The history of Mother's Day dates back to the early 20th century when Anna Jarvis, an American woman, initiated a campaign to establish a day dedicated to mothers. Her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, had been a peace activist during the American Civil War and had organized 'Mother's Day Work Clubs' to improve sanitation and health conditions in her community. After her mother's death in 1905, Anna Jarvis began her quest to establish a day to honor all mothers, which eventually led to the official recognition of Mother's Day in the United States in 1914.

Mother's Day evokes a complex tapestry of emotions

with joy and gratitude intertwining with sorrow and ambivalence. For those with loving and supportive mothers, it is a day of celebration, filled with expressions of love and appreciation.

However, for those who have lost their mothers, it can be a day of profound grief and longing. The absence of a mother leaves an unfillable void, casting a shadow over what should be a joyous occasion. Others may experience a bittersweet mix of emotions, grappling with unresolved issues or strained relationships with their mothers. For those who have experienced trauma or abuse at the hands of their mothers, Mother's Day can trigger painful memories and evoke feelings of anger and resentment.

The societal pressure to conform to idealized notions of motherhood can also add to the emotional turmoil experienced by those who feel they fall short of these expectations. Ultimately, Mother's Day is a day that highlights the multifaceted and often contradictory nature of the mother-child bond, a bond that can bring both immense joy and profound sadness.

As you pause to consider what Mother’s Day means to you, may you have compassion for yourself if there is sadness and joy if you’re able to celebrate.

As we pay homage to this day may we be inclusive of what it means for everyone and rest in the emotions that will arise.

4 Corners Yoga Wellness mission is to hold a safe, affordable, accessible, culturally affirming, trauma informed, space, where everyBODY is welcome. Our practices are rooted in social justice and healing. We believe that wellbeing is a birthright and wellness is for all of us.

Collectively, we are living through a post-pandemic era where we are witnessing fragile, anxious, lonely isolated and depressed teens, young adults and elderly.

Planting seeds of hope
30 minute self-care + community meditation
Wed and Fri mornings 6:30.

Available in-person **Book a Teacher.** Subject: Request Hope Meditation.
**We are all connected** through our lived experiences, our fears and trauma. When we are constantly navigating real and perceived threats, we are in a chronic state of fear and anxiety: ‘fight, flight, freeze’. The constant signals for the body to fight, the chronic fighting causes chronic illness. We believe that a regular practice of rest and meditation focusing on hope is a form of self-care. It is known to increase self-compassion, body awareness and sensation. It also fosters feelings of gratitude, appreciation, and turns cynicism to agency. This is a meditation practice to deepen your relationship to self, others and community.
**Explore an idea of wellness** that embraces rest as a resistance to the grind and chaos culture. Learn tools that cultivate setting healthy boundaries, holding one with self-compassion, honoring one’s core identity and believing in the power to create personal and social change.

**Notice how you feel** after unwinding for thirty-minutes in a safe virtual collective respite. Feel a self-love practice that is rooted in healing grounded in hope.
**This meditation is inspired by the book**, Rest is Resistance A Manifesto, by founder of the Nap Ministry, Tricia Hersey. Her work comes at a moment we need it more than ever. A recent NPR article 4/16/2024 entitled Rise and Grind? Working late, lack of sleep, the pull of social media and volatile hours lead to feelings of isolation, depression, and illness by 50.

National Data

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.

Annual prevalence of mental illness among U.S. adults, by demographic group:
- Non-Hispanic Asian: 16.4%
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 18.1%
- Non-Hispanic Black or African American: 21.4%
- Hispanic or Latino: 20.7%
- Non-Hispanic White: 23.9%
- Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native: 26.6%
- Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 34.9%
- Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 50.2%

People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.

33.5% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2021 (19.4 million individuals)
The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (7.4%) compared to those who do not (4.6%)
High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers
Students aged 6-17 with mental, emotional or behavioral concerns are 3x more likely to repeat a grade.

The above data, living through culture wars, the pull of social media and the rise of AI and disinformation, it is evident, we need safe community spaces from toxic environments. We teach practices that allow people to breath, move and heal from the chaos.

We are expanding our virtual classes to include morning and weekend meditations. We are intentional about creating safe spaces for health and healing. Join us as we plant seeds of hope in a time we need it most.

References: https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/