Our Programs
Pathway to Wellness
On July 23rd 2023, MGI organized a “Pathway to Wellness event at Cunningham Park, Flushing, NY to promote mental wellbeing through exercise and utilization of public spaces. Participants enjoyed a shadowboxing “Martial Arts for Mental Health” class, followed by a round of Mind Matters Jeopardy and also took a few moments to journal about their experience and add to the Wellness Wall!
Art of Self-care
Mind the Gap Initiative organized "Art of Self-Care" program on January 15th, 2023. The program started with a brief introduction to meditation followed by a paint night.
My Environment,
My Mental Health
Mind the Gap Initiative held our first "My Environment, My Mental Health" program on July 16th, 2022. New York City can feel very large and overwhelming, and this program provides an opportunity for NYC communities to feel like part of their environment. This program entails utilizing public spaces such as parks to be viewed as a safe space in which mental well-being is promoted. These programs would include mental health and mindfulness education led by professionals in the field. Each program would include a portion of mental health education to inform communities about what mental well-being is and the importance of maintaining mental well-being through self-care techniques. The second pillar of this program would include a hands-on mindfulness activity to put the practice into action. This may include mindful creative art, guided meditation, or yoga taught by a professional. The mindfulness tools provided through this program can be taken with our participants and encourage them to integrate these practices within their day-to-day lives. This program may be tailored to meet the needs of diverse community populations and is suitable for all ages.
Stress and the Body
Our minds and bodies are connected, and when we experience stress, our whole bodies react. Stress can induce gastrointestinal symptoms, neuromuscular pain, and hormonal imbalances, causing long-term impacts if the root of the stress is not addressed.
On Dec 16, 2021 MGI provided an educational lecture to “INDO-AMERICAN SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER OF NEW YORK” on how stress impacts our bodies and the physical and emotional indicators of stress. Resources and education on how to prevent and/or reduce stress were provided within this lecture.
Caregiver Support
As a precursor to a larger 8-week caregiver support group, MGI held a caregiver support and resources talk to individuals providing care to family member and loved one. Caregiving can be a full time job, and may take a toll on emotional and physical health. Through this introductory focus group, caregivers were given a platform to voice their experiences of being a caretaker. Resources, such as respite programs, existing support groups, and self-care and mindfulness practices were also provided to attendees during the presentation portion of this talk.
Brain Health and Aging
Older adults experience mental illness in a unique manner. As the body changes, mental health and brain health can be severely impacted. Mental illness and dementia are closely linked, and individuals in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease may experience depression. In order to promote the importance of brain health, we partnered with the Indo American Senior Citizen Center of New York to educate and promote how to maintain a healthy brain and also provided tips and resources to take care of mental health.
Media, Health, and Mental Wellness
2020 and 2021 have brought on a series of anxieties and stressors related to COVID-19, vaccinations, and maintaining an overall healthy state of being. We partnered with various nonprofit and community groups, such as the Westlake PTA and Indo-American Senior Citizen Center of New York, to provide educational programs surrounding COVID-19 and vaccinations, and navigating the healthcare system while making challenging decisions. With an abundance of stimulation and information from various news outlets, social media, and other sources, it can be difficult to filter information that is validated. Therefore, our program provided a two-fold approach to easing anxieties related to making health decisions such as getting the COVID-19 vaccine, social distancing, and how to manage social relationships through this pandemic. Our two-fold approach consisted of
Presentation of thoroughly vetted data and information from trustworthy sources and
Education of emotional regulation tools, such as breathing exercises.