https://www.facebook.com/673845023072314/

Laura Oakes, Ocean Springs, MS (2026)

11/08/2024

💜 Creating a safe space to support our youth will reduce stigma around mental health & save lives.

I am honored to work on the prevention side of mental health, by becoming a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor by .

❤️‍🩹 Instructors are on the frontlines of the program, training people in their communities in Mental Health First Aid, & teaching people how to help adolescents who are experiencing substance use + mental health challenges.

Youth MHFA is designed to teach parents, caregivers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, health + human services workers, & other caring citizens how to help an adolescent who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.

Our MS Gulf Coast region has been identified as a hot spot for youth mental health conditions.

There has been a near collapse of community mental health services, in South MS.

😓 In MS, the number of deaths involving synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl spiked by 51%, from 2020-2021!!

Alarmingly, 1/3 overdose deaths is among people < 35 years of age.

Mental Health First Aid also offers an Opioid overdose education + Naloxone (Narcan) training component. Narcan is an Opioid antagonist that can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped, because of an opioid overdose. You will receive a Narcan kit to carry.

🙌🏽This year, the MS Public Health Association received a Three million dollar grant for this initiative.

Dr. Allison Ford-Wade, a Professor of Public Health at The University of Mississippi, is over the Mental Health First Aid Initiative. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Public Health Association.

👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏽TOGETHER, we can bring mental health support, resources, education + awareness to our community.

Anyone can become a Mental Health First Aider. It is an incredible opportunity & thanks to the grant, it is FREE.

If you're interested in training your organization to become Youth Mental Health First Aiders, AT NO COST, please message me. I can't wait to co-instruct with my dear friend ✨

10/31/2024

PSA: Fluoride is neurotoxic. 🧠

👻 I know it's Halloween.. and to me, this is a very 'scary' reality. The US has been adding Fluoride to our water since 1945.

Fluoride is more toxic than lead and slightly less toxic than arsenic. 💯

Fluoride easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in the brain. The nervous system is sensitive to fluoride, and too high of an exposure causes developmental delays, neurological problems, including lowered IQ (especially in children: 2-5 points lower), neurological inflammation and damage to brain cells.

💦 On the International front, most of the Western European countries have rejected water fluoridation including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Standard fridge filters are not specifically designed to filter out Fluoride.

😅 Fluoride also increases the levels of epinephrine, histamine, serotonin, and glutamate and decreases levels of norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine.

In animal studies, fluoride impacts behavioral outcomes such as anxiety and depression through alterations in serotonin levels.

Water fluoridation can also increase the risk of ADHD in children.

❤️‍🩹 We are what we eat' and 'drink...'

We must be our own advocate, as well as an advocate for the health and wellbeing of our children.

There are many water filters, you can find online, that will filter out Fluoride in your drinking water.

Personally, we use a Berkey water filtration system at home which we purchased from Amazon. You can taste a big difference too..

😬 The last time I went to the dentist, I asked for a Fluoride-free treatment. I use 'Hello' Fluoride-free toothpaste, which you can find at Walmart, on Amazon, etc..

Stay tuned. I will be posting more mental health and wellness tips. ✨

10/24/2023

💜 Two years ago, today, I took my last sip of alcohol.

For 18 years, I silently battled with depression, anxiety, & alcoholism.

I was at war with myself. 🌀

I cycled in & out of abusive relationships.
I cycled in & out of eating disorders.

I was embarrassed by these 'things,' trying to hide in my own shadows..

🖤 We all have a shadow side.

Instead of running from the dark, we can choose to dance with our own shadow.

When life feels dark, dim, & cold, lending compassion toward those parts of ourselves we aren't proud of teaches us to befriend the uncomfortable.

We learn how to love & accept ourselves, as a whole.

We realize that everyone struggles & it's a natural part of the human experience.

I've realized there is no need to hide.

There is no healing in hiding. 💯

There is no truth in avoidance.

There is no expansion in contraction.

🧩 All pieces + parts, of your story, add up to make your puzzle complete.

We all have a story to tell.
Your story matters.

For years, I couldn't see my own worth.

I smiled to the outside world..
Inside, I felt depleted & numb.

I became physically ill, going into perimenopause 15 years before my body should have. Dx with Htn crisis, Arterial stenosis, Raynauds, Hypothyroid.

My body began to shut down.

Ultimately, my breakdown led to my breakthrough. 💪🏽

This led to further self-inquiry.. shedding the old, assembling the new, & building back stronger & more resilient than before.

There can be no growth without curiosity & no adaptability without being able to explore- through trial and error- who you are & what matters most to you.

