October 16–Gerri Lynn Mackey of VOCM interviewed Andrew Safer about the outcomes reported on the recent “Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training” program. Listen to the 5-minute interview!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Safer
Phone: (709) 771-6908
Email: safermindfulness@gmail.com
POWER OF SUICIDAL THOUGHTS WAS REDUCED THROUGH MINDFULNESS TRAINING
ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, October 14th—A mindfulness training program aimed at reducing the power of suicidal thoughts (April-June) is showing some promising results.
When asked to rate the statement “I have thoughts about suicide often”, disagreement increased by 48% for 10 adults between the beginning and end of the 8-week program.
According to self-reports, there was a 53% reduction in the intensity of suicidal thoughts for eight participants who responded to both pre- and post-evaluations.
They rated intensity on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most severe. The totals they reported dropped to 24 at the end of the program from 51 at the beginning.
“They excelled in a wide range of competencies,” observes Mindfulness Instructor and Trainer Andrew Safer, “such as feeling they have control over thoughts, moods, and feelings (89% improvement). Mindfulness does not target specific objectives; its effects are deep and broad.”
The program “Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training” includes: sitting, walking, pausing, and loving-kindness practices, and presentations on topics such as Rumination and Disengaging from Thoughts, and A New Way to Relate to Feelings and Emotions.
At the three-month follow-up in September, seven participants completed the evaluation, scoring 48% higher than the pre-evaluation, compared to 52% higher at the end of the program.
Safer notes that when this program was developed and piloted in 2021 in partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association-Newfoundland and Labrador, there was a 41.7% reduction in the intensity of suicidal thoughts. Even so, he cautions that due to the small sample sizes, further implementations are needed. The Outcomes Summary is available here: https://bit.ly/SPOutcomesSummaryOctober2025
This project was sponsored by Khyentse Foundation, a United States non-profit organization.
Safer Mindfulness (www.safermindfulness.com) of St. John’s develops and presents applied mindfulness training programs for mental health and addictions, and the workplace.
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Dealing with Difficult Thoughts and Emotions
Mindfulness Workshop Series Starting October 7
To register for the intro session (@no charge) or the series:
From our two ADHD groups that met earlier this year (one 6-week group and one 9-week group), following are outcomes for 8 participants, for whom pre and post evaluations could be matched.
The greatest improvement between beginning and end of program was in response to this statement:
“I get stuck with the storylines that can make me feel anxious or stressed, and I don’t know how to pause or interrupt this pattern.”
Disagreement with this statement increased by 70% (total scores: 17 pre; 29 post).
The next-greatest change was shown by the following statement:
“I have difficulty dealing with troubling emotions.”
Disagreement with this statement increased by 68% (total scores: 19 pre; 32 post).
The third-highest change was in the statement:
“I get distracted easily and have a hard time refocusing on a task.”
Disagreement increased by 43%, from 14 pre to 20 post.
Participants were asked “How helpful has this workshop series been for you?” (on a scale of 1 to 10).
Eleven people provided ratings, which averaged 8.8.
The weekly program sessions are:
Introduction: How Can Mindfulness Help?
1. Dealing with Distractions: Mindfulness of Breath
2. Focusing Attention: Being Present
3. From Restlessness to Resting the Mind
4. Finding the Inner Compass
5. Taking a Break from Reactivity
6. Listening Fully
The weekly sessions include check-in, Mindfulness instruction / guidance / practice, debrief, presentation on the day’s topic, Q&A / discussion.
Asked to comment on this workshop series, Barbara* wrote: “This program gave me simple, practical ways to bring mindfulness into my daily life with ADHD. Learning to pause before reacting and to stay present with one task at a time has been especially helpful. The weekly check-ins kept me accountable, and I’m starting to see how mindfulness could support my focus and emotional regulation.”
*not her real name
Register for either the free introductory session, or the full series: click here.
Book Review
Jayoda Tennekone, a mental health therapist in Prince Edward Island, just published an article on Substack featuring books he has found helpful both for himself and for his clients. “The truth is, I return to many of these books just as much as I recommend them,” he writes. “They have shaped my approach, deepened my understanding, and helped me find words for experiences that often feel hard to name.”
Among the books he listed are: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, PhD, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., and…
Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wellness by Andrew Safer
“Andrew Safer, a fellow Maritimer, has written one of the most digestible guides to incorporating mindfulness practice in an achievable and realistic fashion. There is so much valuable wisdom in this book and Safer does an amazing job of explaining his ideas in layman’s terms. I oftentimes refer this book to clients when they are interested in learning more about mindfulness and how to incorporate that aspect of self-care into their daily lives.”
Gerri Lynn Mackey’s interview aired on Your VOCM Mornings on June 12. Andrew Safer, Mindfulness Instructor & Trainer and Tina Davies, Community Support and ASIST Trainer, spoke about the program, now in its 7th week of the 8-week series:
VOCM Interview #2:
The Tim Powers Show: 4:50 pm June 16th
In this 5-minute interview, Andrew outlines the elements of Mindfulness that can help people who are having suicidal thoughts. He also recounts the sharp reduction in intensity of suicidal thoughts participants reported when this program was piloted in 2021.
On May 29, 2025, the organization that Andrew Safer founded in Halifax in 2000, Youth Voices of Nova Scotia, celebrated its 25th year at the Launch of its annual magazine, The Voice! Andrew presented an award to Destiny Corkum at the Best Western Hotel–Chocolate Lake for her exemplary participation in the Newsletter Project this past year.
Hindu Temple (St. John’s)
Andrew Safer gave a talk on “Inner Conflict and Non-Duality” at the Hindu Temple’s Multifaith Symposium on Saturday, May 10th at the Temple’s Penny Lane location. Representing a Buddhist/Mindfulness perspective, he spoke about overcoming the dualistic framework of polarities: right/wrong, good/bad through non-duality and non-judgment. Safer quoted the Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Zen master Hakuin to illustrate this view.
