First Aid Kit for the Mind
Break free from your habitual cycles
Gain practical tools with Vimalasara to transform your negative habits and emotional life. A Buddhist teacher, a mindfulness trainer, and a founding facilitator of Dr. Gabor MatĂ©âs Compassionate Inquiry, Vimalasara is also trained in Internal Family Systems, Embodied Somatics, Breathwork, and Shamanism.
What people have said about the book
- "...Mason-John's wisdom and guidance is one of the premier social , cultural and psychological healers of our time' Kenneth V Hardy
- "An entertaining, succinct, and highly practical primer to help us get through challenging moments..." Gabor Maté
- "...A user-friendly guide for meeting minds with kindness and compassion.." Sharon Salzberg
- "..practical set of tools for dealing with addiction and underlying trauma I've ever read." Kevin Griffin
- "...essential in looking in a kind and wise way at patterns and triggers." Martine BatchelorÂ
Clarity
Gain a clear understanding of your thoughts and emotions, and learn to manage them effectively.
Freedom
Break free from the chains of negative thinking and self-doubt that are holding you back.
Healing
Learn to heal from past traumas and build resilience for the future.
About the course leader
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Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John has worked as an international correspondent covering Aboriginal deaths in custody, and interviewed Irish political prisoners and ex-rebels from the Sierra Leone war.
Their work in the field of conflict transitioned into working with gangs, the incarcerated, bullies, and challenging behavior. Valerie is equipped to work in many modalities. A senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community, a mindfulness trainer, and a founding facilitator of Dr. Gabor MatĂ©âs Compassionate Inquiry, they have also trained in Internal Family Systems, Embodied Somatics, Breathworks, and Shamanism.
Their books include Detox Your Heart: Meditations for Emotional Trauma, Eight Step Recovery: Using the Buddhaâs Teachings to Overcome Addiction, and more recently Iâm Still Your Negro: An Homage to James Baldwin. They work as an international public speaker and trainer in the field of mindfulness for trauma and addiction, and interview high-profile Buddhist and spiritual teachers and leaders for the Wisdom for Life platform. Valerie/Vimalasara has a private counseling/healing practice and lives in Canada with their partner.
First Aid Kit for the Mind
This course is based on Vimalasaraâs book, First Aid Kit for the Mind.
Developed by a leading writer on addiction and recovery, keep this small book close for those moments when you need inspiration, guidance, and the courage to deal with your impulses skilfully. A workbook, a guide to reflection, and a prompt for greater embodied mindfulness â turn away from âstinking thinkingâ to what is meaningful in your life and relationships. An illustrated, accessible guide to choosing recovery over addiction, reactivity, and unhelpful habits.
The book is accompanied by guided meditations and reflections recorded by the author.
Gabor Maté
'In this gem of a book Vimalasara distills eons of wisdom, many years of study and decades of deep personal experience. The result is an entertaining, succinct, and highly practical primer to help us get through the many challenging moments life has a way of throwing at us.'
Sharon Salzberg
'Vimalasaraâs First Aid Kit for the Mind is a user-friendly guide for meeting our minds with kindness and compassion even when weâre struggling the most. Their no-nonsense approach offers readers a chance for freedom from the myriad of habitual tendencies in which we often find ourselves stuck.'
Martine Batchelor
'First Aid Kit for the Mind is a lovely and essential book. Lovely in its presentation, in its practical tips and personal stories; essential in looking in a kind and wise way at patterns and triggers. Valerie Mason-John is a wonderful teacher and friend on a journey to freedom and creativity.'
