Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat

Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat Registered Psychologist and Mindfulness Teacher/Trainer providing counselling, retreats & workshops.

Watch Kasim's mindfulness TEDx talk, entitled "How mindfulness meditation redefines pain, happiness & satisfaction" -https://youtu.be/JVwLjC5etEQ

05/01/2026

I used to believe that getting better at something, like meditation or sports, meant enjoying the process all the time!

But honestly, that hasn’t been my experience.

There are plenty of days where it feels hard, uncomfortable, or just off.

And those are usually the days that matter most.

Not because they feel good—but because you showed up anyway.

That’s where consistency is built. That’s where you start to trust yourself.

If you’re in one of those phases right now, you’re not alone.

▶️ Watch the full video in the link below 👇🏼

04/24/2026

What started as failure became a meaningful journey that I have taken!

I tore my Achilles during my very first half marathon in 2022. In that moment, it felt like everything fell apart. I questioned whether this was even for me.

Fast forward to last year… I completed 12 half marathons in 11 months!

Not because I had a perfect plan or special talent—but because I changed how I approached the journey.

I stopped trying to push through everything. I stopped chasing results. And I started focusing on showing up—consistently, patiently, and with a willingness to learn.

What I realized along the way is this:

It’s not about the race. It’s about who you become while training for it.

The biggest lessons weren’t about running—they were about life!

3 takeaways from the journey:

- Consistency beats intensity.
- Setbacks aren’t failure—they are feedback.
- You don’t have to love every step… you just have to keep showing up.

If you are in a season where things aren’t going as planned—keep going.

Sometimes the setback is exactly what sets everything in motion.

▶️ Watch the full podcast by clicking the link in the comment below 👇🏼

04/24/2026

The biggest lessons weren’t about running—they were about life!

3 takeaways from the journey:

- Consistency beats intensity.
- Setbacks aren’t failure—they are feedback.
- You don’t have to love every step… you just have to keep showing up.

If you are in a season where things aren’t going as planned—keep going.

Sometimes the setback is exactly what sets everything in motion.

▶️ Watch the full podcast by clicking the link in the comment below 👇🏼

04/22/2026

Most athletes are taught to focus on winning… but that mindset can actually hold you back 🥇🤔

When you fixate on the outcome, you add pressure, fear failure, and lose control of your performance.

The best athletes do something different:

They focus on the process — the daily habits, the small actions, the things they can control.

That’s where consistency, growth, and real mental strength are built.

If you’ve been working hard but still feel stuck or frustrated, this perspective might be exactly what you need to move forward — not just in sport, but in life.

See comment for link to watch this full compilation episode with Courtney McQueen with Run Like A Girl, Floris Gierman from Extramilest Podcast, Jerry Ziak, and Shannon Thompson, and Antoni Kindler👇🏼

04/15/2026

Can't turn your brain off? 🧠 🛑

Your mental health is shaped by what you consume daily. In this clip from Pause To Elevate Podcast conversation with Dr. Elli Weisbaum, from New College, University of Toronto, we explore doomscrolling and how negative content can increase stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.

Mindfulness helps you take control of your attention and choose inputs that support mental clarity, wellbeing, and resilience. 💓

See link to the full YouTube episode in the comments below 👇🏼

04/02/2026

What do you do when everything feels urgent… and the world feels like it’s on fire? 🔥

Most of us will find ourselves reacting, rushing, or pushing through our day.

But what if the real power is in taking a pause?

In this conversation with Dr. Elli Weisbaum, from New College, University of Toronto, we explore how mindfulness isn’t about escaping life—it’s about meeting it with clarity, steadiness, and compassion. Because suffering isn’t something to avoid… it’s part of being human. And learning how to turn toward it can change everything.

What really stood out is this: you don’t need more time, more control, or a perfect life to feel better. You can start in the smallest moments—walking, breathing, even brushing your teeth—and begin to shift from reacting to responding.

And maybe most importantly…you don’t have to wait for everything to be okay to feel okay ✅

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck in patterns, or caught in the same mental loops—this conversation is for you.

See link to the full YouTube episode in the comments below 👇🏼

Back in Vancouver after the opportunity to present on mindfulness to the Fellows at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrati...
04/01/2026

Back in Vancouver after the opportunity to present on mindfulness to the Fellows at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) in Tucson, Arizona.