Other talks were presented from the Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, and Bahai traditions.
Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training
On the Go (CBC) and Open Line (VOCM)
Krissy Holmes’ interview on On the Go with Andrew Safer and Darren Fancey about “Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training” on April 26th, is provided generously by CBC…
Paddy Daly interviewed Andrew Safer on VOCM Open Line on Wednesday about the upcoming “Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training” program starting Tuesday, April 29th. To listen, click: Open Line with Paddy Daly | VOCM Select Wednesday April 23, and go to 1 hr. 56 min. (1:56).
“I have found Andrew Safer’s mindfulness program has been the impetus for me to remember to slow down…He reminds us that the tendency to speed up and multitask is not uniquely ours. Learning these small things–attention, coming back from the whirlwind of multitasking and inner chaos–noticing, with that all-important gentleness, the feeling of ourselves on the ground, squaring the posture. Andrew reminds us to be present to the magic of things just when they almost blow away. So glad I touched in.”
–Cathy Jones, Halifax, NS
“I have found that after attending lessons and working through the skill building techniques learned in Andrew Safer’s “Mindfulness for ADHD” that I am not only able to understand the proper fundamentals around practising meditation, awareness, other mindfulness methods, but also realize the benefits from feeling more grounded and able to recognize when distractions are impacting me and how to handle them in order to get on with things that are most important.”
–George Creaser, Hubley, NS
Spring Meditation Retreat
This Retreat begins one day after the first day of Spring!…March 22nd
Space is limited, so we recommend registering sooner rather than later:
Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation Instructor Training Course
MAMITC completed its 2nd year on Thursday, January 30th, capping a year of in-depth Mindfulness practice and study. The weekly sessions were held on Zoom, which accommodated participants in St. John’s, Grand Falls-Windsor, and Santa Barbara, California. Meet the new mindfulness meditation instructors!
2024 Graduates
I signed on for the course hoping to establish regular practice in my daily life. I saw this as a way to not only improve my well-being, but also to be better able to respond helpfully to others. The course provides plenty of tools to make progress on these things. The small group zoom sessions, Andrew’s leadership and decades of experience with practice and teaching, the wisdom and encouragement from all in the group, and of course the sitting practice throughout the year. Whether in future I teach the practice myself or just keep working on my original goals, I have learned so much and enthusiastically recommend this course and Andrew’s other programs to all.
– Patricia Dold, PhD, Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL
This course was an excellent review of the core principles of mindfulness and its benefits when applied to everyday life. I look forward to using the skills I learned both inside and outside of my psychiatric practice. Whether you’re planning to offer mindfulness instruction or just looking to deepen your own practice/understanding of mindfulness, I highly recommend this course.
– Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, Psychiatrist, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
Andrew’s meditation instructor course was helpful as I was starting a monthly meditation group. It provided a broad review of many concepts of meditation and of many of the issues that meditation instructors encounter when working in community.
– Dr. Jennifer Selgrath, Social-Ecological Research Scientist, Santa Barbara, California
Want to Develop a Regular Mindfulness Meditation Practice?
“A Talk and A Chat” Wednesday, February 12th, 7:30 pm (NST), 6:00 pm (EST)
Mindfulness practice can help us stop leaning on the crutches of habit, and instead, explore what it’s like to be independent from long-held beliefs and attitudes, conceptualized frameworks of “how things should be”, and expectations. We are reminded that with our eyes, nose, ears, taste buds, and sense of touch, we can experience the world directly, free from the reinforcement of second- and third-hand sources. We can see things clearly–as they are.
“A Talk and A Chat” Wednesday, February 5th, 7:30 pm (NST), 6:00 pm (EST)
Where would we be without thoughts, beliefs, plans, and structure? But rigidly hanging onto them brings misery. How can we find a happy medium between not too tight and not too loose? Mindfulness practice can help. When we begin to glimpse the emptiness—non-substantiality—of things, we begin to undermine the very thing that has been keeping us stuck. Freedom becomes less a far-off destination and more a discovery.
An individual with ADHD who recently completed our “Workplace Mindfulness” training program wrote: “The practice has allowed me to create a larger space between thought and action, and as someone with ADHD, that has been very helpful. When I am stressed at work, I am able to better respond to stressors and take proper action.”
At the first session, all participants will agree to confidentiality, to keep personal information within the group.
The weekly sessions include check-in, mindfulness instruction / guidance / and practice, and debriefing, presentation on the day’s topic, Q&A, and discussion.
Research conducted in 2019 focused on 11 studies of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), which included 682 participants. The researchers concluded that MBIs had “large effects on inattention…and hyperactivity/impulsivity…relative to the control group.”*
* Xue, Jiaming BS et al. “A meta-analytic investigation of the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on ADHD symptoms”, 2019.
“As a practicing psychiatrist, I truly value all of the courses, workshops, and meditation practice sessions that Andrew Safer has been offering over the years. They have proved invaluable as an essential tool for recovery for many of my patients, including those with recurrent depression, chronic anxiety, and personality disorders.
“I have witnessed several of them resume satisfying, productive lives after having been sidelined by functionally-impairing symptoms for a number of years. They have learned to turn back to active mindfulness practices when they become aware of signs of relapse.”
– Margaret Anne Porter, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatrist, St. John’s
Wednesday, January 29th, 7:30 pm (NST), 6:00 pm (EST): Zoom
“Compassion is a tall order! Not only are we unselfishly extending ourselves to others, we are willing to experience their discomfort—not to get bogged down in it, but to participate. And, instead of dwelling on that, we identify with the goodness in ourselves, and share it unstintingly with them. It’s a bit like alchemy.”
Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, journalist, prolific author, mystic, and activist, wrote about the illusion of self, and the expansiveness of embracing others: “I am fully real if my own heart says yes to everyone.”
Join us in an exploration of his inspired writings, and the vast alternative to self-centeredness and individualism.
This is the first in the 4-part series, “A Talk and a Chat”.
