“Shuddhi” & Synchronicities: Mental Health Awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Early in January this year I set up a Facebook page, "Meraki by Me, Raakhee" to share my creations and honor my New Year resolution to create more than I consume. In a wonderful demonstration of "synchronicities" as mentioned by one of the online participants of the session I attended, the universe conspired to help me and I came across a WhatsApp Status updaate for a "curated reading" of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way the night before the event. 

To boost my creativity and mental health, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, I participated in this hybrid Reading Circle session led by Swathy, an ace educational therapist, of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way at Shuddhi Space. The book as toolkit to boost creativity and the circle of supportive young minds at Shuddhi Space recharged me. Perfect activity for May which is Mental Health Awareness Month. 

The word "Shuddhi" means healing or cleansing, and the space is all about "Together toward Holistic Healing."  Mission Accomplished!

We exchanged ideas, learnings, gratitude and little mementoes to wrap up the session. I've come away thrilled that one of my creations - an artwork "Star of the Sea" that I posted about on my Facebook page Meraki by Me, Raakhee now hangs in the "Friends of Shuddhi" Corner along with its repurposed plastic sleeve with hanger a garment I bought came in as instant picture frame.

Here's to Sunrise Walks and "Morning Pages" to boost mental health and kick start creativity.

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being

Climate Change and Mental Health 

In addition to winter blues and seasonal depression, the new weather related mood disrupter is heat. Heat stress increase in irritability, arguments and domestic violence. Extreme heat in addition to many other women-specific vulnerabilities disproportionately affects women's health and their mental health.

Humidity and high night-time temperatures disrupt sleep and affect mental health, mood and productivity.

Create to Combat Cognitive & Mental Health Decline 

pic.twitter.com/02Cs12fe2s

— Cozyreads (@Cozyreads_) May 4, 2026

Becoming by Creating 

A powerful reading of Kurt Vonnegut's November 2006 letter to students by thespian par excellence Sir Ian McKellan on the power of creating and creativity in helping one find oneself and becoming!

Healthy Bodies for Healthy Minds 

Ancient philosopher Musonious was an ardent proponent that healthy bodies are vital for healthy minds.

Mindless and repetitive physical activity, a kind of meditative movement helps deal with faltering moods and creative blocks. Britain's Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill wasfamous for fighting off his dark moods - his depression through bricklaying. 

Winston Churchill fought his depression with bricks. He'd lay them for hours at his country home in Kent. He joined the bricklayers' union. And in 1921 he wrote about why it worked. It took psychology another 75 years to catch up.

He called his depression the "Black Dog." It… https://t.co/QfAsWvT9KB

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 5, 2026

Exercise, Dancing, Singing, Listening to Uplifting and Foot-tapping Music, Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Deep Breathing, Tapping and trying to be aware of your inner workings and emotions by listening to your body by shutting out the outside noise and focusing inwards all help with boosting mental health and well-being.

Female Friendships, a Nurturing Circle of Friends, a Supportive Social Life 

Rural women from Kutch, Gujarat, embroidering together - supportive community and income stream

(SDG 11: Sustainable Community and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth)

A supportive circle is everything. Be it family, friends or community, mood and mental health is healed by a nurturing and supportive circle of people. 

Heal in Nature 

Traditional remedies are very effective in tackling mental health challenges and in places like Japan, Finland & Greece they actually prescribe spending time in nature to reset circadian rhythms and cortisol levels and manage mental health.

"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humour, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson pic.twitter.com/elMQFfOgld

— Cian McCarthy (@arealmofwonder) May 9, 2026

Forest Bathing or Shinrin-yoku in Japan, actual sea bathing (jumping into the Mediterranean Sea) in Greece, and hiking, sun & sauna time in Finland all are prescribed as healing practices for those struggling with mental health challenges. Audio Therapy of the Golden Frequency (432 Hertz) and even bird song also is effective in lowering cortisol levels - the so-called golden frequency in the golden ratio (1.618) helps heal. As does just the act of getting out of your head and observing minutely the miracle of nature surrounding you. 