When we feel lost, lending curiosity toward our confusion will shed light & bring clarity around our next step.

Curiosity is the process of self-evaluation.

🕊️ We each hold the key to our own uncaging.. we are a bird, preparing to take flight.

Curiosity will set us free.

There is nothing I am ashamed of, anymore, because I've taken the time to sit with myself.. to accept accountability & responsibility for my actions..
to forgive myself and others.

❤️‍🩹 The only way out is in.

09/14/2023

Love and hate,
How much more are we supposed to tolerate?

We are one. One consciousness. One source energy. One web we weave. 🕸️

Choose love over fear and hate. 💜

May we honor our greater connection to everyone and every living thing.

There is too much anger, polarity, division, disconnection, and greed.

There is not enough gratitude.

🪬 We are all connected.

Let us lift each other up.
Together, we are stronger. 🫶🏽Together, we can heal.

Every day, for the past three weeks, I have cried.. several times a day.

I cry tears of gratitude, for waking up another day. I am humbled by this gift of life.

I cry.. holding a heavy heart for the current state of affairs, in our World. 💔

I cry.. frustrated with our sense of entitlement and greed.. our want for more, when we already have so much. Too much.

When will it be enough?

May we slow down and recognize what we do have vs what we don't have.

We are fortunate and abundant beyond measure. ✨

The Balinese reminded me of this.

I can't stop crying, and I honor these tears.

I honor each and every one of you. Your bravery, strength, courage, and resiliency.

Life is often hard, but amidst the struggle and pain there is so much joy and beauty in simply being alive.

This is the truth. Let's wake up.

04/21/2023

💜Today, on my 36th birthday, my business is born.

My website is LIVE. 🥳 Link in Bio.

I am honored & excited to share this new chapter of my life with you.

🌱Rooted in gratitude for this breath & humbled by my falls, I am passionate about turning my mess into my message.

My mission...

Guiding you to embody balance, wholeness, and emotional well-being.

Become the limitless version of yourself, living a life with passion + purpose.

🌎I want to build a community where people of all walks & races can feel seen, heard, + empowered.

Healing. Expansion. Renewal.

✨Waking up today- a call to celebrate life- these were my thoughts..

The descent is just as important as the rise.

🥀 Like thorns on a rose, my journey is perfectly imperfect. What a beautifully broken, mended, magical, mysterious, joyful, & bumpy ride life has been. I can tell you one thing.. I have LIVED.. Once hard, I now cherish the soft. I honor my scars.

🌊Life is a continuous shifting of the tides. We're not tied to the version of ourselves we once were. The struggling swimmer can become the lifeguard.

Lessons of growth & transformation await us on the other side of the perceived challenge. Dive deep. The reward is endless possibility! 💫

In my 👀, mastering the art of living is becoming intentional about the energy we project externally, regardless of what we're working through internally.

Our triggers are our teachers.
Our passions are the breadcrumbs leading to our souls evolution.. Follow them. 👣

☯️ If we learn to make peace with ourselves, no matter where we go, there we are, and, inside, we are free.

Curiosity will conquer fear, even more than bravery. Train yourself to be curious in the face of uncertainty. 😸

Expect the unexpected.

Trust. Let go. Create space to allow what is meant to come, come.

Release what is no longer serving you. 🦅

We create our own reality.
We see what we choose to see.

Cheers to another year of diving deep within & seeing what treasures I can discover💗

Wishing you peace along your journey. I believe in you!

💧"You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the entire ocean in a drop." -Rumi

04/12/2023

🌿This month's community offering, from Laura Oakes ], will take place on Sunday, April 30th from 4-5 pm.

Location: FACE at Twelve Oaks
1112 Hanley Road Ocean Springs, MS

💕 Free, donation-based class. All proceeds will go to FACE (The Friends of Arts, Culture, and Education). FACE has been raising money for their summer camp scholarship fund.