Wednesday, January 22nd 7:30 to 8:30 pm (NST), 6:00 to 7:00 (EST), on Zoom.
Wednesdays starting January 22nd7:30 to 8:30 pm (NST); 6:00 to 7:00 pm (EST)
In these four live talks originally presented at Retreats , we will explore several Mindfulness-related themes, with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion. The presentations will be highlighted by visuals.
Self-Centeredness & the Alternative January 22
Compassion: Loving-Kindness + Pain January 29
Emptiness Is…Freedom February 5
Clear Seeing: Beyond Habitual Patterns February 12
December 20–To hear Paddy Daly’s interview with Andrew Safer on VOCM, click the link below, go to their web site, and select the listing for December 20.
Slide the timer to 43:53. The segment runs until 51:38.
December 6, 2024–Safer Mindfulness released evaluation outcomes from the Fall “Workplace Mindfulness” workshop series focused on increasing employee well-being and job effectiveness. The report shows significant improvements in areas ranging from dealing with stress and emotional regulation to focus.
The Zoom-based weekly sessions included participants in St. John’s and surrounding areas and Toronto, working in professions ranging from senior structural engineer to packaging machine operator. With their developing understanding and practice of mindfulness came improved relationship and job management skills, and a greater sense of agency.
December 3, 2024–Andrew Safer is pleased to join the Board of Directors of the Toronto-based Mindfulness Council of Canada, founded by co-chair Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix, anesthesiologist and developer of the Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management (MBCPM™) program.
Meet our newest additions!
We are thrilled to welcomeJeremy Finkelstein(left) as MCC’s new Executive Director…!
We also happily welcome our newestboard member,Andrew Safer (right), a seasoned teacher and author of multiple books including ‘Mindfulness in the Workplace’ with deep expertise in mindfulness practices. He brings Eastern traditions training perspective and experience to our Board. The additional combined knowledge of our new board members will assist in guiding MCC’s vision and initiatives.
Building Resilience with Mindfulness
December 3rd: A Deep Dive Into Mindfulness
7:30 to 8:30 pm (NST). 6:00 to 7:00 pm (EST), on Zoom
In “A Deep Dive Into Mindfulness” we will do the sitting practice with instruction and guidance, an introduction to mindful walking, and a mindful listening exercise, Q&A, and explore how these practices relate to everyday life.
Cost: $23 (purchase of Andrew’s recently published book Mindfulness in the Workplace, is optional).
Judging by registrations in the first week, “Building Resilience” is striking a chord!
The November 19th workshop (7:30 to 8:30 pm at 152 Water Street, St. John’s) is closed to Zoom, but several seats are still available for In-Person attendees.
A second Zoom-only group will take place on November 20th (see below).
There is an alternative to holding up an embattled shield to the world. Lovingkindness practice helps us reconnect with our soft spot and our humanity, as if reacquainting with an old friend. Putting love and kindness front and centre and letting defensiveness take a back seat flips our priorities. We rediscover that this beating heart is not only a workhorse; it is a wonderful source of strength that we can keep going back to, like a well.
Our Summer Meditation Retreat ran from July 12th to July 17th in Makinsons, NL, 45 minutes from St. John’s.
Three individuals who are participating in the Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation Instructor Training Course completed the Retreat: 2nd from Left: Dr. Patricia Dold, Professor and Associate Dean, Religious Studies, Memorial University; Melanie Fudge, Teacher/Guidance Counsellor, Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, and Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, Psychiatrist. Grand Falls.
Andy Jones’s “Thought” About Meditation
Unable to attend the Launch of Mindfulness in the Workplace, the brilliant Andy Jones penned this, and it was read aloud at the book’s birthing.
The Gift of Meditation
by Andy Jones
“When I am lost in the tempest of my mind,
Lashed by the bitter winds of my baseless fears, whipped by the sleet and hail of my imagined foes,
Thinking, “why am I here? How can I get out of this? This is killing me”,
I reach for the gift that meditation has given me
To breathe and realize in my deepest soul that the universe is quite indifferently carrying on…
Just stay with it. It will get better. As long as I keep working at it.
And the tempest is not real.
This gift —this grace — is what meditation gives me. –When I let
June 11–Mindfulness in the Workplace is live on Amazon! The book page includes a description, and through the “Read Sample” feature, endorsements, Introduction, and a section of Chapter One: “Attention in the Age of Digital Distraction”. Click link:
June 11–The Mindful.org website republished an excerpt from Andrew Safer’s new book, Mindfulness in the Workplace: “Increase Your Agency By Responding Instead of Reacting.”
Ever wonder why your emails tend to be better when you wait a little before replying? Choosing to take a pause before we act may sound simple, but it yields powerful results. Longtime mindfulness teacher and author Andrew Safer shares a few ways we can practice pausing, both at our job and everywhere in our life.
Dr. Katherine Sanders of Sanders Consulting in Madison, Wisconsin speaks with Andrew Safer about the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, and how Mindfulness can play a role.
Where? In a family cottage near Makinsons exit off TCH (45 min. from St. John’s)
Deepen your mindfulness practice by alternating sitting and walking meditation throughout the day–with breaks!
The Retreat includes: opening and closing chants (secular), mindfulness practice, one-on-one meeting with a mindfulness-awareness meditation instructor, coffee/tea breaks, a talk (late afternoon), and three meals with the group including meal chants. Free time after lunch.
Full Day: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Half Day: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm / 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
First Retreat? You are welcome to join us for an hour or two.
Resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity—is a superpower that we can all cultivate!
Fortunately, mindfulness-awareness practice can help us with this.
