First Aid Kit for the Mind

Relief From Mental Suffering Starts Here

A 21-day, self-guided course for high-functioning adults who are exhausted by incessant, self-critical thoughts and compulsive urges — and want practical tools that actually work.

A Buddhist teacher, a mindfulness trainer, and a founding facilitator of Dr. Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry, Vimalasara is also trained in Internal Family Systems, Embodied Somatics, Breathwork, and Shamanism.

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The Problem

You may look like you’re coping on the outside — but inside, your mind never seems to rest.

  • The thoughts are relentless
  • Self-criticism wears you down
  • Urges feel overpowering
  • You know what you should do
 but your mind won’t cooperate

You may have tried willpower, insight, therapy, or even recovery programs — yet the mental suffering continues.

The Shift

First Aid Kit for the Mind is not about “fixing” you.

It’s about giving you immediate, compassionate tools to meet your mind differently — especially in moments of distress.

By the end of 21 days, you won’t be perfect — but you will be better equipped.

 

 

What You'll Gain

By the end of this course, you will have:

  •  A toolkit of 5 practical mind-management skills you can use anytime
  • Less power given to intrusive, self-critical thoughts
  • More space between urges and action
  • A kinder, steadier relationship with your own mind
  • Relief — not through force, but through understanding
Get Immediate Access $99

How it works

  • 21 days
  • Short videos (1–5 minutes) every other day
  • Self-guided and private
  • Designed for real life, not perfection

 This is mental first aid — tools you can use in the moment, not just understand intellectually.

This course is for you if

  • You are high-functioning but mentally overwhelmed
  • You struggle with compulsive habits or urges
  • You are in recovery but still battle your thoughts
  • You feel stuck, powerless, or exhausted by your mind
  • You want relief — not another thing to “fix”

Who it's not for

  • People looking for a quick fix or magic cure
  • Those unwilling to gently engage with their inner experience

About the course leader

 

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 Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry, they have also trained in Internal Family Systems, Embodied Somatics, Breathworks, and Shamanism.

 Why Learn From Valerie-Mason John

You are learning from someone who understands this terrain deeply.

  • Author of multiple books on addiction, mindfulness, and recovery
  • Decades of lived and professional experience
  • Trauma-informed, compassionate, and practical
  • Teaching from real-world application — not theory alone

 This course brings together wisdom from mindfulness, recovery, and compassionate inquiry into a form that is simple, accessible, and usable.

Imagine a Life of Mental Clarity, Freedom, and Healing

 
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First Aid Kit for the Mind

This course is based on Vimalasara’s 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 – turn away from ‘stinking thinking’ 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.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE BOOK

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

'Vimalasara’s First Aid Kit for the Mind is a user-friendly guide for meeting our minds with kindness and compassion even when we’re 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.'

What you will learn.

Good to Know

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