The Little Company of Calm

30/03/2026

Mindful Monday

Taking a moment to breathe deeply, slowly, and consciously is a powerful way to reduce stress, lower your heart rate, and anchor yourself in the present moment.

It helps release tension, providing a necessary pause to rest and recharge amidst a busy day.

And you can do it anywhere !

Stop what you are doing
Close or lower you eyes
Inhale through your nose, letting your abdomen expand
Then exhale slowly through pursed lips
Repeat a few times
Notice how you feel

27/03/2026

We had a lovely well-being session St. Michael's Community Centre today.

We moved and relaxed with gentle yoga, qigong and mindfulness and enjoyed a yummy lunch afterwards ( scones were delicious).

Thanks to Chelsea Back on the Map for sorting lunch and stalls, Northern Powergrid for their advice and freebies, the lady with the lovely lavender hand cream and of course to everyone who came along.

If you would like to try our regular gentle yoga, qigong and mindfulness session we are back after the Easter holidays on 17th April . Everyone is welcome.

Ashbrooke yoga
🙏🏽 Links for Life Sunderland

25/03/2026

We have a wonderful offer for you from our fellow north east mindfulness teachers Anna Broad (mindful North) and Michael Atkinson Mindfulness Teacher (BAMBA registered)

This Compassionate Mindful Resilience Course is perfect for those wanting to expand or deepen their practice or even kick start it.

The course is £50 instead of £195 for these dates.

Please contact Anna direct on the email details below if you would like a place or book directly on the web address shown.

24/03/2026

Our regular Friday Yoga, Qigong and Mindfulness session is on this Friday but with added extra treats. The session is on from 12.30 - 2pm followed by a light lunch and then stalls and pampering in the main hall. And...it's all free thanks to Sunderland

We look forward to welcoming our regulars and a big welcome to those who fancy trying it out for the first time. It's a very gentle class and can be chair based. Why not come along and give it a go?

Ashbrooke yoga

23/03/2026

Mindful Monday

Gratitude allows us to shift our focus from what we lack to what we have, and it helps us to appreciate the present moment.

One way of doing this is by keeping a gratitude journal

Each day take a few moments to write down specific things you're grateful for and reflect on why you're grateful for each item.

This could be anything from a beautiful sunrise to a kind gesture from a friend.

The act of writing down these moments encourages us to notice and appreciate the positive aspects of our lives, which so often go overlooked amidst our busy schedules.

22/03/2026

It was great to recharge our batteries yesterday at a spring mindfulness event up in the beautiful Hauxley area of Northumberland. What a stunning beach and the weather was just gorgeous for practising mindfulness on the beach.

Thank you to Michael Atkinson Mindfulness Teacher and Anna in leading us on a really enjoyable day.

16/03/2026

Mindful Monday

March 20th every year is International Day of Happiness a global movement towards a happier, more inclusive, compassionate and resilient world

It is a day to celebrate and recognize the importance of happiness in people’s lives and encourage individuals, communities, and organizations to take action to promote happiness and well-being.

It is a wonderful annual reminder to prioritize joy, optimism, kindness and well-being in our lives.

So this week why not
🙂Spread happiness: Do something kind for someone else
🙂Reflect on your own happiness: Take time to reflect on what makes you happy, and make a plan to incorporate those things into your daily life
🙂Join our Little Company of Calm Community : Check out our What’s On post this week and try one of our sessions or activities

13/03/2026

Thanks to Sunderland Voluntary Sector Alliance for providing the Emergency First Aid training Joe attended. Just in case.....

12/03/2026

We are really looking forward to practising mindfulness with the lads at Space North East . It's the very course that got us into mindfulness in the first place - "Finding Peace in a Frantic World". As it says.... spaces are filling up fast. If you are interested contact Space North East direct.

Massive thanks to Brims Construction for the funding to help us make a difference for lads' mental health in Sunderland.

12/03/2026

Thought that some of you might be interested in this new class from the wonderful Elaine Ashbrooke yoga who delivers the yoga and qigong at Friday's Yoga, Qigong and Mindfulness Class. Qigong is so good for calming the nervous system and mindfulness of the body. Why not give it a try?

Join Ashbrookeyoga in Sunderland for community support programs through yoga, Qi Gong, and meditation.

09/03/2026

Mindful Monday

Self-love, self-kindness, self-compassion – whatever you choose to call it – is a really important part of our wellbeing

Yet most of us are much more unkind so ourselves than to the people around us

As the the Dalai Lama says “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

Kindness is also a perfect response in all situations and learning to give it to yourself is one of the best skills you can develop

Developing a greater sense of mindfulness helps you to be much more connected with your thinking and feeling.

Using mindfulness-based meditations can actually help boost your levels of self-compassion

Why don’t you give it a go ?

https://www.tlcoc.co.uk/book

05/03/2026

It was great to be practising mindfulness again with the guys today.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Perfect. 😇It was calm and relaxing but we had a good chuckle too. It was good to chat too about what other mindfulness activities would benefit the group. 👍

Looking forward to seeing you all again next week

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory