Sometimes, we all need a little help.  Mindfulness practices help you to live fully in the moment, to bring awareness to your thoughts, emotions and feelings so you are able to manage your happiness, your relationships and yourself more skillfully.

Jon Kabat Zinn who is thought of as the father of secular modern day mindfulness talks below about what mindfulness is and how it can transform your experience of life.

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Here is a selection of the different programs and workshops we run. Anyone who attends our Mindful Living 101 program is free to come to any future Mindful Living 101 program to refresh your practice or if you weren't able to make all of the program dates.  Check our workshop dates page for dates and times of our upcoming programs & workshops.  

 

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Mindful Living 101 - 

4 Week Program

A beginners program over 4 weeks for 2 hours per week. Learn the what, why and how of mindfulness to start your mindful journey.

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Deepen Mindfulness - 4 Week Program

For those who have completed the 4 week Mindful Living program an opportunity to deepen your practice and understanding of how mindfulness can transform the way you think, feel and respond to life. 

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Befriending Your Mind Workshop

Ever found yourself in a spiral of negative self talk or judgement of others? Don't worry that makes you human like the rest of us. In this workshop learn how to understand, befriend and transform your less useful thought patterns. The program runs over 2 weeks, for 2 hours per session.

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The Compassionate Mind Workshop

In this 2 - part workshop learn how your brain is wired in ways that often don't result in kind or compassionate behaviour to yourself and others. Then learn proven techniques to rewire your brain for kindness, compassion and well-being.

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Mindfulness & Technology - Learning to Switch Off

This one's for everyone who owns a mobile phone and knows their relationship with it is less than healthy. In this 2 hour workshop learn how and why we are addicted to technology and how to get back in control of it for a happier and healthier life.

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Mindful Eating Workshop

Have you ever found yourself snacking mindlessly whilst working, using food to comfort yourself when you are stressed or felt frustration at yourself because of unhelpful eating habits? In this workshop learn how your eating habits, emotions, brain wiring and thought patterns can make it tough to change old eating habits. Then learn how mindful eating and thinking can transform you relationship to food and to yourself.