Sports Psychologist Roberta Antonini Philippe, PhD, studied the effects of both physical activity & mindfulness on resilience and depression. Her research team reported positive effects, and their summary of existing research on mindfulness found a number of proven impacts relevant to resilience, including:
less rumination and worry;
more solution-focused;
helps cope with emotional challenges;
helps with regulating emotions;
helps cultivate well-being by adding clarity to present-moment experience; and
helps people respond to difficult situations without reacting.*
Based on a study involving 327 undergraduate students, Writer Tom Jacobs paraphrased Researchers Badri Bajaj, PhD, and Neerje Pande, PhD, writing, “They confirm that psychological resilience is more pronounced in mindful people.” He added, “Mindful people can better cope with difficult thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down (emotionally).”**
The weekly session topics in the “Resilience Through Mindfulness” program are:
Introduction: Mindfulness and the Ups and Downs of Life
Effects of Negativity Bias
Basic Goodness: Inner Capacities
Rumination and Worry: A New Relationship with Thoughts
A New Way to Work with Challenging Emotions
Self-Kindness and Clear Seeing
The sessions include: check-in, mindfulness-awareness meditation instruction, guidance, practice, and debrief; presentation on the evening’s topic; discussion, Q&A; and one-on-one discussion, time permitting.
In between sessions, participants receive 2 links to articles / videos on next week’s topic along with further guidance on mindfulness.
Consider joining “Resilience Through Mindfulness”, either for the introductory workshop and then deciding if you’d like to continue, or for the whole series. Please register either way by May 22nd. Click: https://bit.ly/resilience-may-24
Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness Spring Workshop Series
Wednesdays, April 17 – May 22 7:30 – 9:00 pm NDT; 6:00 – 7:30 pm EST
Zoom & In-Person
Topics include:
APR 17…Getting to Know Anxiety
APR 24…Mindfulness & Mindfulness-in-Everyday-Life
MAY 1…Upending Self-Sabotage Through Kindness
MAY 8…Understanding Stress: The Power of Pausing
MAY 15…Interrupting Rumination
MAY 22…Digital Distraction: Mindfulness Meets the Internet
Come to the first session for free to see what it’s like, and then decide if you’d like to continue with the series.
In between the weekly 1 1/2-hr. sessions, you will receive links to relevant articles / videos.
The sessions will include:
Check-in, mindfulness practice, de-brief / discussion, presentation on a topic, Q&A, and 1:1 discussion in breakout rooms, in-person (time permitting).
Deepen your mindfulness practice by alternating sitting and walking meditation in a virtual group setting (on Zoom).
The Retreat includes: opening and closing chants (secular), mindfulness practice, one-on-one meeting with a mindfulness-awareness meditation instructor, coffee/tea breaks, talk (late afternoon), lunch and supper with the group including meal chants, and free time after lunch.
Silence: Each in our own households, we will make an effort to observe silence throughout the Retreat (including during free time), explaining this ahead of time to our housemates. Exception: functional talking, as required.
Full Day: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Half Day: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm / 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
First Retreat? You are welcome to join us for an hour or two.
Full Day: $60
Half-Day: $40
One or Two Hours: $20
For more information, call Andrew: (709) 722-2716 or email: andrew@safermindfulness.com
Registration Deadline: April 18.
Andrew Safer has been conducting Retreats in Newfoundland since 2011.
Healthy Relationship to Thoughts, Feelings & Emotions
These Zoom-only weekly evening sessions begin on Tuesday, April 2nd. From 7:30 to 9:00 pm NDT.
The presentations include:
April 2: Healthy Relationship with Thoughts I
Alternatives to Rumination and Getting Stuck on Thoughts – Negativity Bias – Thoughts & Feelings Keep Each Other Going – The Power of Recognition
April 9: Healthy Relationship with Thoughts II
From Thoughts to Present Moment – Emperor Has No Clothes – Insight of Impermanence – Need for Regular Practice
April 16: Healthy Relationship with Feelings/Emotions I
“Good” and “Bad” Feelings – Nonjudgment – Reactivity vs. Patience – Regulating Exposure to Strong Feelings and Emotions – Feel: Don’t Avoid
April 23: Healthy Relationship with Feelings & Emotions II
Evenhandedness – Identification vs Metacognitive Awareness – In Between Repressing and Acting Out – Mindful Self-Awareness
April 30: Fear & Fearlessness
Familiar vs. Unknown – Knowledge: the Best Defense – Fear of Space – Seeing Things As They Are -Mind at Rest (Meditation)
These sessions are Zoom-only, and include check-in, guided practice, sharing, assorted readings, presentation on a topic, Q&A, and Andrew’s book: Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wellness.
This year, we have opened up the Instructor Training Course sessions to anyone who would like to attend, either by the module (5 weekly sessions) or attending just the first session.
These sessions are on Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:00 pm NST (6:00 to 7:30 pm EST), on Zoom, beginning January 23rd.
The first module includes:
MODULE 1: GETTING TO KNOW THE MIND
Session #1: Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness – Breath Awareness Session #2: Mindfulness Awareness / Roots Session #3: Suffering, its Cause, & Cessation Session #4: Eightfold Path for an Honorable Life Session #5: Basic Goodness
Canadian Mental Health Association–Nova Scotia partnered with Andrew Safer/Safer Mindfulness in delivering Mindfulness for Depression, a 6-week workshop series, which ended November 29th.
Meditation Instructor Training Course Is Certified
Suicide Prevention Training Completed
Andrew Safer completed a 15-hour course in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in July, expertly conducted by Tina Davies and Jill Hammond through Richard’s Legacy Foundation.
Mindfulness Training Program Begins September 27th
With Zoom, anyone who has Internet access can participate!
Referred by psychologists, psychiatrists, and other health care practitioners, this workshop series was rated 9.5 out of 10 for Helpfulness by participants in 2020.
Feel free to attend the first session for free, and then decide if you wish to continue. Discounts are available.
Topics for the 1.5-hour weekly sessions are:
Getting to Know Anxiety
Mindfulness & Mindfulness-in-Everyday-Life
Upending Self-Sabotage Through Kindness
Understanding Stress: The Power of Pausing
Interrupting Rumination
Digital Distraction: Mindfulness Meets the Internet
The sessions include check-in; mindfulness instruction, guidance, practice, and debriefing; mindfulness-in-everyday-life exercises; presentation on a topic; worksheets; and Q&A.
