Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat

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North Vancouver, BC
Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat

Licensed 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

10/23/2026

Happy to be back in Tucson, Arizona! 🌵☀️

I had the pleasure of presenting on mindfulness for the Fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine(AWCIM).

It’s so meaningful to spend time with people who are doing such thoughtful work in the field of integrative medicine. I continue to be impressed by these Physicians, not only by how knowledgeable and skilled they are, but also by how connected and grounded they are in their own humanity.

And, I had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains! I rewarded myself with a super-slow uphill run in Sabino Canyon, taking in the cactus (all shapes and sizes), mountains, and beautiful Arizona skies.

By the way, I had to pick up a fun little brochure from the hotel featuring some of the local critters, from snakes to all the other creatures that call this desert home. A reminder that there's a whole lot more living out here than meets the eye! 🐍🦂

This has been a wonderful visit filled with meaningful conversations, beautiful scenery, and a little desert adventure.

10/18/2026

Last weekend, I completed the Royal Victoria Marathon, 42.2 KM, my first full marathon 🎉 🏃🏽

The sunset in Victoria the night before was amazing. It was a reminder to slow down, be present, and enjoy the whole experience.

Since taking up running in 2021, it has been a journey of setbacks, injuries, and lessons.

I have to say a full marathon felt a loooooooooot more than double the distance of a half marathon! 😊

We started surrounded by hundreds of runners, full of energy and excitement. But as the hours rolled by, the crowds thinned out and mental game had to really kick in!

Plus, around the 29 km mark, when my wheels started to fall off, I really had an opportunity to work with my mind. I told myself that as long as there was no injury, I could keep going. I repeated simple anchoring phrases: “It's possible.” “Stay steady.” “Just this moment.” "Keep going!". One step at a time.

It was humbling. I finished slower than my target goal of under 5 hours, but I crossed that finish line!

I was also touched by the encouragement from complete strangers cheering. It is amazing how few kind words can mean to someone along their journey!

After a week, recovery is going well, and I am no longer walking gingerly like a baby taking the first steps! 😂

So, friends, whatever your day holds, keep going. You can do this! ❤️

10/14/2026

How do we balance accepting ourselves as we age with wanting to change something about ourselves?

This was one of the questions I explored in my latest episode of Pause to Elevate with my guest Dr. Adrianna Rosales from Pacific Clinic. She is Physician with a background in psychology, family medicine, and aesthetic medicine.

We used hair loss as a doorway into a bigger conversation about stress, identity, self-esteem, aging, and acceptance.

Dr. Rosales also shared her personal journey through professional burnout and how she found the courage to leave a familiar career path to create something more aligned with her values.

What I particularly appreciated about our conversation was the reminder that caring for our wellbeing means looking at the whole person, not just one symptom or concern.

We explored how stress can affect our bodies, why it is important to look beyond symptoms to understand what might be contributing to them, and how changes in our appearance can affect the way we see ourselves.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and find something meaningful to take away.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode of Pause to Elevate, link in the comment section below

10/01/2026

A couple of weeks ago, I came across this little note on a parking meter in Vancouver, it said:

“Whatever you are dealing with right now, I’m rooting for you.”

Such a beautiful simple message, but it stayed with me!

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it feels like a meaningful reminder that we do not always know what another person, family, or community has carried, or continues to carry.

May we keep listening, learning, and showing up for one another with compassion and care.

I am thinking of Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities, and the importance of continuing to listen, learn, and walk toward reconciliation.

So, whatever you might be going through, and to whoever left this little note: I am rooting for you too ❤️ 🙏🏼

09/29/2026

We like to think that our beliefs are based on facts, logic, and careful reasoning. But how much of what we believe is actually shaped by emotion, identity, belonging, and biases we may not even know we have?

In this episode of Pause to Elevate, I share a conversation with Bill Ballas, author of "The Architect: Authoritarianism, the Political Mind, and a Blueprint for a Better Democracy".

We explore the psychology behind our beliefs, from motivated reasoning and negativity bias to tribalism, groupthink, and the powerful influence of social media.

But this conversation is about much more than politics. It is about all of us.

How can we recognize our own biases rather than simply seeing them in others? How can we become less vulnerable to misinformation and manipulation? And could pausing long enough to examine our own minds help us better understand ourselves, and each other?

This was an insightful conversation!

Watch the full episode in the link below 👇🏼

09/16/2026

What if the stories we tell about ourselves, and other people, are keeping us stuck?

In this episode of Pause to Elevate, I share a conversation with my dear colleague Elaine Retholtz, a longtime mindfulness practioner, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and teacher trainer, and Board member on the Global Mindfulness Collaborative (GMC).

