roll out my mat and practice with Shiva Rea’s prenatal yoga VHS tapes. When I finished, I felt like a brand-new person, physically and mentally.

Over time, the depression crept back in. My yoga practice fell by the wayside after I gave birth, and I went back on medication. A friend convinced me to try a local “40 Days to Personal Revolution” program.

Class started with 20 minutes of yoga and 5 minutes of meditation and built from there. Within the first week, I started sleeping better. I realized I was less reactive when I meditated.

Eventually, in 2010, I shifted from seeing a psychiatrist to consulting with a clairvoyant. I was at a place where seeing healers helped me accept where I was on my mental health journey. She helped me accept that it was OK to stay on medications if I wasn’t experiencing any negative side effects. She explained to me that it was my mission to demystify depression and anxiety to empower others, and I knew I needed to share my story.

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