This post is about free fitness, yoga, and mindfulness sessions at Bright over the month of May. 

CheckPoint, a charity that provides mental health resources for gamers and the gaming community, has published a list of local websites and emergency contacts for help and support in most regions. Click here to access the list. If you or someone you know needs help, please get in touch with a crisis centre in your region. 

If you're caught up in your story, it's like living in a tiny apartment with just enough room for you and your little mattress. The moment you get a little space between your self and your thoughts, it's like moving into a much bigger house. Then there's room to invite people in. There's space for you, and there's space for them. That's spaciousness.

"Vulture with Honor", The Midnight Gospel, Netflix. April 20, 2019.

There’s so much that can get in the way of feeling grounded and centered. Often, to reference the quote above, the biggest barrier is the stories we tell ourselves.

This is one thing registered health psychologist Dr. Michael Vallis points out when discussing how to make sustainable behavior change. 

Our identity is made up of these stories. These stories decide what kind of mental space we’re living in, whether a little apartment or a big roomy house. It’s often these stories that we also have to manage when we’re trying to make a change in our lives.

The problem is, the conditions we’re living in in our minds aren’t quite that obvious. To us. 

When you’re looking for a house or apartment, you get the home facts: how big is it? Where is it located? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Storage? Sometimes you can even check out what’s local and chat with potential future neighbors.

There isn’t really an equivalent process when it comes to our minds. We think how we think and that mindset can sometimes wipe out any possibility for alternatives. 

This might look like cynicism: “Ugh, gratitude, what is there to be grateful for? Everything is shit.”

Or being a hater: “I hate people. Happy people are the worst.”

Or defeatism: “I’ll never be able to do that, I’m not that type of person.”

The stories don’t have to sound that bad either. Maybe they’re slightly defeatist, or there’s just a tiny bit of hateration. Either way, we often get attached to them, kind of like how we can get attached to our homes. 

Mindfulness can help with knowing what kind of mental space we’re in. In other words, practicing mindfulness helps us get some space.

A person’s level of mindfulness can have a direct effect on their mental health. According to the Canadian Association for Mental Health: “Research shows that mindfulness can help improve well-being and quality of life. It may help people reduce stress and anxiety, manage symptoms of some mental illnesses and substance use problems, and improve physical health.” 

One quick way to practice mindfulness is by paying attention to your body. Doing this immediately gets you out of your head, the place where all the storytelling happens. 

As a company that focuses on well-being, the folks at Bright think about mental health every day. One of our values is that all types of health, including mental health, should be available to everyone.

In the spirit of May being mental health awareness month, we’re unleashing our Educators on Instagram to host live sessions! These sessions are what Bright is all about.

Join us on Instagram Wednesdays and Thursdays, and meet our Educators: Elyse, John, Keifer, Melissa, Stephanie, and Tony. They’ll give you a moment to get into your body, and help you make a little space in your mind.

How to Attend

1. Follow @brightamenities on Instagram.
2. Look for our lives during the dates below. Times listed are in Eastern and Pacific zones.
3. Get ready to work out, learn, and take a breath.

Bright Amenities Free Live Sessions

Cover photo by madison lavern on Unsplash.