Most of us aren't that great at celebrating our successes and being kind to ourselves. If you were to sit down right now and say a few kind words to yourself what would they be? If you are finding it really hard to do that, imagine yourself as a kind friend or colleague, and think about how they might compliment you? This isn't about pretending we are perfect, it's about acknowledging that we all have so much to offer, so much to give and often so much to celebrate. We just need to get into the habit of noticing it. Happy Tuesday. 🤗💙
"To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is." Thich Nhat Hanh
We love this quote by Jung, as it really pinpoints why so many of us find it difficult to allow our more negative emotions to just be there. In the full quote he goes on to say, "The later procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular." Ironically, the harder we resist negative emotions or chastise ourselves for not being able to 'snap out of it', the longer they are likely to last and the less able we are to learn from those emotions. Mindfulness helps us over time to cultivate a greater ability to be with pleasure and with pain without resistance or attachment. When we allow those emotions to be as they are, we are also being kind and accepting of ourselves, and often this shift in itself is enough to let some light in.
“We do so much, we run so quickly, the situation is difficult, and many people say, “Don’t just sit there, do something.” But doing more things may make the situation worse. So you should say, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” Sit there, stop, be yourself first, and begin from there.” – Thich Nhat Hanh.
Research demonstrates that social connection is vital to our mental well-being. It gives us a sense of belonging, a sense of security and feelings of self worth and contributes to overall feelings of happiness. When life and work get really busy it can be easy to let our friendships slide as we prioritise work and forget about looking after oursleves and nurturing the relationships that matter most to us. If you don't feel like you have given time to your relationships recently, reach out to someone you care about today. Call them, meet them, let them know you care and notice how you feel as that connection is reignited, nurtured and strengthened. 🤗💙
Wishing you and your family peace, wellbeing and happiness.
"Acceptance does not mean inaction. We may need to respond, strongly at times...From a peaceful center we can respond instead of react. Unconscious reactions create problems. Considered responses bring peace. With a peaceful heart whatever happens can be met with wisdom...Peace is not weak; it is unshakable." Jack Kornfield.
What happens when you allow things to be just as they are? What do you notice in your mind and body? Interestingly, allowing things to be just as they are is often the start of a transition. Noticing how mental and physical states expand and contract and ebb and flow also provides us with the insight and perspective that nothing is permanent. Try writing about a time when you have allowed acceptance to guide your experience and see what comes up. 😊
This beautiful quote by Mingyur Rinpoche speaks to the ability we cultivate through our mindfulness practice to witness our thoughts and emotions clearly without being overly identified or overwhelmed by them. It isn't easy and it does take practice. The rewards of this practice are however substantial, as we learn to navigate the challenges of life with greater confidence and self-compassion. This then enables us to show up at our best more often, to be of greater service to others more often, and to be able to access strategies to help ourselves and others when times are tough. Just a few of the many reasons for practising mindfulness. 😊
"As long as something wants to arise, let it. As long as something wants to last, let it. As soon as something wants to pass, let it." Shinzen Young. This quote by Shinzen Young reminds us that Mindfulness is not about repressing, denying or judging our emotional states. It involves a brave encounter with the reality of those emotional states and the courage to accept them as they are. Only by doing this, are we able to navigate those states with wisdom and equanimity and in doing so weaken their grip on our mind and body. 🤷‍♀️💆🏻‍♀️
As the Founder of Mindfulness Dubai, and someone who has suffered from depression a number of times in my life, I have reflected a lot in the last few days about what more can be done to help people, as mental illness continues to rise globally. The latest headlines from the WHO on depression state that globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. There are many reasons for the increase in mental illness, but for now let's focus on how best to help. The isolation and shame that comes with depression is often the most debilitating part of the condition. I know myself that in the past I have found it difficult to tell the people I am closest to how I am really feeling. I also know that when I am finally able to ask for help, and to look for help it is there. Sometimes the symptoms of depression are obvious to others and at other times they are not. For this reason, I believe that each of us can help each other by continually making ourselves available for one another. Strengthening our connections to one another and being there physically and mentally for one another can make the difference between someone being able to ask for help or not. In the same way that physical pain is not constant, emotional pain strengthens and weakens in it's intensity, and because of that, in this ebb and flow of feeling, there is always room for a lifeline to get through, for a glimmer of hope to exist and for a helping hand to reach you. The help that is needed by one individual to the next varies, there isn't a one size fits all formula here. For me personally, mindfulness practices have helped very much which is why I am so passionate about teaching them. However, at other times that wasn't enough, and other types of professional help were beneficial. If you need help and aren't sure where to go, please feel free to call us for some advice. We often refer people to the fantastic teams of psychologists and psychiatrists at @lighthousearabia and @thepsychiatryandtherapycentre.
How do you explain setbacks to yourself? Have you noticed the way you talk to yourself when experiencing a setback and the impact that has on your mental and physical wellbeing. Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology has done a lot of research that demonstrates the impact that our 'explanatory style' has on our emotions and behaviours. He characterises 'optimistic' and 'pessimistic' styles that are determined by the degree to which we explain situations to ourselves as being PERSONAL, PERVASIVE AND PERMANENT. This could be a simple as when facing a setback, we find ourselves saying things like, 'this always happens to me, things never work out the way I want them to'. Although this may seem harmless, research suggests otherwise. Using this type of language to explain life's events to ourselves often prevents us from accessing more helpful mindsets such as curiosity, acceptance, determination or courage. Mindfulness helps us to cultivate awareness of these mindsets, both the optimistic and pessimistic ones and enables us to make more helpful choices when facing setbacks. You can start becoming more mindful of your mindset when facing a challenge by simply noticing the extent to which you are using words such as 'always', 'never', and 'can't', to explain the situation to yourself. Let us know how you get on. 🤗