The first offering of our Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation Instructor Training Course (MAMITC) finished the year (September 2022- August 2023) with four graduates: (Left to right: Chaw Su, Counsellor and Owner of The Therapy Nest; Dan Walker, PhD, Associate Professor, Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, Memorial University; Andrew Safer; and Carolyn Walsh, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology, Memorial University.
Absent from the photo were Kathy Porter, CBC Reporter / Producer (Retired), who attended the course but was already a meditation instructor / teacher, and Jolanta Lagowski, PhD, Professor, Physics, Memorial University (Retired), who attended 34 out of 40 weekly MAMITC presentations, book-study sessions, and meditation retreats.
Andrew presented the certificates at the end of Safer Mindfulness’ 5-Day Summer Retreat near Makinsons, NL, on August 16, 2023.
Summer Meditation Retreat:
Our 5-day silent meditation retreat will be taking place this year from Friday, August 11th at 2:00 pm to Wednesday, August 16th at 2:00 pm, at a location 56 km south of St. John’s on the TCH, near the Makinsons exit.
The days consist of alternating sitting and walking meditation, 2 coffee/tea breaks, 3 meals, a talk in the late afternoon, and free time after lunch. For more information, please call Andrew: 709-722-2716; andrew@safermindfulness.com
“Mindfulness for Mental Health & Well-Being”, a 10-session program, was delivered to Indigenous adolescents at the Labrador Friendship Center in Goose Bay.
Andrew Safer of Safer Mindfulness presented the workshops on Zoom from St. John’s, and Blake Sheppard-Pardy, MSW, RSW, Mindful Matters, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, assisted with logistics and facilitation, attending the twice-weekly sessions in-person with the youth.
The project was undertaken through a partnership between Safer Mindfulness Inc., Mindful Matters, and Mokami Status of Women Council, with funding support from Ulnooweg Foundation.
The one-hour workshops ran from May 21 to June 27.
Workshop for Students at Memorial University
On June 29th, Andrew Safer presented a one-hour workshop on “Anxiety, Mindfulness & Well-Being” for Action Anxiety Awareness Day at the University Centre, through Memorial University’s Student Wellness & Counselling Centre.
Among the attendees was a student who had completed the 10-session Workplace Mindfulness program presented by Andrew and Dr. Janna Rosales, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, in 2019! He attended for a refresher.
“Resilience through Mindfulness”
Starts June 27th
To register, visit: https://bit.ly/june-2023
“I still do get stressed/anxious from time to time but not as severely, and when it does happen I think my mind responds in a much more sensible and healthy way. It’s allowed me to function better at work and deal with difficult situations.” –“Resilience through Mindfulness” Participant
“It has reminded me of the basis of mindfulness living and helped to expand my understanding of my emotions, thoughts and sense of self.”–“Resilience through Mindfulness” Participant
The 6-week in-person workshop series that completed on June 7th is being extended by an additional 4 weeks. We are meeting at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road, on Wednesday nights at 7 pm, starting June 14th. Interested in joining? Email: andrew@safermindfulness.com
“Mindfulness for Mental Health and Well-Being”
Andrew Safer is presenting the 6-week workshop series, “Mindfulness for Mental Health and Well-Being” to members of the Pottle Centre in St. John’s, from June 7th to July 12th. The sessions are being held in-person.
The weekly topics are:
What Is Mindfulness, and What’s It to Me?
A New Way of Relating to Thoughts (Besides Ruminating)
1. Getting to Know Anxiety 2. Mindfulness & Mindfulness in Everyday Life 3. Upending Self-Sabotage Through Kindness 4. Understanding Stress: The Power of Pausing 5. Interrupting Rumination 6. Digital Distraction: Mindfulness Meets the Internet (End of 6-session series)
The weekly 1 ½-hour sessions include check-in, mindfulness-awareness meditation practice, debrief/discussion, presentation on a topic, Q&A. In between sessions, participants receive links to relevant articles/videos, and an assignment to read a relevant chapter in Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wellness (by yours truly).
March 31–Andrew Safer presented a workshop to the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Prevention and Promotion Team.
The 1.5-hr. presentation focused on Mindfulness practice and intersections between Mindfulness and Mental Health.
“From Buddhism to Mindfulness”
March 28–Andrew Safer presented a workshop to Religious Studies students of Professor Patricia Dold at Memorial University, tracing his introduction to Buddhist meditation at the age of 15 to his current activities as a Mindfulness instructor and trainer. Sitting and walking meditation and key elements of Mindfulness were highlighted.
To learn about the research that inspired the development of this course, and for further information about the program, read on!
Resilience through Mindfulness is a celebration of renewal, bouncing back from adversity, and digging into mindfulness practices and principles that are supportive of this.
The program runs for 8 weeks every Tuesday night from March 28th to May 16th, 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Newfoundland time), 5:30 to 7:00 pm (Eastern) on Zoom.
My interest in this topic was piqued by a study conducted by Dr. Roberta Antonini Philippe* of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and colleagues.
The study is: “Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic”.
Dr. Philippe’s team’s findings demonstrate that Mindfulness
is associated with greater resilience because practitioners are less involved in rumination and worry, and are more solution-focused;
helps people cope with emotional challenges;
contributes to effective strategies for regulating emotions;
can help cultivate well-being by adding clarity to present-moment experience; and
helps people respond to difficult situations without reacting in automatic ways.
The “Resilience through Mindfulness” program includes the following weekly topics:
1 Introduction to Resilience and Mindfulness
2 Negativity Bias
3 Basic Goodness
4 Rumination and Worry
5 Dealing with Thoughts/Difficult Situations
6 Dealing with Challenging Emotions
7 Clear Seeing and Kindness
8 Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Eight 1 ½ hr. weekly sessions create an atmosphere where we can feel comfortable going on this Mindfulness journey together, develop a regular home mindfulness practice, and check the weekly presentations and readings against our own experience.