Part 2. Charles Dickens swam in freezing sea water every morning before he could write. He built himself an ice-cold shower under a 150-foot waterfall in 1849. He wrote letters explaining why it worked. The chemistry of what he was doing has only just been measured.

Dickens…

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 16, 2026

Charles Dickens fought his depression by walking through London at night. One October he set out at 2 in the morning and walked 30 miles, all the way to his country home in Kent. In 1860 he wrote about why it worked. It took psychology another 150 years to catch up.

Dickens… pic.twitter.com/l7ptbBytbJ

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 15, 2026

Healing Plants 

 Insomnia, anxiety and stress are things tackled through plant extracts targeting the five senses. A popular example is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for stress relief. 

Then there is the obvious, food of the gods - Chocolate that has been repeatedly proved to be a health and well-being powerhouse - Theobromine the active component in chocolate/cocoa is truly a miraculous one. 

While exploring herbal health solutions, nothing beats Traditional know-how like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Forest herbs, kashayams (elixirs stirred up on kitchen stoves by concerned wives, mothers and grandmothers) and kitchen garden remedies passed down through generations are still very effective in boosting health, well-being,  mood and mental health. 

Women Winning International Awards for Environmental Action

 

Recently there was mainstream media news bytes in between all the din of election news that two Indian Women Conservationists won the Whitley Awards - also popularly  known as the "Green Oscars" - at the near end of Earth Month (April, as Earth Day is April 22nd). 

Parveen Shaikh, a scientist with the Bombay Natural History Society for her conservation efforts to protect the riverine bird the Indian Skinner, and Barkha Subba, a scientific advisor to the NGO the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection for her work to protect the Himalayan Salamander in Darjeeling of West Bengal, were both honored at the Royal Geographic Society in London on April 29th, 2026 by Princess Anne.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Whitley Fund For Nature (@whitleyawards)

The Wire and The Better India did wonderfully informative stories on these superwomen from India and beyond.

Dr. Kirthi K. Karanth, another Indian woman and scientist working to mitigate man-animal conflict was recognized as a National Geographic as its 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. In the time of the Climate Crises and increased Man-Animal Conflicts due to encroachment and unsustainable development of key animal habitats we need conservationists more than ever. 

For 28 years, Krithi Karanth worked in the spaces most people avoid — where forests meet farms, and survival meets fear.

She didn’t see “Humans Vs Wildlife.”
She saw a broken relationship worth fixing.

Now, she is the first Indian to be named the 2026 Rolex National Geographic… pic.twitter.com/MeQ5oeIzWF

— The Better India (@thebetterindia) May 8, 2026

Internationally all six awards of what is purported to be the Green Nobels - the 6 Goldman Environmental Prizes went to six women - awarded in United States to environmental scientists, environmental activists, environmentalists and conservationists from across the globe.

There is a long history of community leadership and scientific study by women which has been impactful from the Chipko Movement of the hill state of Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) in India to Jane Goodall, an amateur who became the voice of the voiceless creatures she observed and served. 

As with all greats they are first misunderstood and then recognized and rewarded, if lucky in their lifetime. They face down the remorseless entrenched systems that exploit the world and consume its resources greedily. 

These women and the many unrecognized and courageous grassroots and scientific conservationists are vital in preserving biodiversity and life on land and beyond (SDG 15).  By recognizing the struggles of women scientists and environmental activist we give gender equality (SDG 5) a boost in a very challenging and male-dominated field which is overwhelmed by the onslaught of Big Interests, Big Power and Big Industry. 

