What is your professional background?

I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy who has treated patients with a mindset-first practice since 2008. My treatment focus shifted after discovering that many of the ailments I was encountering with my own body were due to emotional pain after losing my father. A simple breathing technique that has been shown in research to bring the body from "fight or flight" to "rest and digest" was the first thing to give me relief of the severe and debilitating neck pain I had been experiencing for over a year.

 

As I began to heal, I dug in and researched further. I began to use many of the techniques I was learning to heal myself on patients as well - and it worked. I had one woman who had been suffering from osteoarthritis for 20 years, become pain free with a simple program of prescribed laughter.

 

So many of the issues I have seen have a mental health component, especially the more chronic issues such as pain and autoimmune disorders. By empowering people and helping teach them simple but effective techniques to focus their mind on, they are able to achieve results with less medication that lasts longer and requires less overall intervention. To help reach more people, I founded Dr. Sasha in 2016 to share programs that heal from the inside-out.

 

In addition to my Doctoral work, I am also a multimedia artist. After seeing so many people suffering, I wanted to create something through art that brought people together to see themselves and others in a new light, and with that a renewed perspective. In 2018, I founded Sawübona, a multi-cultural platform for art, experiences and conversations that heal and unite humanity. Through these experiences, myself and my team have raised over $100,000 for Los Angeles based non profits.

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You have a family history of mental health, correct? 

Yes. I am able to help others because I have suffered and so has my family. I was raised with bipolar disorder affecting my mother, aunt and cousin. We had a healthcare system that didn't work and we had to find a way as a family to help them find help. Determined that they would all get through it, we sought every avenue available to us at the time and each is now a fully functioning member of our family and society. It takes a village to bring someone suffering back to health, and this event (the 10K) represents that - especially for our teenage youth who are often so distant from their parents or adults in general. We saw that first hand during the pandemic when our friend's son lost his life.

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You mention you have suffered. What happened?

In addition to my doctoral and postdoctoral training, I sought every alternate natural way to heal my own body and mind after my father passed and my family lost everything shortly thereafter. I had to rebuild from negative zero, brick by brick. In this quest I gained a greater insight into my own body and my own humanity, and was humbled to my core to see how vulnerable we all are as humans. I learned everything I could and tested on myself first. I then brought the new techniques into my work with my patients to see what worked and what didn't. The power of the human mind and the link to it and the human body was deepened in this time period.

 

Why swimming? 

Swimming has been an important part of my mental and emotional well being for most of my life. I competed for years and have been a Master's swimmer since college, traveling the country with the sport. In 2019 I started swimming beyond the pool,  joining a few Master's swimmers who were former lifeguards in the ocean. They had to beg me as I wanted nothing to do with the cold water - and now you can't get me out of the ocean year round! It has provided another level of peace, joy and community in my life - especially through the pandemic. I have swum with teenagers and adults and we all share a common love of sport and nature. We push each other to work through our fears and get stronger - and are better all-around for it.
 

Why is this event (the 10K) important?

One thing I feel like swimming is missing is a team effort toward a common goal, as the events themselves are personal (except for relays) and often teammates compete against one another. I wanted to create something fun and team building with teenagers and adults that included others who love the ocean and have found solace in it through kayaking and paddleboarding. The closest thing I can relate this to is how I felt doing a long distance cycling ride with a team where the end result wasn't a time, but rather to raise awareness for a cause, have a good time, and support each other. Doing this together as a team is what helps make this special and is what helps make it OK to talk about what someone is going through themselves or with a family member. It opens the door for support.

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