The Zoom format accommodates participants regardless of their location, protects from the spread of germs, and provides a safe space (including no driving!) where we can build community.
You will receive a copy of my book, Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wellness, and dive into some assigned readings.
The total cost is $195 for the full eight sessions–just under $25 per session. Instalments and discounts are available.
May 2023 be fulfilling, productive, and prosperous for you!
Best Wishes,
Andrew Safer
* Roberta Antonini Philippe, PhD lectures at the Institute of Sport Sciences at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), having consulted on mental training with Olympic athletes and coaches.
** “Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic”, Psychology, July 29, 2021.
In this Zoom Retreat, connect from home and enjoy practicing with the group! We will alternate sitting and walking meditation, with guided sitting practice in the early part of the day. We will each provide our own coffee and tea breaks (mid-morning and mid-afternoon), lunch and supper, reciting meal chants and dining together virtually. Andrew Safer will give a talk in the late-afternoon.
The full day is 9:00 am to 8:00 pm (NL time; 7:30 am to 6:30 pm EST)
Half-day is 9:00 am to 1:30 pm (7:30 am to 12:00 pm EST) (includes lunch and break after lunch) or 1:30 pm to 8:00 pm (12:00 to 6:30 pm EST) (includes talk, supper, and break after supper).
To learn about the research that inspired the development of this course, and for further information about the program, read on!
January 5, 2023
Hello,
It’s a good time of year for turning over a new leaf!
Resilience through Mindfulness is a celebration of renewal, bouncing back from adversity, and digging into mindfulness practices and principles that are supportive of this.
The program runs for 8 weeks every Tuesday night from January 24th to March 14th, 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Newfoundland time), 5:30 to 7:00 pm (Eastern) on Zoom.
My interest in this topic was piqued by a study conducted by Dr. Roberta Antonini Philippe* of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and colleagues.
The study is: “Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic”.
Dr. Philippe’s team’s findings demonstrate that Mindfulness
is associated with greater resilience because practitioners are less involved in rumination and worry, and are more solution-focused;
helps people cope with emotional challenges;
contributes to effective strategies for regulating emotions;
can help cultivate well-being by adding clarity to present-moment experience; and
helps people respond to difficult situations without reacting in automatic ways.
The “Resilience through Mindfulness” program includes the following weekly topics:
1 Introduction to Resilience and Mindfulness
2 Negativity Bias
3 Basic Goodness
4 Rumination and Worry
5 Dealing with Difficult Situations
6 Dealing with Challenging Emotions
7 Clear Seeing and Kindness
8 Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Eight 1 ½ hr. weekly sessions create an atmosphere where we can feel comfortable going on this Mindfulness journey together, develop a regular home mindfulness practice, and check the weekly presentations and readings against our own experience.
The Zoom format accommodates participants regardless of their location, protects from the spread of germs, and provides a safe space (including no driving!) where we can build community.
You will receive a copy of my book, Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wellness, and dive into some assigned readings.
The total cost is $195 for the full eight sessions–just under $25 per session. Instalments and discounts are available.
May 2023 be fulfilling, productive, and prosperous for you!
Best Wishes,
Andrew Safer
* Roberta Antonini Philippe, PhD lectures at the Institute of Sport Sciences at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), having consulted on mental training with Olympic athletes and coaches.
** “Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic”, Psychology, July 29, 2021.
Mindfulness Teacher and Trainer, Workshop Facilitator, and Author
Delivering multi-week applied mindfulness programs for mental health and addictions, and the workplace, based on Andrew Safer’s 50+ years of mindfulness practice and 25+ years as an authorized mindfulness instructor.
Mindfulness is a practice that cultivates present-moment awareness, kindness, and nonjudgment. We train ourselves to bring our attention back once we’ve noticed we’ve been taking a holiday from now, immersed in planning, rehashing the past, worrying, or any other mental activity.
It’s a great way to simplify and get to know our own mind! And we can bring mindfulness into everyday life–when we’re disagreeing with our partner, cutting a carrot–or anything in between.
For our ongoing mindfulness practice sessions throughout the week, free and open to the public, jump to the bottom of this page.
Posted below are current and past workshop series, presentations, trainings, podcasts, and retreats.
Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness:
Evaluation Report
December 17, 2022
A report on the evaluation completed by participants of the 6-week Mindfulness Training program “Anxiety, Stress and Mindfulness” has been posted on the Outcomes page.
Topics covered: Mindful Listening, Healthy Relationship with Thoughts I & II and Healthy Relationship with Feelings / Emotions I & II. These were sessions #9 – #12 of the 40-session program.
Participants joined both in-person and on Zoom.
Mindfulness and Suicide Prevention
Often we see suicide prevention through a psychological lens – but what about the emotional, spiritual, and physical parts of our health? Roots of Hope NS is hosting a conversation with Andrew Safer who will share how the impact of a mindfulness program on suicidal thoughts was evaluated.
Promoting Wellness in Everyday Life
Our Wellness is so important, something we need to work on every day. Having the proper education and tools for us to use when we’re struggling or in crisis can be lifesaving. We welcome Veterans, their Families and Friends for an honest discussion on Wellness.
–Veterans for Healing Global
Fall Retreat at Virginia Waters–October 14 & 15
Coaching Call Podcast–New York
Sifu Rafael Gomez of New York interviewed Andrew Safer on Coaching Call’s Apple podcast, speaking about mindfulness, meditation, anxiety, stress, basic goodness, and more. To listen to the podcast, click link below…
“Navigating anxiety and stress through mindfulness: cultivating mindfulness and awareness in a community-based setting.”
Co-Authored by Martha Traverso-Yepez, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University and Andrew Safer, Founder, Safer Mindfulness Inc. and published in the Journal of Psychology and Cognition, 2017.