The reputation and experiences of Polish conservationist and "zoo-psychologist" Dr. Simone Kossak demonstrate this resistance to environmental conservation especially by women in the face of  what is deemed "development". First dismissed as a witch and animal-whisperer, the daughter and granddaughter of established nationally revered  artists, she chose to become a scientist and in 1971 started working in situ in the forests bordering Poland and Belarus in a hut without electricity and mod-cons to save endangered lynxes and wolves among other native species.  She stood up to those exploiting the wildlife and natural resources and faced down big industrial interests at great personal and legal peril.  Finally her efforts were recognized in addition to saving Life on Land (SDG 15) while also boosting Gender Equality in the scientific and conservation communities. A big win for sustainable development whenever it happens - recognition and gratitude to conservationists especially women scientists' community-level efforts to preserve nature. 

Locals called her a witch. Animals followed her through the forest. A lynx slept beside her. A wild boar lived in her bed for 17 years. A crow stole official documents and shredded them on her roof. She lived 30 years in a wooden lodge with no electricity, confiscated illegal… pic.twitter.com/ZgYhw1amvb

— SubRosa )✿( Magick @subrosamagick.bsky.social (@SubRosaMagick) May 10, 2026

May Day and Mental Health - For People & Planet

 May Day 2026 brings together multiple international, labor, religious and ancient festivals. One message common to all these observations for me is the support for mental wellness and mental health. This support is vital for both people and planet as the well-being of the planet is intrinsically connected to the well-being of people and vice-versa. 

This May Day which itself has links to Roman festivities to welcome the season of light - Summer - coincides with Beltane (Ancient Gaelic, Pagan & wiccan), Buddha Jayanthi (also called Vesak) and full moon festivals observed in India (Chitra Pournami/Vaishakha Poornima), and the Scorpio Full Moon.

The effect of the moon on the state of our mind, vital for our mental health and well-being, has long been observed. 

May Day since the 19th Century Haymarket Affair of Chicago has also been observed as International Worker's Day, a.k.a. Labor Day. Thus beyond the May pole and Beltane fires of fertility and protection especially on the farm, May Day has come to represent the rights of workers. Labor Day 2026's theme is "Encouraging a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment. This again puts health and well-being, especially mental well-being front and center. This in turn flows into SDG 3 (Sustainable Development Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being). 

Mental Well-Being 

A healthy working environment makes for happy workers. In our ever warming world and an economy filled with gig workers and laborers who work under the sun (construction and farm workers, delivery persons, drivers and motorists transporting people and things as well as running errands for those who don't want to step into severe weather (heat and humidity, monsoon, snow days, etc.) the traffic-filled or polluted environment, setting up comfortable shelters where they can rest and take a break from the harsh outdoors is a boon. Ensuring right to leisure and humane working hours and working conditions also makes for a healthy psychosocial working environment and workers with happy and healthy minds and bodies instead of just exploited and productive ones. Weather cooling hubs or rest pods, whether in Spain or in Chennai, when workers face a harsh environment, shelter is a vital workers' right. 

Tackling Unpaid Care Work & Climate Action 

For prosperous and peaceful people and planet a "healthy psychosocial environment" is vital whether at home or at work. It is "integrated solutions for intersectional crises." This addresses multiple SDGs but especially SDG 5 - Gender Equality and SDG 13 - Climate Action for Sustainable Development in the face of  multiple intersectional crises. 

As mentioned in the April posts on Women Farmers, unpaid care work in the domestic setting (in homes) unfairly eats in to the time and rights of women and girls. Care work just like climate action are vital to keep the "working environment" friction-less and comfortable. Taking care of the home involves endless chores but only when they are all taken care off a worker can perform without mental burden. Supporting and paying for this "ease and comfort" in the home and hearth as well as the workplace makes for happy people and by default, a happy planet. 

Lindsey Jones-Renaud's zine summary of the policy paper "Climate Change and Care Work: Integrated Solutions for Intersectional Crises" highlights this connect between Care and Climate Change and thus the need for climate action that supports those burdened with extra unpaid care work in are warming planet. 

"There is a fundamental link between caring for people and caring for the planet. Both are essential for human survival, yet both are exploited for short-term economic profit. This zine summarizes the policy implications of the intersecting care-climate crises and presents recommendations for taking action. It is adapted from the 2024 policy paper of the same name, which was published by a coalition of international organizations. You can find the full report here."

