Meet April McMillan of He Who Laughs & Anahata Mosaic

Today we’d like to introduce you to April McMillan. 

Hi April, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
On September 23, 2019, our oldest son died by suicide. It was later discovered he had an undiagnosed encephalitis attacking his brain the night he died. This devastating loss made me question everything about myself and my life. It was in the wake of my family’s grief that we formed He Who Laughs; Championing Mental Wellness. This non-profit exists to support the grief journey, normalize grief discussions, education on neurological autoimmune conditions, and to champion mental wellness. He Who Laughs was chosen as the name to honor our son, Isaac, whose name in Hebrew means, “he who laughs.” 

It was in this process of holding He Who Laughs that I then decided if I was going to return to teaching yoga, I wanted to do it on the foundation of physical and mental wellness being held as companions. Anahata Mosaic was born in March of 2020. Anahata is the Sanskrit word for “heart” and in light of my personal journey and the journey of my family it seemed fitting that the yoga wellness community we gave life too translate to “heart mosaic.” 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road? I am not sure that a smooth road exists. If it does, I highly doubt those who travel on it are taking risks or experiencing growth. While I will be the first to tell you balance is everything, I also recognize that in those struggles are some vital life lessons when you are open to the experience. 

I think one of the biggest challenges in owning two businesses that focus on wellness is making sure you carve out time for yourself, as well as, your family. While I may be accessible to help support the mental and physical wellness journey of others, I also learned that healthy boundaries go a long way in keeping me well. Those boundaries allow me to give where I can and ask for help from others when I know the task is too big for me to do it alone. 

A fun obstacle to work through and often leads to some serious self-reflection is the art of saying no. Just because I can say yes doesn’t always mean I should. It is totally okay to assess a situation, partnership, or relationship and say this isn’t right for me. A well-placed no can lead to a better yes. 

As you know, we’re big fans of He Who Laughs & Anahata Mosaic. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
He Who Laughs can be found online at www.hewholaughs.org. Individuals we meet through referrals are encouraged to join our public group on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay in the know of our activity. While He Who Laughs originally started as a local outreach for our area of residence, our reach has grown beyond Union County, as well as, the state of Ohio to encourage others mental wellness. Whether it is grief support, need for mental health resources, normalizing grief conversations, or neurological autoimmune education we try our best to let individuals know they are not alone. 

Anahata Mosaic is a yoga wellness community located in Marysville, OH that was born when our family could hold both our grief story and love story as equals. We have daily class offerings to accommodate any practice level and we believe in living our yoga. What does this mean? It simply means that when we practice, we also carry that practice with us wherever we go. Yoga is more than just a physical practice of poses; it is a beautiful way of harmonizing our existence in this world. Individuals are invited to visit us online at www.anahatamosaic.com or follow us on Instagram, @anahatamosaic 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Whether it is He Who Laughs or Anahata Mosaic, we are always looking for individuals to collaborate with on wellness opportunities, mental health education, or resources. Sometimes these collaborations are to help stabilize our personal journey or the journey of someone we have yet to meet. Often times we may not realize that the very thing we need for support is readily available. 

If individuals are wanting to support He Who Laughs and our efforts to championing mental wellness, online donations are accepted by visiting our web page, www.hewholaughs.org, or by visiting www.unioncountyfoundation.org and selecting He Who Laughs as the beneficiary of the donation. All donations made online are tax deductible and individuals will get a receipt from the Union County Foundation for the transaction. Our reach and efforts with He Who Laughs are made possible because of individuals like you. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Anahata Mosaic www.anahatamosaic.com
• Instagram: @anahatamosaic
• Twitter: @He_Who_Laughs_
• Others: He Who Laughs; Championing Mental Wellness www.hewholaughs.org

Image Credits
Amomda Photography