I was struck by the depth of engagement, presence, and genuine openness among these physicians. It left me feeling hopeful about the future of healthcare—one that integrates clinical evidence with mindfulness, compassion, and deeper human connection.

Grateful to AWCIM and Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., for the meaningful work you are doing at the University of Arizona, helping bring integrative approaches into the heart of medicine!

03/20/2026

Whether it’s scrolling, overworking, numbing out, or more obvious forms of addiction, so many of us find ourselves caught in patterns that don’t actually serve us, and yet, we keep returning to them!
What if the way forward isn’t more force, more control, or more self-criticism, but a different relationship with what’s happening inside us?
In this powerful conversation with Dr. Christopher Willard (Harvard Medical School, Clinical Psychologist & Mindfulness teacher), we explore how mindfulness can help us work with these patterns — not by shutting down emotions, but by understanding them.
We talk about:
✨ Why we get stuck in cycles of habit and reactivity
✨ The role of self-compassion in lasting change
✨ Simple practices that calm the nervous system in real time
This episode is deeply human, practical, and full of tools you can start using right away.
If you’ve been feeling stuck in patterns — big or small — this conversation might offer a different way forward.
Check out the link to the full YouTube podcast in the comment section 👇🏼

03/10/2026

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get stuck in your head and replay the same thoughts again and again? 🔄

In my latest Pause to Elevate podcast, I share a conversation with Dr. Norman Farb, Professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the University of Toronto. We explore how our mental habits shape the way we experience stress, emotion, and even our sense of self.

One of the most hopeful insights from our conversation is this: healing isn’t about getting rid of thoughts. It’s about reconnecting with sensation.

When we start noticing the breath, the body, the sounds around us, and what is happening in the present moment, we create space beyond the old story running in our minds. That space allows us to become more flexible, more alive, and more open to change.

Dr. Farb also shares fascinating research about the brain’s default mode network—the system that fuels self-referential thinking and rumination. Mindfulness doesn’t shut this system down. Instead, it helps bring the sensory parts of the brain back online, allowing us to experience life more directly.

Sometimes the simplest shift—like noticing a sound, a sensation in your body, or the feeling of your breath—can open the door to a completely different experience of the moment.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your thoughts or disconnected from yourself, this conversation offers both insight and hope.

Check out the link to the full YouTube podcast in the comment section 👇🏼

03/07/2026

What is the mindset that can help in working through adversity in sports and life? 🤔

Life and race days are full of unknowns — illness, errors, and changing conditions. But the real question is: how will you show up in adversity?

Training builds physical endurance and psychological resilience. Even if the race doesn’t go perfectly, you’ve grown as an athlete.

Floris Gierman is a running performance coach, Podcast host of Extramilest show, and author of "Running Breakthroughsd: Transform Your Running and Life: Proven Lessons from World-Class Athletes, Experts, and Recreational Runners".

Check out the link to the full YouTube podcast in the comment section 👇🏼

03/04/2026

Are you pushing harder in life and fitness but not progressing as much?

I had the great pleasure of sharing a conversation with Floris Gierman. He is a running performance coach, Podcast host of Extramilest show, and author of "Running Breakthroughsd: Transform Your Running and Life: Proven Lessons from World-Class Athletes, Experts, and Recreational Runners".

He has a mind shifting and refreshing perspective: improvement doesn’t always come from pushing harder.

We explored the mindset of “mastery over medals”—keeping goals, but not letting outcomes define your worth or your joy.

Setbacks will happen (injuries, nerves, disrupted plans), and the real practice is noticing how we respond: can we shift from frustration into acceptance, and then into wise action? That’s where mindfulness fits so naturally—tuning in, discerning discomfort vs. harm, and remembering that recovery is where growth actually happens.

We also talked about simple, powerful habits that support both training and life: journaling to spot patterns, building consistency over intensity, and taking small steps that add up.

Even tiny moments of positivity—smiling, offering a high five, practicing gratitude—can change how we feel in our body and how we move through a hard moment.

Check out the link to the full YouTube podcast in the comment section 👇🏼

The full moon tonight reminds me that even in darkness, there is light, steadiness, and hope. It also echos my sense fr...
03/03/2026

The full moon tonight reminds me that even in darkness, there is light, steadiness, and hope. It also echos my sense from this weekend, teaching a full-day mindfulness retreat, I was left reflecting on the real possibility of humanity operating from compassion, kindness, and love ❤️

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829-1641 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, BC
V7M5J2

Website

http://drkasimalmashat.com/

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