Peace and Prosperity, Health and Happiness are what most of us hope for in our ideal lives at home and in the workplace - anywhere in the planet. 

A healthy planet with healthy people at peace makes this happen. Our environment shapes us - thus making our environment healthy will make us all healthy and happy. Thus employers should remember this and for sustained profits at least ensure a healthy psychosocial working environment. 

Supporting Women Farmers for Sustainable Development

 A sustained effort is needed to support women farmers to enable sustainable development beyond the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF2026), Women's Day (IWD) and the scope of their conferences. It is a low hanging fruit and a potential windfall: supporting women farmers to boost the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in rural communities across the globe in general and in India in particularly to achieve objectives in greater numbers.

 Source: Empowering Women Farmers in Agriculture, Press Information Bureau of India (PIB), 23 March 2026

Beyond IYWF2026 & IWD 

A lot of  effort has been put in to empower women in the agri-food system, but it happens in pockets and silos, with limited reach and barriers to scaling-up whether they are government programs, PPP (public-private partnership) initiatives, CSR or ESG programs. Despite many award-winning efforts by women farmers and food and agricultural entrepreneurs the impact has been very local. With the feminization of agriculture more mainstream efforts, publicity and hand-holding is needed to improve the plight of women farmers and as a corollary the lives and livelihoods of rural communities.

Trinity Saioo of Meghalaya won the Padma Shri in 2020 for her efforts to train women and boost the production of the GI tagged Lakadong Turmeric. The efforts of this rural teacher single-handedly boosted multiple SDGs and developmental indicators and enabled sustainable development through empowering women to elevate local produce. 

They say one person can’t change an entire system. In Meghalaya, one teacher quietly proved otherwise.

A former school teacher from Mulieh village, Trinity Saioo turned to farming not just to support her family, but to transform an entire community. What began as a small step… pic.twitter.com/Ypmkya2asE

— The Better India (@thebetterindia) April 27, 2026

Krishi Sakhis, SHGs & Women Farmer Collectives

The Government of India is promoting Krishi Sakhis (literally: Farming Women Friends) trained women farmers who can help and train other women farmers to access government initiatives and funds to farm better. Women Farmer Collectives and Self-Help Groups are also doing great work locally in the community-level to empower women farmers and hand-hold them in accessing government, private and CSR programs, training and funding. 

 

 Tamil Nadu ranks number 13 in organic farming in India. Efforts such as EPIC-SS (Eco Park and Information Centre - Sustainable Solutions, Padur, Chennai) of former IAS officer Santha Sheela Nair and Kalpavriksha Farms - a food forest set up by Kalpana Manivannan, a Chennai high school biology teacher turned homesteader who won the Karamveer Chakra are doing a lot in promoting natural farming, organic farming and permaculture in the state. Education and hands-on training with access to best practices in action does more than elaborate policy documents and frameworks with little on-the-ground grassroots uptake. 

Think Tanks, Conferences and Research: Sharing Best Practices

The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA), Bhubaneswar have produced some great research on farming in general and methods to support women farmers in particular. 

 

 The MSSRF webinar on Pathways to Gender Justice as part of IWD2026 highlighted gaps and solutions to gender just transition in climate resilient agriculture in India. 

The March 2026 Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS 2026) in New Delhi inaugurated by the President of India Droupadi Murmu in the presence of the Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmer Welfare and  Rural Livelihoods Shivraj Chauhan shone a spotlight on women farmers in India to international audiences while also becoming a repository of best practices and policy support for women farmers. 

Amplifying the voices and the efforts to support women farmers so that those who seek to improve their lives in the agri-food system is essential to ensure food security, human security, climate action and ecological action. Empowered women farmers will be the engines of change in our path to Viksit Bharat and Sustainable Development - locally, nationally and internationally. 

Panchayats, Elected Women Representatives & Women Farmers

 Both National Panchayati Raj Day and National Women's Political Empowerment Day are observed on April 24th.

