Author / Teacher
Elaine Smookler is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and teacher. She was a founding faculty member at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto, where she taught clinical programs including MBCT and MBSR. She also taught Mindfulness throughout the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, was a founding member of the Compassionate Care team at Sick Kids hospital, and a longtime faculty member at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies, where she taught her own program, βA Mindful Way through the Creative Processβ and was part of the certificate program for Mindfulness Informed End-of-Life Care. Elaine has offered mindfulness training to Parole Officers, the Catholic School Board, Employee Assistance programs throughout North America and to a broad corporate audience. She is also part of the Dawn DTx Personalized Cancer Stewardship Program. Elaine is a key-note speaker, columnist, standup comedian, actor and singer. With her clients, she employs a light touch to encourage people to turn towards difficulty, confusion, and challenge as part of the greater technicolour experience of life.
When someone you love is dying, there could be a secret moment, when things are really bad, when you hear yourself silently whisper the unimaginable thought: Please die soon. Say what??? It is with a brave heart, writes Elaine Smookler, that we look at this whole journey of death and make peace with the wild currents that threaten to pull us under. Read More
This week, Elaine Smookler invites us to explore the Mountain Meditation, where we will embody the mountain's steadfast calm amidst the swirling winds and shifting clouds of life. Read More
Once all the hubbub dies downβ¦now what? Mindfulness can help us be with our grief, and ourselves, with self-compassion. Read More
Deathiversaries, birthdays, holidays and other notable dates can feel like menacing beasts, waiting to jump out of the bushes and snatch away any hope of well-being. How can you face those terribly-timed memories that remind you of what once was? Read More
Whether you like it or not, people and things you love will end. Here are some ways you can prepare for what you cannot bear. Read More
When you donβt know what makes you happy, you can end up chasing illusions that only make you suffer. The secret to discovering happiness might be closer than you think. Read More
Friendship can sometimes feel fraught. But if you play your cards right, thereβs at least one friend who will always have your back. Read More
This movement exercise is Elaine Smooklerβs foolproof way to induce laughter. It is based on the Hawaiian word βAloha,β a nice vowel-y word that opens the mouth and throat just by saying it. Read More
Giving someone your full attention in conversation isnβt easy, but it is a skill we can practice and hone. Read More
You donβt need to laugh large to feel joy from your head to your toesβthough it doesnβt hurt. Start with a smileβand notice where it takes you. Read More
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