Meditation

Time is finite and carving out precious minutes for essential self-care shouldn’t feel so hard. But when you do find the time, you’re faced with having to choose between exercise, meditation and being social — all things that are great for you and your health.

How do you choose?

Now, you don’t have to.

Welcome to Mindful Exercise.

Join this 30-minute class for virtual, live guided mindful movement, and friendly video chat to discuss your experience, ask questions, and get acquainted with other virtual, mindful movers.

How it works:

• Join by walking at home or anywhere you can access a treadmill or elliptical machine.
• Classes are conducted live via video call.
• Participants can choose to leave cameras on or off at the beginning and end of class.

Benefits:

• Great for people who struggle to sit in stillness or with seated meditations
• Movement creates a helpful focal point for our easily distracted minds
• You can practice anywhere you can walk
• Supports relaxation, calm, centeredness, and physical health
• Learn to relax and de-stress while in motion

You should join if:

• you want a more personalized experience than videos or apps
• moving and nurturing mindfulness and inner calm is important to you
• you want to create and be part of a positive, supportive community
• you’re curious to explore self-paced, guided walking meditation
• you want the benefits of exercise, meditation and socialization in one activity

Virtual INDOOR/OUTDOOR session. Join from outside or from a treadmill, bike or elliptical machine.

Dates:
TBC

Cost:
TBC

Drop-in classes are available at $23 per class (plus HST) Pre-registration is required for each drop-in class, a minimum of 24 hours in advance. 

• DROP-IN Class*
• Guided meditation session to help you relax before beginning the week ahead
• Sundays nights from 9 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Cost $23 per class (plus GST)
• *Pre-registration required for each drop-in class, minimum of 24 hours in advance

• 30 minutes
• $60 per session (plus GST)
• Session times and details to be determined in advance, in consultation with Laura

Does your teen need new tools for their stress management toolbox?

Teens are experiencing greater levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that helps us learn about the connection between our mind and body: How what we think affects the way we feel, and provides us with practical tools to better address the tendency to get overwhelmed, anxious and stressed out.

This three-session workshop aims to provide teens with a basic foundation of mindfulness so that they can begin to develop and grow the skills needed to not get overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings.

Participants learn about:

• The practice of Mindfulness
• How to recognize the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and sensory experiences
• Mindfulness meditations
• MIndfulness skills to employ in day-to-day life

Who should join:

Teens aged 13 – 19 who might benefit from learning new ways to help alleviate anxiety and stress

Dates and Times:
Three sessions – 45 minutes each session
DATES TBD

Cost:
$100 total (plus HST)

About your instructor 

Laura Mandell has been a Canadian Yoga Alliance-certified Meditation Teacher since 2012. As a leader in strategic marketing and communications, Laura has spent her career working in fast paced, high pressure roles. Having run low on “tools” in her stress management tool box, she discovered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in 2010 and completed an intensive nine-week program based on the work of Jon Kabat Zinn.

She went on to complete her 200-hour Meditation Teacher Training Program and has taught privately, in workplaces, health care settings, in-person and online, working with adults and teens — all while continuing to work in her full-time, high-pressure roles. Her approach to meditation is “practical”; her goal is to make meditation accessible and meaningful for everyone who practices with her – especially those who never thought meditation was for them! Laura derives immense joy from helping others source their own inner calm within the outer chaos and brings a deeply intuitive style to her teaching.

Email lauramandell@wholeheartmentalhealth.com to learn more or click below to register.

You can also check out this simple, 8-Minute guided Morning Meditation with Laura here.