In 2026 it is the 33rd edition of both celebrations of the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India and created legal space for local governance of Gram Panchayats and Nagar Palikas (Urban Local Governments) as well as a third reservation for Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in this third sphere of democracy - both types of local government bodies. 

Interacting with EWRs from panchayats across India in New Delhi, April 25, 2011

The theme of the Panchayati Raj Diwas 2026 is "Sashakt Panchayat, Sarvangeen Vikas" (Empowered Panchayats, Holistic Development) with focus on centering sustainable development goals (SDGs) from the grassroots by "strengthening local bodies through digital governance, such as e-GramSwaraj, to ensure inclusive growth and contribute to Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047 vision. The 2026 celebration emphasizes that "Strong Panchayats build strong villages, and strong villages build a strong nation."

Women Farmers in Villages and As EWRs 

Of course building strong villages and encouraging holistic development centers Women Farmers the mainstay of rural agriculture.  When women farmers are given voice and a seat at the decision-making table, agriculture, communities and villages transform. When the local government, CSR, SDGs, and ESG initiatives center the needs of a  farming woman in all her avatars it turbo charges agricultural and rural development. 

Source: Seema Kulkarni, Asian College of Journalism's Climate Hub's online series

Many UNDP and ADB (Asian Development Bank) programs to make villages and agriculture climate resilient have met targets faster when they worked with local women farmer organizations and self-help groups (SHGs). This is not just in India but a fact across the world especially throughout the Asia-Pacific. Making solar power accessible to prevent food waste and increase income streams in rural ecosystems beyond just solar irrigation is a great program of climate adaptation funded  by the UNDP in India.

From breaking caste barriers and patriarchy to building solar-powered, self-sustaining villages, these women sarpanches are redefining what leadership looks like in rural India.

This isn’t just governance. It’s courage in action.

On National Panchayati Raj Day, scroll down… pic.twitter.com/KcPaXrxy4Y

— The Better India (@thebetterindia) April 24, 2026

 The Panchayati Raj Day celebrations on April 24, 2026 and the many award -winning panchayats and their leaders demonstrate the power of local self governance especially those that have EWRs and women leaders shaping implementation of policy on the ground. 

Women Leading Panchayats from the Front

Across #GrameenBharat, #women elected to Panchayati Raj Institutions are increasingly exercising their roles with confidence and responsibility, moving beyond proxy representation to active leadership. By participating directly in… pic.twitter.com/euJbJhVmvA

— Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India (@mopr_goi) April 24, 2026

Earth Day 2026: Power to She Who Works the Earth

 April 22nd has been observed as Earth Day since 1970 the first time through American efforts to channel student anti-war efforts into an environmental movement. Fifty-seven years on Earth Day is observed across the planet and has encompassed many activities to protect the planet. 

Source: Photo of the earth as a Pale Blue Dot suspended on a sunbeam captured by the Voyager 1 space probe from 6 million kilometers away and sent on Valentine's Day 1990 after multiple requests by American Astronomer and Planetary Scientist Carl Sagan. 

Our Power, Our Planet

The theme for Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet" which can be interpreted in multiple ways.

While the main focus is Energy Security through boosting SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy - a Just Transition to Renewable Energy, vital in these times of an Energy Shock due to the choking of the Strait of Hormuz, another aspect is  a call for all of us to use our power for the planet - individually or collectively. The Environmentalist Foundation of India's (EFI) call for a #BlueGreenCleanVote in the Legislative Assembly Elections is a great demonstration of this.

EFI Founder Arun Krishnamurthy of Tambaram, Chennai, Calls for a Blue Green Clean Vote in Tamil Nadu State Elections 2026.

This involves building Sustainable Communities and Sustainable Cities (SDG 11). Literally on Earth Day in the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF2026) and the International Year of the Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP2026) both championed by the UN's Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) it makes sense that the focus is on "Saving the Soil." Overuse of soil, GMO seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics as well as the all pervasive plastic and microplastics pollution has degraded soil fertility and soil quality across the planet. The possible fertilizer crisis due to the disruption of the supply of crude oil from the unstable Middle East could be an opportunity to train and transition justly to organic farming.