Abstract
“Stress and anxiety are afflicting Canadians at all ages significantly impacting their health and well-being. In this article, we argue that community-based non-medical alternatives are needed to relieve pressure from the health care system, provide wellness-based solutions that do not rely on medication and empower the individual to assume a primary role in self-care.
We present the evaluation of the 8 week “Navigating Anxiety and Stress through Mindfulness” program aimed to assist individuals who identify problematic anxiety and/or stress by providing training in mindfulness-awareness meditation and related practices. Mindfulness training involves relating with precision and accuracy to whatever arises in one’s state of mind or in the surroundings; awareness training fosters openness and a greater connection to the environment.
Rather than regarding anxiety and stress as problems to be gotten rid of, participants were coached to relate to these experiences non-judgmentally, with openness, curiosity and an interest in learning from them.
Evaluation data from five groups (40 participants) indicated a 40.4% improvement in scores. Participants’ self-reports indicated significant improvement in their ability to interrupt storylines (discursive thought patterns) and rumination, not being fully present, and their ability to accept things as they are. ranging from 25% to 60% improvement.
It is evident that participants found mindfulness-awareness meditation and related practices beneficial. Their evaluation responses showed significant understanding of the key elements of mindfulness and that they had begun integrating mindfulness into their lives. The majority developed a regular home meditation practice. The program proved to be viable in a community-based setting.”
“Making Friends with Yourself”
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Andrew Safer gave a talk on “Making Friends with Yourself” at the Winter Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation Retreat on March 18 at the Virginia Waters Retreat Centre. Photo: Courtesy Yvonne O’Keefe
Mindfulness Meets Ukraine
Mindfulness Meets Ukraine
As the pain of the world stretches, an unforgiving wind whips through the trees. The conflagration that is supposedly not a war feeds off every spare moment. Like an enormous wave that we don’t even see, it’s skulking in the background of everything we do. There is the helplessness, the massiveness. Where can we bring our cup of tea for a break? Thoughts of violence towards the perpetrator vanish as quickly as they came, like the wind outside, not taking root. Even though there is no goal in mindfulness practice, over time, we’ve often wondered what good it is to simply sit with our thoughts, and, over and over again, come back to the present. We spend a lot of time with our thoughts! Our fantasies, plans, fears, worries, ambitions, and struggles appear on the big screen of our mind. Gradually, instead of messing with them when they appear, non-judgmental acceptance has us accommodating our “guests”. The great Zen master Suzuki Roshi instructed, “Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don’t serve them tea.” He was telling us not to schmooze with our thoughts–priceless advice considering the tendency to get caught in the quagmire of polarization, recrimination, opinions, and beliefs. We are still very much roiled by it all. Mindfulness helps, but doesn’t supply answers; it’s a way to be. At Internet speeds, the latest ruptures find us behind our defenses, at home. Sitting ducks for bad news, we could embrace each disaster as it surfaces, but instead, bear witness, fertilizing kindness and compassion, which know no bounds. If we are centralizing on ourselves and connect to the disaster, our association becomes long-lasting. A very different response is to de-centralize–tone down the “me” factor. We feel the anguish and dread, bigtime, but not as a separate, isolated unit. There are many, many others who are in the same boat, and the gate to compassion swings open. Not insulating ourselves from the pain that is Ukraine and Russia, and also not sinking into the quicksand of fear and panic, that is the challenge. Let us find space in between.
Mind Body Soul Interview
Gary Summers with Mind Body Soul interviewed Andrew Safer on Mindfulness. The interview is (click here:) posted on this page.
Get Through the Pandemic!–with Mindfulness
Winter Retreat
In-Person/Zoom
Social Work Students: Researching
February 9, 2022–Andrew Safer presented to third-year Social Work students at Memorial University on evaluations used in his Mental Health and Addictions and Workplace Mindfulness programs, as well as outcomes. Professor Hazel Russell related the presentation to the class’ research focus.
Mindfulness Training for a Canadian Health Organization
Andrew conducted a 4-session weekly program for a Canadian health organization, ending in late November. Participant comments included:
“Helps me remain calm, especially during stressful situations.”
“1. My mind is often racing as I go to sleep; mindfulness has helped me deal with this. I fall asleep faster or if I wake up and my mind is racing, I can go back to sleep much quicker.
2. I also felt anxious at work around group tension – I have used mindfulness to let go quicker of things I cannot control.”
At the last session, participants’ average rating of the training was 9.5 out of 10.
Canadian Mental Health Association–NL and Safer Mindfulness Inc. provided four one-hour follow-up sessions in September and October, 3.5 months after the completion of the 8-week Suicide Prevention Through Mindfulness Training program.
Participants were asked to rate the intensity of their suicidal thoughts at the first and last sessions of the 8-week program, and the last follow-up session. There was a 41.8 per cent improvement between first and last sessions for the 8 participants who completed the program, and a 40 per cent improvement for 5 participants between the beginning of the program and the end of the follow up. This suggests that they mostly held on to their gains during the 3.5-month intervening period.
ASEE Webinar
November 17
Andrew Safer and Dr. Janna Rosales, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University, presented a Zoom-based webinar on November 17th to American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) educators, graduate students, professional engineers, and academic administrators across the US.
Twenty-three per cent of those present were regular mindfulness practitioners, and 30 per cent said they practice occasionally in a poll. The 90-minute webinar focused on mindfulness, mindfulness practice, and key intersections with engineering, such as in contemplative education and in problem solving.
Fall Mindfulness Meditation Retreat
Mindful Youth Institute
September–Andrew Safer is now an Advisory Board member of the Mindful Youth Institute of Pueblo, Colorado, joining his extensive work with both youth and mindfulness over three decades.
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Mindfulness for Depression
Learn how awareness of your thoughts and feelings can save a whole pile of grief!
To review the outcomes from the Mindfulness for Depression pilot, click here.