Tailored toward children, of all ages, we will combine movement, music, and a short mindfulness meditation, using the arts as a transformative tool for healing + well-being. 🎼

Art, nature, & somatic therapy (dance, breathing, grounding & physical exercises) allow children to process things that have happened to them, helping to reduce stress & anxiety as they work through these challenges. 🙌🏽

By providing kids a safe place to express their negative feelings and emotions, somatic therapy can improve a child's mental, emotional, & physical health. ☮️

🎨 Art & somatic therapy play an integral role in processing, releasing, and healing trauma that has been stored in our energetic bodies, by forging a connection between mind-body-spirit. 🥁

Laura Oakes ] will match the amount raised for FACE, and send to in Rwanda, Africa, to support their children's program. 🇷🇼

Owner mission is to cultivate community + healing, through art + culture. They are exposing children to art, music, drumming, & dancing, providing kids with a healthy outlet to reduce stress, anxiety, process trauma, & have fun while doing so! 💜

During my time, in Rwanda, with the thoughtfully crafted Trauma Recovery Coaching Program- and through a series of synchronicities- I became connected with . Check out their page- Proceeds, from any art purchased, goes to support Rwanda's community & children’s program. 💗

🪘Traditional Rwandan dance is a key ingredient in ceremonies, festivals, social gatherings and storytelling. Whenever they perform, emotions flow. When relics of their favorite songs kick in, they exhibit feelings from the heart. Our bodies and souls speak through music and flow. Together, we can heal.

04/05/2023

It is up to YOU. 🦾

Standing on the sidelines- waiting for someone else to create the life you want- will keep you stuck right where you are. 💯

If you want change, create it.
If you want movement, flow. 🌊

Play the game of YOUR LIFE.
Life deals you hand after hand.
Put all of your cards on the table.
If you continue to fold, you will never evolve. 🃏

It is painfully clear that we can not go back to the way things were. I don't wish to. Change is everywhere. 🌀

We must move into our creative center, our hearts, and create the change we want to see in OUR WORLD. 💗

What we learn more about ourselves, how we create, where we get stuck, what all is actually available to us, and the infinite nature of what is possible will illuminate our highest path, both individually and collectively, moving forward. ✨

BE. DO. YOU. I believe in you.

03/07/2023

Rooted in gratitude for another day and step along my journey. Feeling joyful 🙏🏼

03/05/2023

🏝️ Join me on Sunday, March 26th @ 530-630 for a guided, mindfulness meditation.

Location: Front Beach. Ocean Springs, MS @ bon fire pit #20.

💕 Free, donation-based class. Proceeds go to the Gulf Coast Center for Non-Violence.

Feel free to bring a chair, blanket, something to sip, or simply yourself + ground in the sand.

I'll have a fire going.
Let's sit + get lit. 🌊🧘🏼‍♀️🔥

05/01/2020

❤️ Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

New Orleans is my home.
The now empty streets, of the French Quarter,
I roam.
Life living on pause, "Can we fast forward?" People ask, as days play on repeat.
Marching to the beat of the internal drum,
Everyone to our own beat.
Our steps, not in sync, each trying to figure out where to go, what to do.
Our lives tossed upside down, drastic change,
what will ensue?
No live music is playing,
no street band to see,
no galleries to browse,
I look around, it's just me.
A ghost of a town,
chills rush down my spine,
but this town is my home,
this city is still mine.
Oh how I miss dancing and talking to a stranger,
a simple luxury of mine,
now a threat, viewed as danger.
No party to attend,
no festival to enjoy,
glancing down Royal street,
not a girl, not a boy.
I do see the homeless,
still laying in despair,
only kind words to offer, spreading hope into thin air. My heart feeling heavy,
wishing there was more I could do,
I smile and I wave,
inside feeling blue.
No brunch to attend,
no bar to call home,
alone I shall walk,
through my City, My home.
After this, where to?
My home I shall walk.
Finding comfort in the sound of silence, no chatter, no talk. How long will this last?
Work calls it our new norm.
From this storm,
we will emerge, mindset taking new form.
My hope is we simplify, focusing on what matters most. The people, ALL of the people, may we help others rise, less ego, no boast.
Less self-pride and division,
standing united, as our mission.
May we empathize,
becoming humble,
putting ourself in another's shoes.
Walking where they walk,
doing what they do.
In stride, side by side,
feeling what they feel.
One day, soon I hope,
that dream will become real.
The streets will be bustling,
the music will play,
we will walk here together,
Together, some day. ❤️
I wrote this one day, while aimlessly wandering through the empty streets of the French Quarter, simultaneously tripping in a pot hole.. 💯Oh New Orleans.. Some things never change.

07/28/2019

✨All Hail, Queen Mary Kay. 🔮👸🏾

07/28/2019

✨Big Chief John. Wild Tchoupitoulas Indians. 🔮A second line, in memory of Art Neville. 🎼 What a beautiful night. This is, The Soul of New Orleans. 💓

Laura Oakes

11/08/2024

10/31/2024

10/24/2023

09/14/2023

04/21/2023

04/12/2023

04/05/2023

03/07/2023

03/05/2023

05/01/2020

07/28/2019

07/28/2019

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