8-Week MBSR Program — Winter 2027

The online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program was a very positive experience. As an introduction or a refresher for seasoned meditators this course allows the space to explore and a community to share your experience. Will definitely be back for more.

Kasim is an incredible teacher! I am so lucky to have completed the MBSR (and MBSR 2!) program and several retreats with his wise guidance. I can't recommend the Centre enough, it has really changed my life in the best way.

I completed the MBSR program with Kasim in Fall 2025. I could not have been happier with my experience. Kasim was a fabulous facilitator, bringing so much joy and energy, and creating a space where people felt able to open up as we grew and learned together. The changes I have seen in my life are meaningful and profound, I'm so glad that I "learned" to meditate with Kasim!

I highly recommend this MBSR course with Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat, because he has a very gentle and kind approach to his teaching methods. I had tried meditating in the past, and was not able to feel any positive effects, and in fact it seemed to just make me more anxious. Dr. Kasim was able to give us so many different tools to work with and various options, and encouraged us to create a practice that works for our own specific needs. My goal was to find a way to reduce my stress levels, due to some current health issues. Using the tools I have learned, (short meditation with focused breath), I am able to reduce a high blood pressure reading down to below normal, with a simple 5 minute practice. Much better and quicker than medication ... and available to me anytime anywhere! I also think that learning in a group has such multiple benefits, and now I feel part of a bigger community as well. This course was an investment in my health and well being.

I took my first MBSR class at the Centre for Mindfulness Canada in 2018 and have stayed connected ever since, returning back for graduate drop in classes, laughter yoga, teacher training and other offerings. The classes have been instrumental in my personal and professional life. It is such a pleasure to have guidance from a teacher who walks the walk. I appreciate the community that this Centre has created and continues to create. I am so grateful to have landed here.

Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat's (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) MBSR 8-week course is transformative and highly effective. His compassionate teaching style and deep knowledge make learning mindfulness practices enjoyable and impactful. The course is well-structured, balancing explanations and practice, and fosters a supportive community. By the end, I felt more equipped to manage stress and maintain inner peace. Highly recommended for anyone looking to improve their well-being.

I just finished a great virtual MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) class with Kasim. He is a kind and knowledgeable instructor. He is obviously a very experienced meditation teacher. Additionally, the virtual format worked better than I anticipated. His gentle voice and wry sense of humour made it a pleasure to attend the classes. The materials and information shared were much appreciated. I hope that they continue to inspire me to continue on my own meditation journey.

Kasim is a master teacher of Mindfulness practice. It’s a pleasure to learn with him and to gain a depth of understanding about the techniques. I highly recommend the eight week MBSR program for anyone coping with stress and anxiety.

The 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) is a great way to begin, refresh or renew your mindfulness practice. Dr Kasim Al-Mashat of the Centre for Mindfulness Canada creates a safe, enjoyable and rich learning environment.

Update: Since my first review I have completed Laughter Yoga Leader Training with Dr Kasim and a 5 Day Silent Retreat with Dr Kasim and Dr Bob Stahl. Both were amazing experiences. I wholeheartedly recommend the Centre for Mindfulness Canada.

I recently completed the MBSR program and couldn't recommend it more! Dr. Kasim immediately makes you feel welcomed and puts you at ease and this is something I really looked forward to each week. The group setting with lots of in-course practice and "homework" was an ideal learning scenario.

I cannot recommend Dr. Kasim and his program enough. The way he teaches mindfulness is so practical and applicable. I found I learned much more in the 8 weeks than would have through independent practice. I experienced significant positive change.

The 8-week MBSR program led by Dr. Kasim has provided wonderful and touching experiential learning opportunities. Dr. Kasim supports this journey with such kindness, warmth, and structure infusing a strong sense of security and désire to be loyal to the practice of mindfulness.

Center for Mindfulness Canada is one stop shop for all your mindfulness and meditation needs! I had tried meditation on my own for years but not until encountering Dr. Al-Mashat's genuine and and nurturing programs that I experienced the power of meditation. Truly recommend his programs from free laughter yoga to 8 weeks MBSR program.

Turning one's attention inward and experiencing the act of observing oneself without judgment—you have to experience it to grasp the full scope of this program. Dr. Kasim guided us with extraordinary openness, sensitivity, and presence. I recommend this program to literally everyone.