Evidence Base
June 2–A sampling of evidence-based research showing the effectiveness of Mindfulness practice for a range of mental health and addictions issues:
Andrew Safer presented to Own Your Growth, an organization representing students from 20+ colleges across India whose focus is on wholistsic health. The presentation on “Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness” went live on June 22nd.
After completing the three-month “Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness” program in Fall 2019, through a partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association—NL, participants explained what difference Mindfulness is making in their lives ……………………………………….
“Practicing mindfulness is a good way of pulling me out of the past or future, which triggers anxiety, and back to the present moment, which I can cope with better.”
“The practice significantly helped me to interrupt the stories and my mind from spiralling out of control.”
“I find I am less reactive to everyday irritants and my perspective has expanded.”
22 participants indicated an average 33% improvement (from the first session to the last) in confidence in their ability to deal with thoughts that bring on anxiety. Feeling that they have control over their thoughts, moods, and feelings increased by 32%. The belief that they can make a difference in their own lives rose by 32%.
Note: (June 3) Overnight accommodations are no longer available. Daytime participation is still open.
Mindfulness Training for Suicide Prevention
May 12 – June 30
10th Anniversary Celebration!!
We have been meeting for Monday Night Meditation since April 2011, so it only seemed right to mark 10 years at this! On April 12th, 12 of us met at The Lantern and 10 more joined us on Zoom.
The evening included mindfulness practice, strawberry shortcake, toasts, a reading on”The Stairway to Enlightenment”, and of course, discussion!
Andrew Safer presented a 1.5-hour workshop to (physician) residents on Resident Awareness Day, Memorial University, on February 12th, for the Professional Residents Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Engineers and Geoscientists Learn Mindfulness for the Workplace During Pandemic
Andrew Safer, Safer Mindfulness, upper left; Dr. Janna Rosales, Memorial University, upper right; Justin Haley, PEGNL, centre Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Janna Rosales
October 7, 2020
Eighty-four certificates of completion were awarded to professional engineers, geoscientists, and engineering students who attended the workshop series “How to build professional resilience through mindfulness training: A four-part PEGNL professional development series for engineering & geoscience professionals and students.”…(Click here)
Safer Mindfulness Press Release
September 3, 2020
People with Depression Find Relief in Mindfulness Training During Pandemic
ST JOHN’S, NL September 3, 2020 – Women and men with depression who participated in a pilot mindfulness training program based in St. John’s completed it with significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, and significantly higher levels of mindfulness and psychological well-being…(Click here)
Upcoming Mindfulness Training Program – Starts 9/24
[For information about the upcoming workshop series, “Mindfulness and Awareness!”, please scroll down.]Safer Mindfulness instruction and training: For dealing with the narrator in our heads, relentless parade of thoughts and preoccupations, our reactivity, bewildering emotions, habitual ways we do things, and our perpetual busyness. Through mindfulness-awareness meditation and related practices–which can be done anywhere, anytime–we begin to develop a way of being that is rooted in sanity and simplicity. We begin to discover insight, intelligence, and compassion, which, as it turns out, have been with us all along! (For “Mindfulness for Depression”, and Online Mindfulness Practice Sessions, please scroll down.)Safer Mindfulness Specializes in Multi-Week Applied Mindfulness Training Programs
A partnership between the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL); Dr. Janna Rosales, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University; and Andrew Safer / Safer Mindfulness. Funded through an Accelerator grant, Memorial University.
June 16 – July 17, 1:00 – 2:00 pm via Zoom
“Professional Resilience Through Mindfulness Training”
Session #1: Stress, Uncertainty & Mindfulness
Session #2: How Mindfulness Can Support Innovation & Problem-Solving
Session #3: Building Respectful Relationships with Mindfulness
Mindfulness practice introduces a touch of sanity into our otherwise uncertain, topsy-turvy lives, particularly in the era of COVID-19. Please consider joining one of our free practice sessions on Zoom, in the comfort of your own home, when you can. A note about Zoom: You can connect via laptop/desktop/notebook as long as they have microphone and camera, or through your smartphone. The Zoom app downloads when you click the link, but if you would like to be 100% sure you have the app, download Zoom Client for Meetings ahead of time. If you’re asked whether to join with video, select “Yes”. Join us for any of these ongoing sessions… Monday Nights: 7:15 to 8:45 pm (Newfoundland time) Sitting, Walking, and Discussion If you are new to Zoom, plan on connecting at 7:05 pm. Wednesdays: 12:00 to 12:30 pm, and 7:00 to 8:00 pm: Sitting, Walking, Sitting Fridays: 12:00 to 12:45 pm Sitting, Walking, and Sitting If you are new to Mindfulness practice, there will be instructions at the beginning of the session.
Since the start of Covid, we have two practice sessions per week that are open to the public, at no charge. Sitting and walking meditation alternate. We meet on Zoom on MONDAY 7:15 TO 8:45 pm (includes readings and discussion)*; and FRIDAY 12″00 Noon to 12:45 pm.
The Monday night practice is also in-person at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Rd. (Cape Spear Room, 2nd Floor).
If you have not practiced mindfulness before, we will talk you through the instructions. To receive the Zoom invites, please send your email address to: asafer@nf.sympatico.ca
Safer Mindfulness workshops and training combine 53 years of experience in mindfulness practice with 28 years in mindfulness instruction, program development, and workshop facilitation. Providing instruction and training in applying ancient wisdom and methods to address everyday challenges with clarity and resourcefulness
Andrew Safer is presenting the 6-week workshop series, “Mindfulness for Mental Health and Well-Being” to members of the Pottle Centre in St. John’s, from June 7th to July 12th. The sessions are being held in-person.
To learn about the research that inspired the development of this course, and for further information about the program, read on!
Safer Mindfulness Specializes in Multi-Week Applied Mindfulness Training Programs
https://safermindfulness.com/product/anxiety-stress-mindfulness-a-do-it-yourself-guide-to-wellness/