This could be a great time to empower women farmers and smallholding farmers to become organic farmers, natural farmers and friends of the soils. Training and in-the-field, 24-hour big data--mapped support could transform the lives of farmers already pushed to the brink by various factors including price rise all around except seemingly for their hard-grown products. CSR, ESG, local governments, panchayats, NGOs and PPP programs could all be tailored to empowering farmers to transition to organic or natural farming as well as solar powered irrigation systems. 

 For Farmers and Soil Health: For the Planet

To use power for the planet - literal clean energy or that of people is vital in these troubled times of climate crises, environmental crises, economic crises and conflicts. In order to achieve human security we need to ensure self-reliance, sustainability and self-sufficiency - food security, water security, energy security. By empowering those who grow our food and the very earth than nourishes it we can definitely improve lives of not just farmers but our whole population. 

A ground up, hands on strategy to transition to organic and natural farming while  empowering and training women farmers and smallholders is a step in the right direction and is much needed on Earth Day and beyond. 

It's our home.

This Earth Day, see our planet as our Artemis II astronauts saw it with these new images from the mission. pic.twitter.com/ne0ZwqtqOc

— NASA (@NASA) April 22, 2026

Creativity & Innovations For Our "Annadata"

 This week and month have many days and celebrations where Women Farmers are central. April 21st is World Creativity and Innovation Day with the 2026 theme being "Harnessing the Power of Creativity for Global Progress." A key aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - all vital to boost agriculture. 

Personally I find from all my interactions that no one can beat Rural Women of India in general and Women Farmers in particular in innovation and creativity in stretching resources and opportunities to serve them. They truly are pioneers in harnessing their creativity for progress of their family and community with their own progress just a happy byproduct never a priority.  Whatever opportunities, skills, training and lessons they access, rural women and women farmers seem to know how to extrapolate it into social progress and economic growth. 

The Sunshine Millennium 2011 Brochure

Meanwhile April 19-20, 2026 was celebrated as Akshaya Tritiya - a celebration of everlasting abundance as well as the birth of the Goddess of Food & Abundance - "Annapurna and our Annadata - the bestower of food. While marketing has made this festival all about buying gold, it is a time of charity and aiding the downtrodden as well as worshipping and valuing those who produce our food. In practice this mid-Spring festival is about honoring and empowering farmers among others in the quest for abundance and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).

See more on Gender, Agriculture and Climate Change in the summary and analysis of the above article from The Hindu in the InsightsIAS (Insights on India page) article.

Indigenous Women Farmers and Leaders - Australia ad Asia-Pacific

Empowerment and Opportunities

The brouhaha over "Nari Shakti" - Women's Political Empowerment that became a bit of a damp squib in the face of the delimitation issue also was an opportunity to empower women farmers by giving them a political voice to fight for their rights.  Population and depopulation pressures as well as the realities of urban and seasonal migration that has led to feminization of rural India, feminization of agriculture as well as feminization of poverty and they all have  women front and center. But there are many opportunities amidst the threats to the lives and livelihoods of rural women and women farmers. In this conversation it would be irresponsible if one doesn't mention the choice [forced by economic burdens) of many women agricultural and farm laborers choosing to sterilize themselves and sacrifice their fertility for economic opportunities. 

Harnessing Creativity and Innovation for Progress

Many award-winning model Panchayats (village administration) have addressed the needs of women and women farmers by giving them voice as mentioned in the post about the Institute of Social Sciences' interview of these award winning villages and their administrators. 

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are also do great work in improving the lives of rural women and farmers in general and women farmers in particular in many states of India. The key fact being the need to scale up and center the needs of women farmers in such SHGs and FPOs. By merging government programs and policies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ESG initiatives of companies - a public-private partnership (PPP) of sorts to tackle the needs of women farmers is truly addressing SDG 9 agriculturally. This is harnessing innovation for the progress of all farmers but especially women farmers.