October marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for us to be mindful and focus on what makes us tick. You may be drawn to creatively expressing yourself, mindful movement, meditation or finding stillness and insights whilst on a retreat. Or maybe you are a parent who is curious to know how mindfulness can be incorporated in the life of your child. Regardless of how you invest in your mental health and wellness, we trust you’ll find something on this list that inspires mindfulness and encourages your ommm.

ALCHEMY MOVEMENT

Alchemy Movement is a lovingly curated movement, meditation and transformation space. Gisela teaches a range of movement modalities which cater to her client’s individual needs. 

Through doing this, she is living out her purpose of assisting and guiding clients to connect with their bodies, minds, spirits and hearts. This is underpinned by Gisela’s belief that movement should go beyond physical exertion and the pursuit of vanity. Movement connects us with our own innate ability to heal and helps us to understand, not only the physical body, but the spirit within. 

Gisela offers privately arranged individual and group classes. These include yoga, Pilates and meditation classes. Her Alchemy Energy Classes are a concept she created to offer her clients something more than just physical fitness and rehabilitation – they are a chance to explore and delve deep into the energetic centres of the body in order to heal. Gisela also offers movement and meditation classes, which bring clients back to their bodies and gently bring a sense of peace to the mind. 

Dirk DeWaal has recently joined Gisela at Alchemy Movement and is offering Yin and Restorative classes on Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings. His classes are a blend of yoga asana, meditation, pranayama, compassion and mindfulness practices. Through these classes, Dirk holds space for you to slow down and settle into deliberate stillness. 

Where: 6 Mulbarton St, Robindale, Randburg.

Contact: [email protected] | 082 377 0658
Website: alchemymovement.co.za
Facebook: alchemymovement
Instagram: alchemy_movement_sa

LUCY DRAPER-CLARKE

With her doctorate in Mindfulness, Lucy Draper-Clarke offers courses in Mindfulness and Compassion and runs retreats, which allow participants to replenish and refocus themselves amidst the busy-ness of daily life. As many of her retreat and course attendees will tell you, Lucy’s speciality lies in her ability to inject humour and deep compassion into each and every class, course and retreat that participants find themselves in. 

From 1 November to 3 November, Lucy is collaborating with Felicity Hart, at the Speak Your Truth, Listen Deeply Retreat. There, participants will learn techniques of Mindful Communication and deeper human connection. 

Having been held consecutively for the past 12 years at the Tara Ropke Centre in the Groot Marico, The New Year Intentions Retreat in February 2020 includes the integration of body, heart and mind in a gentle unfolding process. It allows participants the opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and peacefully set their intentions for the coming year. 

In 2020, Lucy is also co-hosting two more retreats and will be running 8-week courses. These courses include the Mindfulness Based Living Course, the Compassion Based Living Course as well as From Awareness to Engagement, a course for Contemplative Change Makers. 

For more information on Lucy’s retreats and courses, visit her website.

Where: Tara Rokpa Centre, Kuilfontein, Groot Marico District, 2865

Contact: [email protected] | 071 419 8816
Website: lucydraperclarke.com
Facebook: HeartMindSA
Instagram: lucydraperclarke

RICKY BURNETT

As a working artist, Ricky believes that his task is to assist students to find elements of their uniqueness and to develop strategies, which might reveal and consolidate this uniqueness. Ricky says that good work is authentic work and it is rewarding, even if it is hard won. Therefore, he sees value and meaning in the artistic process itself, with the end result being just incidental. 

Ricky Burnett’s studio is a stimulating creative space filled with Johannesburg art students four and a half days a week. It is a working environment conducive to the exploration of your own creative intelligence and unique expression. 

On Ricky’s website he includes a series of short videos entitled, “Overheard at Art Class”. These will introduce you to some of his students and show you who you may be working next to at his studio. Furthermore, a digital gallery of some of his student’s work can be found on his website. 

Art classes with Ricky are R1120 per month for one session a week. There is a 10% discount if attending more than once a week. 

For more information regarding Ricky’s studio and art classes, visit his website.

Where: 80 Jan Smuts Ave, Saxonwold

Contact: [email protected] | 011 646 0664
Website: rickyburnett.co.za
Facebook: Ricky Burnett Art Classes

YOUNG & YOGA

Technology and globalisation may bring many positives, however they are also exposing our children to numerous expectations, demands, and stressors. This can lead to the internalisation of self-expectation, which is resulting in childhood stress and anxiety being on the rise in South Africa.

It is Mandi’s mission to put free-spirited and care-free fun back into childhood. She believes that children need balance in this ‘hurry-up’ world. With research supporting the great value that yoga can bring to children, Mandi sees yoga as a powerful medium for developing the personality of children, and making them capable of facing the present day challenges and problems. She believes that as adults, we need to give children the skills to listen inward to their bodies, feelings and ideas.

Young and Yoga exists to help children build the tools they need to better deal with their realities and busy lifestyles – not only in childhood, but in their entire life.

The benefits of yoga do not only include those that come from being mindful. Yoga also results in improved memory and attention span at school, weight management, flexibility, posture and balance, increased confidence, improved self-control and enhanced coping skills.

Mandi does private in-home sessions and will be continuing her work in a few more schools in 2020.

Where: Various homes and schools across Johannesburg

Contact: [email protected]
Website: youngandyoga.co.za
Instagram: youngandyoga

VAJRAPANI KADAMPA BUDDHIST CENTRE

Vajrapani Kadampa Buddhist Centre is one of more than 1200 Kadampa centres worldwide, giving everyone the opportunity to use Buddha’s teachings to practically transform their daily lives and walk the path to enlightenment. Whilst the centre shares pure Mahayana Buddhist teachings and meditations, their approach ensures that it is relevant to our modern, busy world.

Vajrapani Kadampa Buddhist Centre runs weekly meditation classes, courses, retreats and events throughout the year in Johannesburg. They are holding their annual Open Day on Sunday, 13 October, providing an opportunity for everyone to visit their beautiful Centre. Medicine Buddha – Healing Body & Mind (Chanted Prayer Retreat) is taking place on 19 October. This is followed by How to Delete Stress: Buddha’s advice on how to live a stress free life, the following weekend – as well as a Guided Meditation and Walk at Moreleta Nature Reserve. The centre is also running six events throughout November.  They are hosting the South African Dharma Celebration & Blessing Empowerment of White Tara from Friday, 8th – Sunday, 10th November. Everyone is welcome.

Vajrapani Kadampa Buddhist Centre believes that by training in meditation and other Buddhist practices, anyone can improve the quality of their life by developing inner peace, compassion and wisdom. Therefore, the centre offers weekly drop-in meditation classes, which consist of talks and guided meditations suitable for everyone. They also offer monthly Meditation Classes for Children ages 5-12 years.

Where: Upper Level The Colony Shopping Centre, 345 Jan Smuts Ave, Craighall Park

Contact: [email protected] | 078 530 8116
Website: meditation.org.za
Facebook: VKBCJoburg
Instagram: VKBCJoburglocation | meditateinjoburg

Abigail Samuelson