We explore how mindfulness can help us relate differently to our thoughts, recognize that we are constantly changing, and bring greater awareness and compassion into our relationships.

We also explore anger, forgiveness, difficult relationships, and relational mindfulness, including how pausing, listening deeply, and noticing our own reactions can help us respond rather than simply react.

Perhaps the invitation is not to become a different person overnight, but to notice the moments when we have a little more patience, a little less reactivity, or a little more capacity to see ourselves and one another freshly.

▶️ Watch the full episdoe in the link below and please share with others 👇🏼

09/04/2026

What if being awake when you want to sleep is not a problem? 🤔

We tend to think that when sleep is not happening, something has gone wrong. But what if being awake does not have to become a problem to solve?

In this episode of Pause to Elevate, I speak with Tony Ho, Registered Social Worker, sleep therapist, and founder of Quadra Wellness and Counselling Vancouver.

Tony shares practical insights on sleep trackers, nighttime waking, naps, screens, exercise, sleep apnea, and the snooze button.

He also offers a gentler approach to insomnia and sleep anxiety. We explore why fighting wakefulness can make sleep more difficult, and how CBT-I, mindfulness, and acceptance can help us change our relationship with sleep

One reflection from our conversation that stayed with me: "The more that we engage in those sticky thoughts, our life starts to shrink.” So True!

▶️ Watch the full conversation with Tony Ho in the link below 👇🏼 See

09/01/2026

I just returned from a week in California, where I took some time away from work and social media to be with family following the loss of our beloved Jiddu Latif. “Jiddu” means grandfather in Arabic, and he was very much both a father and grandfather figure in my life.

On the morning of his memorial, I saw the clouds hugging the mountains, with the moon still shining as the sun was rising. There was something about that moment that stayed with me.

Life is precious, and there are no guarantees about how long we will have the people we love in our lives. And yet, perhaps love does not simply disappear when someone is no longer physically with us. It continues in the memories we carry, in the ways they made us feel, and in the qualities they leave within us.

For me, one of those gifts was the experience of being deeply loved and accepted without judgment. Perhaps one way we honour those we have lost is by carrying their best qualities forward, and offering them to others.

Just as the clouds seemed to hug the mountains that morning, the love we receive from others can continue to hold us long after they are gone. ❤️

08/20/2026

Have you ever tried so hard to fix something in your life that all the effort actually created more stress?

Kevin Fong knows that experience well. After years of struggling with stress and insomnia, he turned to meditation looking for a solution, and approached it with his business mindset as another project to conquer. What began as an attempt to finally get some sleep ended up changing the direction of his life.

Today, Kevin is one of the pioneers who helped bring evidence-based mindfulness and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to mainland China.

In this episode of Pause to Elevate, we explore his remarkable journey and what he discovered about striving, self-criticism, curiosity, and learning to trust ourselves and the process.

✨ Three takeaways from our conversation

1. You don't need the "right" reason to begin:
Sometimes simply showing up as you are is enough.

2. How you relate to yourself can change everything:
Curiosity and kindness can transform how we meet our thoughts, challenges, and ourselves.

3. Meaningful change takes time: In a world that wants everything faster, Kevin reminds us that time can be part of the healing.

What I love about Kevin's story is that he began because he was suffering and wanted something to change. Over time, trying to "fix" himself became an opportunity to know himself, transform, and share his work with others.

And if someone comes to mind who might benefit from this conversation, please share it with them.

Watch to our full conversation in the link below 👇🏼

08/18/2026

Earlier this year, I started swimming a couple of laps in the pool and would come out feeling like I just crossed the Pacific Ocean 🌊 😂

This weekend, I completed the Olympic-distance T100, my third triathlon this year (1.5 km ocean swim, 40 KM bike, and 10 KM run).

I guest it started a year ago, I was around the Kits area in Vancouver where I noticed this T100 Events race. I looked it up afterward and thought "wow, people were actually swimming, biking AND running in the same race?" 😳

Never would I have imagined that a year later, I would be doing that myself!

I started biking because of a knee injury, and somewhere along the way I thought, what if I tried a triathlon?

It reminded me how often we look at something and think, "I could never do that!".

This is espcially true for me if I don't see the whole path to the goal. We just need to be present with the step we are taking today. Sometimes that step is one lap at the pool, or whatever it is that invites us to stretch beyond what feels familiar, and in a healthy way.

And one day, we look back and realize all those little steps have taken us somewhere we never imagined we would be!

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Address

829-1641 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, BC
V7M5J2

Website

https://centreformindfulness.ca/, http://drkasimalmashat.com/

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