Yoga for Mental Health

I’m honored to be guiding a yoga session at Pinecrest’s Fitness Fest on the Green at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 31st—the final day of Mental Health Awareness Month—in partnership with the LifeAct Youth Board and Power Yoga Collective.

This cause is deeply personal to me. I first spoke at LifeAct’s “Into the Light Walk” (formerly SPEA) in 2011, just over a decade after losing my brother Conor to suicide following his long battle with bipolar disorder. This past year marked 25 years since his passing, and it is still hard to believe.

Yoga entered my life the following year and, for the past 24 years, it has been a steady anchor. Yoga offers practical, science-backed tools for managing stress, supporting emotional well-being, and restoring clarity in a noisy, fast-paced world. These practices have helped me navigate grief, anxiety, and the inevitable challenges of life. I share them not as a cure-all, but as a cathartic and empowering way to create space, reduce stigma, and build resilience.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, isolated, or in need of a reset—this session is for you.

You don’t have to be flexible or experienced. Just come as you are. You might be surprised by what 60 minutes of movement, breath, and reflection can do.

As we bring Mental Health Awareness Month to a close, we remember that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in community, through connection and conversation. We are stronger than we think, and we are stronger together.

Hope to see you there—please invite a friend to join you.

Please bring a yoga mat or towel and water. No experience is required—just show up as you are.

Kevin O’Brien is an educator, yoga instructor, and longtime mental health advocate who teaches English and coaches lacrosse at University School. Read his article for the Boys Education Series, “How I Discovered the Power of Mindfulness”, and watch his keynote at the 2011 LifeAct “Into the Light Walk.”

****Thank you to everyone who came! We had such a great time!