Who We Are
Rachel Mary Smith
After a successful 20 year career in education, from classroom to management, Rachel sought to implement the power of mindfulness in teacher training programs. Empathizing with the busy life and sympathizing with the challenges international teachers can face, Rachel embraced mindfulness in building teacher resilience and finding balance in the classroom and outside.
As Teacher Trainer with the Education Development Institute, Qatar Foundation, Rachel has garnered a solid foundation for specialist perspective on the challenges faced by the International Teacher. In her opinion, an inclusion of mindfulness practice in teacher training programs strongly supports individual and community wellbeing.
Rachel trained with the Mindfulness in Schools Project (UK), and the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Bangor, a leader in the field of Mindfulness in the UK and she strongly promotes the integrity of mindfulness training and follows the Good Practice Guidelines for Mindfulness-based courses as defined by the UK Network of Mindfulness Teachers. She regularly attends retreats and courses to keep up to date and connected to the growing network of mindful practitioners and methodologies. She uses the latest research-based evidence to inform her teaching and personal practice.
Taking this step has been the greatest gift I have given myself personally and professionally.”
Charbel Nasser
Born in Beirut in 1968, Charbel studied in Lebanon and graduated in the early 90’s from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in Advertising. He then spent 23 years working for agencies in Lebanon, Paris, Chicago, USA and the MENA region, leaving the corporate world in 2017 to focus on developing his personal mindfulness practice.
Charbel attended Vipassana retreat courses (meditation in noble silence) in 2017, 2018 and 2019, is trained in Tai Chi and Kriya breathwork, and contributes to workshops and conferences related to mental health, including addiction, trauma, and diagnosis, and trained as a mindfulness teacher with Bangor University and the Mindfulness Network UK. He now offers Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses, workshops, and mindfulness sessions, and teaches mindfulness to students at the Saint Joseph University in Beirut Medical Faculty, Education Faculty, Mediation Faculty.
Charbel strongly believes in the power of mindfulness practice and volunteers his knowledge and skills by giving support to groups of victim helpers and rescuers following the port blast in Lebanon on August 4th 2020, and with the Jesuit Refugee Services in Iraq. His work as Outdoor Education Coach at the American Community School in Beirut focused on mindfulness, wellbeing and civic values with a particular connection with nature. As a true humanitarian he cooked and co-managed the project “Aasha-el-Tayeb”, a soup kitchen for people in need in Beirut.
Charbel is a peacebuilder at heart, an activist who advocates for peace and social justice, and eradicating poverty. He was an active member on the board and vice president of the NGO “The Third Voice for Lebanon”; he worked with the Lebanese Food Bank; the AFMM (Mental Health NGO) continuously working tirelessly to eliminate hunger, and promote mental health and wellbeing in Lebanon.
Teacher of Mindfulness Based Self Compassion (MBC)
Coming soon…