Sunday, April 10, 2022 Karate, a Snake, Fire Cupping, and Your Mental Health (Part 2 of 2) What The Karate Kid teaches us about our mental health Blogs Newsletters National By Quentin Steen, Representative As I mentioned in last month’s Mental Health Moment, the movie The Karate Kid coincided with a coming-of-age sort of thing for me. There were two scenes that I remember very well. As these scenes unfolded, I was left with perspectives that found resonance for the state of our mental health. First, sometimes managing our mental health may look to others that we’re doing very little or nothing at all. But that isn’t necessarily so. Dre’s final attack from his snake stance ends the match with Cheng. Cheng’s fatal mistake was assuming that Dre’s harmless snake stance pose amounted to nothing. Again, there is always a big difference between being still and doing nothing. I’ve been in Dre’s shoes a few times in the arena of my mental health. There are times where I might appear to be doing nothing but my stillness is anything but nothing. Like still water, there are times where quieting and calming my head and heart are misread, misinterpreted, or misunderstood by those around me. But it doesn’t mean I’m doing nothing about the battle for my mental health. Second, when life throws us a curveball, forcing us out of the arena with a blow we were not expecting or at times rendering us helpless, we aren’t. What matters most in times like this is that we get back up. To be able to stand up and move forward, even in the middle of tremendous pain, the magic we need is the presence of others. With the presence of others on our side, we can get our power back, stand up again, and push forward even against all odds. You are fortunate if you have those Mr. Hans in your life because life is always filled with tournaments of one kind or another. But if you don’t look for them, you won’t find them. They are there. In fact, we can all be a Mr. Han when we realize that sometimes all others need in the middle of their struggle is our presence, not quick fixes or all the correct answers. When our presence is driven by our love for those hurting, it serves as the “fire-cupping method” in empowering others. It’s their tournament, their struggle, their battle, not yours. It up to them to get up and re-enter the arena. But you can play the part of a supportive participant and be their Mr. Han. Presence + Love = Empowerment Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow! 4 Mental Health Resources to Help You If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness. Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions. WellCan offers free well-being resources to help Canadians develop coping strategies and build resilience to help deal with uncertainty, mental health, and substance abuse concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support provides free online resources, tools, apps, and connections to trained volunteers and qualified mental health professionals. You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026