If we haven’t met… we should. I’m your guide through the dumpsterfire of life.

Let me tell you a story.

I’ve gone through the fire of transformation because I had no other choice. As a young girl, I just wanted to be happy, healthy, and joy-filled in life. But I was not. And the world around me was not a joy-filled place to be. Too much chaos, not enough stability.

I watched as the mental healthcare system simply did not meet the needs of people who were struggling. People in my family. Friends. I wasn’t exactly stable myself, and I vowed to never be a part of it or fall into “the system.”

My fire was out.

I gave in to my own chaos. I was out of control inside and out. My will to live, my inner fire was out.

I received a diagnosis, a label from the established psychiatric community, committed to treatment of my issues, and started a serious self-care routine. I set out to create my own way to move toward mental health, and it included allopathic and naturopathic medicine, lifestyle changes, and creative expression to reach joy.

And then I discovered literal fire.

Homa, a Vedic ritual that includes chanting and offering thoughts to a sacred fire, became the cornerstone of my recovery. I meditated with the flame repeatedly. Something started to shift in me. I found space in my mind. I re-framed my path to recovery as self-exploration, one that integrates insights from therapy with spiritual beliefs. And I let it all out. I wrote and wrote and wrote for myself–in journals, on walls, clothing whatever I could find. I got it all out.

I began to experience myself differently. I felt plugged in to who I was, well, wanted to be that was separate from the psychiatric disorder. I surrendered to the profound realization that working with (rather than against) my bipolar diagnosis and the challenges related to it was my life’s journey. My lived experience had purpose.

I self-regulated like it was my job, and I took my power back.

Wait. It IS my job to self-regulate.

And now I offer the opportunity to you. We meet each other through meditation with fire, reflect on life, and write things out.

We ignite our inner flames and find our joy in the Self-Regulation Mastery program.

Let’s ignite your fire and set you free.

Write your own version of this story.

The Self-Regulation Mastery Program is learning how to live well through community, advocacy, and self-care. You can live with joy in this dumpsterfire world.

The saying that it takes a village to heal is true. I created Planet Dust Enterprises to be that community. We have our culture that centers mental health advocacy and wellness. And, Planet Dust is real. Like, really real. Like, piss-and-vinegar, tell-me-straight real. We play with language. We’ll find a way to describe what you’re going through, then we’ll let it go.

The existing mental healthcare systems are not personal. They don’t understand mania, depression, psychosis, and the cognitive dysfunction that we live through. Get an Rx and therapist, move on is their vibe.

Let me help you create a self-care routine that YOU can use. I’ll teach you how to use creative writing to explore your lived experience, transform through expression on the page, and integrate what you learn about yourself to help yourself.

It takes courage to live with joy. It takes a narrative shift to change the lived experiences for individuals, caregivers, and the mental health establishment.

So let’s start a conversation. I’ll light your fire. Planet Dust community will help you keep the burn going.

Student Testimonial

At first I didn’t know what I was looking for. I started coming to fire ceremonies because I felt like it was comforting and grounding. I was coming for the meditation at first. Then I realized I was seeking spirituality because I didn’t have anything. Another thing I’ve been seeking through this spirituality thing is self love. I really needed to find it.

It took a while to chip away at this, but I did break the loop. I started working with you in 2016, but it was in 2017 that I really started to feel shifts in my energy and body. And I have stayed with her since, attending her follow-up group ceremonies.

A big thing that shifted was I started to treat myself with more kindness. I feel more comfortable with myself now. And I bring that to the world.

–Allison Braun, Artist