Nothing About Us Without Us

Those with mental health issues are often defined by professionals, but radical mental health asks that those who are defined as mentally ill have voice and agency. Host Marlena Willis, who herself deals has mental diversity/disability, is in conversation with meditator, Emiko Yoshikami, and psychiatrist, Dr. Rahil Rojiani. Emiko yoshikami is a mixed-raced, mixed-Buddhist queer who was diagnosed with “Bipolar I with Psychotic Tendencies.” She began practicing Vipassana meditation over three decades ago and comes from a long lineage of Pureland Buddhist priests. She is committed to co-creating a more just and compassionate world and spends a lot of time thinking about power in relationship to the multiple realities we live in. Dr. Rahil Rojiani (they/them) is a queer, genderfluid, South Asian Ismaili Muslim, and a resident physician in Harvard’s community psychiatry program at Cambridge Health Alliance. They’ve been practicing within multiple Buddhist lineages for over a decade, including as a teacher for primarily BIPOC and activist communities, and as a meditation researcher. They are committed to the intersection of social justice, spirituality, and somatic healing for collective liberation. The post Nothing About Us Without Us appeared first on KPFA.