Author: swamangroup

On the occasion of world mental health day, SWAMAN group organized a 2 hour workshop to promote mental health advocacy and raise mental health awareness for the people located near Kotdwara, Garhwal, India.

Here is the event summary.

25 years of mental health journey: The Panthari family (Mr. Yogesh and Mrs Vimala Panthari along with Sushil, Arun, Prafull, Nidhi and Vishwesh) shared their mental health journey. Prafull was diagnosed with mental illness 25 years ago and it has impacted the family in a profound way. Their main message was that not to lose hope when you have a dear one impacted through mental illness. The recovery is possible if you face this illness boldly and provide a loving care to your dear ones. 

Using Art for healing: Mr Jageshwar Joshi is an accomplished cartoonist and satirist who talked about how art can help heal and improve our lives. He shared several cartoons and sketches from everyday lives.

Energy healing and mental health: Mr Ganesh Kala is an expert in energy healing and mind techniques that would help improve your life. He himself had several mental health related issues in the past and now he has overcome using those techniques. He would love to teach and share with you.

Psychoanalysis for better mental health: Dr Rashmi Bahukhandi who is a professor at Kotdwara degree college delivered her talk on psychoanalysis (based on Sigmund Freud) for your better mental health. She deals with young people everyday and this subject has become a critical part of academics now specially after the pandemic. She provided detail reviews of three levels of mind- Conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious)

Impact of social media on mental health: Mr Prashant Kukreti, member Green Pulse Society delivered an interesting talk on impact of social media on mental health. He emphasized how social media is both a boon or curse at the same time. He shared some effective strategies so that you can control and balance your mental health rather than it controlled by social media.

Deep breathing bring calm to your daily life: Mr Kamal Bahadur, Program Manager, TCG welfare society, led a short activity of breathing and holding hands for the entire audience that was very refreshing.

Music and your mental health: Music therapy is well known way that would improve your quality of life and help relieve stress. Nidhi Bahukhandi melodiously sang a beautiful ghazal by Nida Fazli “नई नई आँखें हों तो हर मंज़र अच्छा लगता है. कुछ दिन शहर में घूमे लेकिन अब घर अच्छा लगता है”. It made the atmosphere very entertaining.

This workshop event was not possible without the careful planning and event organization by Mr Pramod Bansal (Industrialist and owner Divine Earth Herbal industries) and Mr Ajay Khantwal (Journalist). A big thanks to them.

Mr Sandeep Bisht (Journalist) covered the event on Facebook live. Here is one of his stories https://www.facebook.com/share/v/DSfYuUjwiRVXg9jn/?mibextid=qi2Omg.

SWAMAN group sincerely thanks the following for their kind support during the event.

Sashi Negi, Kamal Bisht, Subhas Nautiyal, Devender Naithani, Abhishek Dabral, Sohan Maindola, Prashant Kukreti (dir. Gyanvriksh), Vachaspati Bahukhandi, Vinayak Joshi, Bikram Joshi, Meena Joshi, Abhitosh Joshi, Anil Rawat, Ridhi Bhatt, Mukesh Kulashri and Ashok Khantwal.

