Move for Mental Health for NAMI 2025
Join me in raising $1,000 for mental health advocacy through mindful movement & breath
What is NAMI?
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness),
a leading grassroots nonprofit organization, advocates for individuals affected by mental health challenges through education, research, support, and public policy initiatives.
How Does NAMI effect Change?
Advocacy/ Awareness
Education
Support
Advocacy
NAMI works to influence legislation at the national, state, and local levels. Recognizing the need for systemic change to address the current mental health crisis, NAMI is committed to reforming policies that contribute to this issue. Using in-depth knowledge and evidence-based research, NAMI focuses on improving access to mental health care, funding cutting-edge research, and promoting early intervention.
In 2023, NAMI urged Congress and the Administration to prioritize:
Reimagining crisis response
Improving mental health care
Advancing research
Increasing access to health care
Awareness
NAMI coordinates some of the largest mental health gatherings in the country, encouraging individuals affected by mental health challenges to connect through shared experiences. These efforts aim to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and foster open conversations. NAMI champions the belief that openly discussing mental health is a crucial step toward understanding the changes needed to improve support systems and resources.
One of NAMI’s flagship events, NAMIWalks, is a nationwide initiative designed to raise awareness about mental health, combat stigma, and fund free mental health programs. Additionally, the annual NAMI National Convention stands as the largest mental health event in the country, bringing together advocates to learn, share, and network in support of the mental health community.
Education
NAMI provides free, evidence-based educational resources to individuals, friends, families, and spouses impacted by mental health challenges. These resources offer guidance on recognizing mental health symptoms and provide practical ways to support those in need.
NAMI also offers online classes, such as NAMI Basics, which provide detailed steps for parents and guardians caring for youth struggling with their mental health. These classes equip caregivers with tools and knowledge to better navigate their child’s mental health journey.
Support
NAMI offers support groups led by trained volunteers, providing a safe space for individuals affected by mental health challenges to connect and share experiences. These groups foster understanding and learning through open communication with others facing similar struggles.
NAMI’s support programs include Peer-to-Peer, Family-to-Family, and Homefront, which is specifically designed for active military service members and veterans.
Why This Cause Matters to Me…
I’ve felt a calling to raise money for NAMI because I’ve personally witnessed family and close friends in my life battle mental illness. It can be so difficult to watch the people you love struggle to find a reason to continue to engage with their lives and even more difficult to figure out how to offer support.
Mental illness is incredibly prevalent in today’s world. Nearly everyone has been touched by it, whether personally or through a loved one. For those struggling, even common life challenges can feel insurmountable. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), "1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year." Source: NAMI - Mental Health by the Numbers.
Unfortunately, I don’t foresee life becoming easier anytime soon. We live in an era where social media, a tool designed to connect us, often leads to a profound disconnection from our true selves. Its negative influence spans social, emotional, and mental well-being, affecting individuals of all ages without discrimination. The rising cost of living makes it increasingly difficult for the average person to meet their basic needs. This financial strain often results in longer workdays, fewer days off, and the necessity of juggling two or three jobs. Consequently, many people experience burnout, elevated stress levels, and a higher prevalence of depression. Our current political climate has fostered an 'us versus them' mentality, leading to increased division within our country and a deepening sense of social disconnection.
The most troubling aspect of the current state of affairs is that, while it has contributed to a culture where mental illness impacts more people than ever, factors like social division, skyrocketing costs, self-isolation, and burnout make it incredibly challenging for those in need to access effective care.
Although it seems incredibly daunting, non-profits like NAMI exist to offer free programs to anyone struggling with a mental illness. NAMI supports inclusivity and believes in Mental Health for All regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation/preferences, religion, culture, et. NAMI is a nonprofit I recommend to my family and friends, an alliance worth giving my time and energy to. Given the challenges we face, I would not ask for donations unless I truly believed this cause could have a profound impact on the lives of so many. My goal is to raise $1,000 until the end of May . There is an option to donate directly using the link above or purchase access to my Move for Mental Health yoga video series.
Move for Mental Health: Support NAMIWalks
Breathe in Resilience, Breathe out Stigma
What is Move for Mental Health?
To raise money, I am combining my passion for yoga and its healing benefits with my commitment to positively impacting mental health. Over the next four months, join me in supporting NAMI by attending my in-person and online yoga series called Move for Mental Health, where 100% of the proceeds will go directly to NAMI until May 31, 2025.
Yoga has profoundly impacted my own mental health. Through movement and breath, I’ve cultivated emotional and mental resilience, which helps me navigate the challenges we all face simply from being alive. Together, we can move and breathe for mental health, advocating for a world where mental health can be discussed openly and those struggling are connected with the resources they need to heal and lead fulfilling lives.
By donating, you can help connect individuals to the resources they need—not just to survive emotionally and physically, but to thrive and lead healthy, meaningful lives.
Donating Options
Option #1: Donate directly to NAMI
Option #2: Purchase Individual videos
Option #3: Sign up for a subscription to gain lifetime access to existing and future video library.
Help me reach my goal!
Follow my Fundraising Journey.
