An Interview With Eden Gold
I meditate and do breathwork in some form at least once a day, and these are some of the most essential tools that I have ever learned in my 30+ years of seeking. One example of this is that when I use breathwork, even for just a few minutes, I can go into an altered state of awareness and connect with my body where I am having pain. I can access the pain without resistance and ask it what its message is for me. I have found that there are often emotions, thoughts, and beliefs related to that pain that need to be experienced, which I do by feeling and releasing through my exhales. When I do this, I often have major revelations, and the pain will lessen or disappear!
As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Millana Snow.
Millana Snow, a renowned healer, breathwork teacher, and wellness industry leader who has been practicing meditation since the age of four and has become a leading voice in the global wellness industry. With her diverse background encompassing Afro-Latina/Panamanian, American, and British roots, she connects with a wide range of audiences, sharing her healing journey and passion for wellness with clients, followers, brands, celebrities, and even a member of the royal family. Based in Los Angeles, Millana has taught at institutions such as Summit, NYU, and Columbia University, and her work has been featured in numerous international news and magazine outlets, including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Marie Claire, POPSUGAR, VOGUE, and more.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up all over the United States; by the time I was in high school, I had moved 11 times! This was tough, but it taught me how diverse American culture is. From CO to FL and TX, each state has its own values, religious beliefs, and traditions totally different from the others. I learned how to meditate at four years old from my grandmother, and have spent the rest of my life seeking those deeper questions ever since. I had a tough childhood that I’m grateful for as it positively shaped my life’s purpose. Perhaps it was destiny, but the intersection of healing, spirituality, philosophy, art, and culture has always been my passion, and this was a product of the tools I found as a young person. A fun fact: I grew up with my mom, stepdad, and little sister, but at 25, I met my dad and seven more siblings!
Re Wear Good — You are currently part of the TOMS Wear Good campaign that is helping to promote mental wellness. Can you tell us a bit more specifically about what you are trying to address?
What I love about TOMS is that when you buy TOMS, a portion of the sales go directly to funding mental health services to people and organizations that need it most. I’m just so proud to partner with a brand with that kind of direct impact! What’s also so great about working with TOMS is that we are working together to make breathwork more accessible. This summer, we’re doing a huge in-person breathwork session, and currently, I’m guiding a breathwork exercise on a TOMS commercial for hundreds of thousands of fans at Justin Timberlake’s summer tour.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
Not only has my life changed by understanding the importance of mental health, I have seen it firsthand with clients from around the world. It wasn’t until I realized the direct correlation between mental and physical health that I started to prioritize it personally. I’m so glad that mental and emotional health are finally becoming as important as physical health.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
We can manifest our dreams at any moment. There is no such thing as too late. Everything in your life is precisely how it needs to be to help you wake up and fully enjoy your life right now! I have this “aha” every time I reconnect with my true self and I believe this is the secret! People miss living their dream life because they are busy living someone else’s life -what someone told them they should be, do, and have. But when we turn inward and question who we are and how we live, we will get so electrified with our own truth that we won’t be able to live any other way!
In your experience, what should a) individuals b) society, and c) the government do to better support people suffering from mental illness?
A. Individuals can start by making their own mental health their priority. When you do that, you know how important it is to support others in doing the same.
B. Society can help by prioritizing mental health over profit. This is starting to shift because of the collective cultural shift towards better mental health for the individual. We can spend our dollars with this priority in mind as a society. I’m proud to partner with TOMS — they are an example of a brand that aligns with my personal values, thanks to them giving 1/3 of their profits to help fund access to mental health resources.
C. The government can invest more money and resources into mental health services and education than they do in building weapons.
What are your 5 strategies you use to promote your own well-being and mental wellness? If you can, please give a story or example for each.
I do a morning practice called “morning pages” every day, and it has made my mental health thrive in ways I couldn’t have imagined! I sit down and set a timer for 30 minutes (you can do less), and I write nonstop, getting everything out of my mind until I get out of my way and start to write things that my ego would never allow. This is a great way to speak to your inner parts, like your inner child. This leads me to the second thing I do for myself that I cannot recommend enough! I check in with my inner child and parts to see what they need and how I can better support them to enjoy life. I believe in the power of exercise to promote your mental health, so at least five days a week, I do a 5–10k walk at a pace of at least 3.5 mph and often with a weighted rucksack on my back. I also love yoga. I meditate and do breathwork in some form at least once a day, and these are some of the most essential tools that I have ever learned in my 30+ years of seeking. One example of this is that when I use breathwork, even for just a few minutes, I can go into an altered state of awareness and connect with my body where I am having pain. I can access the pain without resistance and ask it what its message is for me. I have found that there are often emotions, thoughts, and beliefs related to that pain that need to be experienced, which I do by feeling and releasing through my exhales. When I do this, I often have major revelations, and the pain will lessen or disappear!
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a mental health champion?
I love to read, so I will choose some of my current favorites: How to Change your Mind by Micheal Pollan and How To Be An Adult by David Richo. I love Nedra’s Nuggets — Nedra Tawwab for weekly tips on mental health and boundaries. Also, an example of inner parts work an approach to healing that I use in my work, listen to Tim Ferris’ episode on how he healed childhood trauma:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7fPMm58yB4pjdVkw1NsLzi?si=jYB854I9RleLTiJl7PgepA&preview=coverart
For anyone who needs help regulating their nervous system, I have a free breathwork meditation that many of my clients have found helpful and you can get that here:
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6192aaa73a0e5bcf6f542243
If you could tell other people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
If you want the world to change, change yourself. Be the hero you have been waiting for.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I have so many stories but a recent one that stands out is that after being approached by two different book agents that both disappeared without a word, I was feeling down on myself and my dream to write my first book. Then, one day, after a session with my teacher, Dr. Clara Mosely, I was clear that I didn’t need anyone’s permission to write my book, that I was writing it, and that was that. The next day, a woman reached out and shared with me that my work had changed her life and wanted to help me publish my first book. That woman is now my wonderful book editor at Balance Books, an imprint of Hachette!
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I would not be who I am today without my Aunt Mary Ann. When I was 15 years old, she flew me to LA to stay with her for two weeks. With her, I heard classical music, ate at nice restaurants, and went to the spa, all things I had never had access to before. She showed me what was possible: a powerful female entrepreneur who had succeeded against all odds. Without her and her husband, my Uncle Curt, I may have never known that it was possible to live the big dreams I had for myself.
According to Mental Health America’s report, over 44 million Americans have a mental health condition. Yet there’s still a stigma about mental illness. Can you share a few reasons you think this is so?
I believe it’s because, as a culture, we value how we look over how we feel and how we seem rather than how we are.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can read my blog and join The Monthly Integration, my online healing community at MillanaSnow.com or find me on IG and TikTok as Millana Snow.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Mental Health Champions: Why & How Millana Snow Is Helping To Champion Mental Wellness was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.