The Little Company of Calm

24/08/2026

Mindful Monday

Summer is in full swing the days are long and people are busy in many different ways.

‘Mindfulness summer’ refers to incorporating conscious awareness into summer activities to enhance well-being and presence.

This can involve mindful breathing, spending time in nature, or engaging in activities like mindful walking.

Here are some things to try

* Mindful walks:
Get outside and take a mindful walk. While walking pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells of your surroundings, noticing the details you might usually miss.
* Mindful breathing in nature:
Whilst on your walk or at home in your garden or yard; find a peaceful spot and focus on your breath for a few minutes , noticing the air entering and leaving your body. Then try to tune into the sounds of summer, simply listening to the sounds you might otherwise tune out. When your mind begins to wander, slowly bring yourself back to the sounds of nature. What can you hear? How does it make you feel?
* Observe the sky:
Spend time simply watching the clouds, noticing their shapes and movements.

22/08/2026

It's always great to catch up with our young volunteer, Iti, in her holidays from university. We are so grateful for all of the work she did for us while living in Sunderland.

As you can see the sky was a bit grey and overcast so we took shelter in Love Lily for tea and cake and then had a lovely stroll by the sea. And the sun did come out eventually.😎

Iti has now successfully completed the first year of her medical degree at Aston University and is looking forward to starting her second year in the autumn. We wish you well, Iti. ☺

17/08/2026

Mindful Monday

Once at a Barnes Park Family Fun Day, Joe was asking people “Can I interest you in some peace and calm?

Often the response was “Chance would be a fine thing!"

It seems that although we like the idea of taking time for ourself , it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day…..but self-care does not need to be time consuming.

And fitting self-care into your life may actually lead to less stress, more patience and a clearer focus.
Sound Good?

Our advice is to start small with some of these practises which can be done anywhere and only take only seconds

🙂Breathe: Stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath. Do not underestimate the power of a deep breath. These precious seconds may be the difference between loosing your cool and responding calmly; between feeling overwhelmed and staying focused.

🙂Think About What You’re Eating: As you take a bite of your sandwich, take a second to focus on the different flavors and textures

🙂Give Technology a Time-Out: Set a timer for 30 seconds. Turn off all technology and do something else on this list or just sit in silence. This might be difficult at first and that’s ok, add time as you feel comfortable

🙂Take a Look Around: Focus your eyes on something around you – it could be a painting, a cloudy sky, one of your kids, something that brings you a little joy. See how many details you can observe: shading, colors, shapes, lines.

🙂Stretch: Raise your arms straight up above your head, and then bring them out to your sides. Gently roll your head from the left to the right. Shrug your shoulders, and then roll them to the front and back a few times.

🙂Close Your Eyes: You may not be able to actually take a break from your surroundings, but you can mentally escape by closing your eyes for a few seconds. Allow your brain to take a little “mini-vacation” by thinking about a calming scene or destination.

Once you begin to incorporate self-care activities into your life, you begin to realize how good it feels. You may find yourself naturally taking a deep breath or chewing food more mindfully

14/08/2026

It was great to be back in Park again with such a lovely group on a mindful walk. It was part of the regular Links with Nature well-being programme. Thanks to Mary-Anne and Lyze from Trust for their great organising and knowledge of nature and the natural world. Watch out of the next Links with Nature well-being programme for September.

The hot weather had brought out the butterflies and insects and the blackberries were beginning to ripen. A deer was spotted running across the meadows and the trees were magnificent in their summer glory. How good to be practising mindfulness in a place like this! We are really lucky to have such green spaces in our neighbourhoods. 🌿😇☀

11/08/2026

It was great to see so many of you at our Mindful Monday group at St Nicholas' Hall yesterday and to welcome some new participants trying it for the first time.

It is a really friendly and welcoming group so do drop in if you fancy giving it a try. It's on each Monday and is ideal for those wanting to support their mental health and general well-being. It can also boost confidence to take those next steps to whatever it is you want to do.

Thanks to funding from Sunderland Voluntary Sector Alliance we can offer these sessions for £2 - and this includes a cuppa on arrival. Bargain!😇

10/08/2026

Mindful Monday

After reaching the amazing milestone of 1000 followers on Facebook we decided we needed a new look !
So here is Joe and Liz modelling our new grey t shirts ( we have hoodies as well!)

Let us know what you think about our new look and if you would like to buy one to wear when you come to your sessions and events with us please get in touch for details

Shout out to Ace Uniforms for sorting us out !

07/08/2026

It will be so great to be back at Elemore Park practising mindfulness as part of the Links with Nature programme. It's been a while since I visited but it's a magical place. See you there. 🌳🪹🌻

Join Links with Nature at our next wellbeing taster session on Thursday, where we will be taking a Mindfulness Walk around Elemore Park led by Liz from The Little Company of Calm 😌💚

Set against the beautiful background of the park, Liz will be sharing some techniques on how we can stay present within the moment - an act which can keep negative thoughts at bay and prevent us from becoming overwhelmed. We will also try out some gentle Qigong movements designed to promote relaxation and reduce physical and mental stress 🧘‍♀️

This will be the last taster session ahead of our 4-week Feel Good Thursdays wellbeing programme taking place this September 🫶🍃 Book your space on this session or the wider programme using the links below 👇

All events are free, beginner-friendly and can be adapted for individual's needs ✅

💚Booking for Mindfulness Walk: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994664362804
💚Booking for Wellbeing Programme: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1992925646256

For more engagement opportunities contact Mary-Anne, Engagement Officer: [email protected] 🌿

Keep an eye out for upcoming events and project updates or register to volunteer (18+): https://tinyurl.com/LWNVolunteer 💚 Book onto events and find out more about Links with Nature 👉https://linktr.ee/linkswithnature

Links with Nature is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.

Coalfield Sunderland Community Let’s Talk HALO- Hetton Sunderland, UK Sunderland Volunteering Sunderland GP Alliance The Little Company of Calm

03/08/2026

Mindful Monday

The Root and Rise Project offers free sessions for those affected by cancer and the loved ones who are supporting them.

As well as mindfulness the project offers other sessions including nutrition and gentle physical exercise.

Please get in touch for more information

We have been invited to do the work by Keep Active CIC.

28/07/2026

28/07/2026

Didn't we have a wonderful time the day we went to Penshaw (Tearooms)?

The Friday Yoga, Qigong and Mindfulness class treated themselves to a trip to Penshaw Tearoom for Peach Melbas, cakes and scones. Lovely food, friendly staff and fabulous company.

Thanks for a great afternoon out.
We must do it again!

Ashbrooke yoga