(10 October 2021, Reported by- Kamal Bisht, Kotdwar). 
On World Mental Health Day a seminar 'Our mental health in current circumstances' was organized by Swaman Group at the residence of Mr Yogesh Panthri (Senior litterateur and journalist). Mr Prafull Panthari, who emerged out of mental discomfort, said that today every human being in the world is suffering from mental discomfort in some way or the other. In the seminar, former President of Kotdwar Press Club, Mr Rajgaurav Nautiyal said that with the collective participation of the society, mentally helpless people can be added to the mainstream and it can help in bringing a victim out of mental discomfort. Ex Principal Mr Vachaspati Bahukhundi shared his personal experience and efforts in this matter. Sharing the experiences of life, he said that if we have information, then we can contribute in keeping the mental health of ourselves and the coming generation better.
   Participating in the seminar through online from California (USA) Mr Sushil Panthari (from SWAMAN group) said that mental discomfort has become a worldwide problem and we should work together to solve this problem. Mr Arun Panthari (from SWAMAN group), while explaining the objectives of the SWAMAN Group, said that along with medical help, other small measures such as music therapy, color therapy, association with nature therapy, etc. can also improve mental health. Mr Vishweshar Prasad (from SWAMAN group) shared  the objectives of the group and the work done under it, he told how society can make the life of the suffering person easier by keeping a sense of compassion and cooperation towards the person suffering from mental discomfort. 
District Audit Officer Mr  Devendra Kumar Joshi, who came from Dehradun to attend, stressed on the need of psychiatrist in all the hospitals. Ex senior Lecturer Mr Vinayak Joshi, industrialist Mr Prashant Kukreti, Lecturer Mr Arvind Bahukhandi, Bangalore based software engineer Mr Himanshu Kala and Editor (forest and environment) Mr Kamal Bisht shared their thoughts. On this occasion, senior litterateur Mr Yogesh Panthari proposed the vote of thanks to all the guests. Many dignitaries were present on this occasion, Mrs Vimala Panthri, Engineer Mr Abhitosh Joshi etc. The program was successfully conducted by Journalist Mr Subhash Chandra Nautiyal. On this occasion, a bulletin compiled by Mr Prafull Panthari titled "Read, Understand, Act" was distributed. At the end of the programme. Plantation of fruit trees was done by all the dignitaries under the banner of Forest Environment.

Swaman has started a you tube channel called Swaman Sandesh that will bring you variety of topics on mental health.

1. Power of self confidence

2. My journey with Schizophrenia

Early this month (December 2018) I received an invitation from Dr Mamta Pant to attend a session on “Music therapy and mental illness” at IHBAS (Institute of health and behavioral sciences) located in Shahdra, Delhi. Dr Pant organized this session with several other noted musicians (such as K Vaidyanathan etc). This excellent program showed how varieties of music patterns can help ease symptoms of mental Illness and provide relief to a suffering person. Each patterns (patterns of Indian music called Ragas) can relate to a specific mental illness and provide help.

At that occasion, it was a pleasure to meet Nimesh G. Desai Ditector IBHAS. Dr Desai was very happy to receive prafull’s book. We at SWAMAN look forward to Dr Desai, Dr Pant and IBHAS guidance for our mission.

(Pic: Arun Panthari presenting Prafull’s book to Dr Desai, Director IHBAS- Institute of Health and Behavioral Applied sciences)

I found a great article on music therapy and mental illness

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618810/

More about IHBAS

http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DOIT_IHBAS1/ihbas/home

It was great for Swaman team to meet Julia and Allen Fertziger. Julia teaches NAMI (National Alliance on Mental illness) family face to face 12 week class. This class is offered to families of loved ones who are experiencing mental illness. Julia has been teaching this class for more than 17 years.

Allen is currently an adjunct professor in Washington university. He obtained his PhD from university of Michigan in human physiology in 1968 and taught in various universities and been involved in research areas. 

(Pic) Julia and Allen holding Prafull Panthari’s book

Allen and Julia is a lovely couple and swaman team is very fortunate to know them and had a privilege to learn a lot about mental health.

Kotdwara, Uttarakhand, India: Oct 12

On the occasion of mental health day, SWAMAN (a voluntary group) organized meetings, rallies and photo exhibition to increase awareness on mental health issues. Volunteers spoke on how awareness, medical  help,  love and support from family and society plays a role in addressing the mental health issues. 

   
Volunteers include Prafull Panthari (SWAMAN secretary), Yogesh Panthari, Vikas Rawat, Ramesh Bounthiyal, Deepak Shailwal, Chandramani Devrani, Kamini Rana, Deepak Thakur, Yogesh Bounthiyal, Ramesh chandra Bounthiyal, Vikas Rawat, Jagmohan Singh, Prakash Dhoundiyal. R S Rawat, Geeta and several others.