the-big-silence
Suffering in silence only reinforces the stigma surrounding mental health issues and creates barriers that prevent healing.”
We raise awareness, promote understanding, and aim to bring together people and organizations who want to improve public attitudes towards mental health and normalize conversations surrounding mental health topics and experiences.
Karena Dawn
Karena Dawn, co-founder of Tone It Up, is a wellness entrepreneur, NY Times best selling author, NAMI board advisor and a passionate mental health advocate. Growing up with a mother who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, her childhood was filled with traumatic experiences that resulted in repressed emotions, guilt, shame and a suicide attempt. She knows from experience that suffering in silence only reinforces the stigma surrounding mental health issues and creates barriers which prevent healing.
She overcame a dark period of depression, anxiety and substance abuse in her teens and 20s, was able to forge a path to self-discovery, build a nurturing community that has helped millions, and ultimately find peace. She has always used her platform and influence to inspire people around the world through fitness, mindfulness and spiritual empowerment and founded The Big Silence Foundation to further her mission and erase the stigma surrounding mental health.
Our Mission
The Big Silence Foundation cultivates conversations and offers resources and programs to destigmatize and change the culture around mental health.
The Big Silence Foundation activates programs and tools to support people’s mental health journey at different stages of life from children to adulthood.
We create a 4 step process to support and uplift you on your mental health journey:
Self Awareness and Clarity
Starting the conversation within yourself to understand what you are feeling and why
Stress and Anxiety Management
Tools to help your treat and work through the stresses life can bring
Strength and Flexibility
The foundation for a healthy mind is a strong body
Empathy and Listening
Understanding other peoples feelings and spreading positive energy
Join us to break the silence and make the world a more joyful and loving place.
MEET OUR
Executive Director
Rachel has over fifteen years of leadership experience, principally with non-profits. After more than a decade dedicated to community development through arts and culture organizations, Rachel joins The Big Silence because the cause resonates with her experience of growing up in a family altered by mental illness. As an accomplished grant writer, she has secured funding from National Endowment for the Arts, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, National Center for the Book, and others. Rachel is also a poet and editor who believes that sharing our stories has the power to transform lives.
Social Media
Deseray is our LA based Social Media Manager with 7 years of experience working in the marketing space. She specializes in brand strategy and content creation, and loves what she does! Growing with a brand is so rewarding and the people she has met along the way makes it all worth it.
Founding Partner
MEET OUR
KARENA DAWN
ERIC BAKER
JAMES NICHOLAS KINNEY
SHANE MCCASSEY
TONIA O'CONNOR
RACHEL SAHAIDACHNY
DEBBIE WHITEHEAD
ORDER YOUR COPY
by Karena Dawn
$28.95 | April 26, 2022
Karena Dawn, New York Times Bestselling Author and cofounder of Tone It Up, chronicles her brutal journey from the emotionally abandoned daughter of a homeless schizophrenic mother through her teenage years as she desperately tried to escape her own inner demons. At the heart of Karena''s story is the eternal struggle we all share-reconciling our internal voice with our external voice and moving past the pain and suffering of our battles to experience life''s joys.
The newsletter is your inside scoop into every podcast episode, special events, and resources! Watch your inbox for a special gift - as a thank you, you'll receive a FREE resource — "Life Lessons That I Have Learned That Might Help You" from Karena Dawn. Plus gain exclusive access to "Big Feels" a weekly message from Karena to you, available only through the mailing list.