{"id":4037,"date":"2026-05-07T17:23:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T00:23:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/?p=4037"},"modified":"2026-05-10T14:13:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:13:23","slug":"edst-well-being-series-mindfulness-with-mahfida-march-2026-painting-workshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/2026\/05\/07\/edst-well-being-series-mindfulness-with-mahfida-march-2026-painting-workshop\/","title":{"rendered":"EDST Well-Being Series: Mindfulness with Mahfida \u2013 March, 2026: Painting Workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4040\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3333401151553377;width:705px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-3.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\">For this month&#8217;s 2-hour painting workshop session, <strong>Mahfida <\/strong>set up all the tools, canvases, and colors. Participants enjoyed creating their own masterpieces! They couldn&#8217;t believe that without any prior experience, they could paint with such ease! It was fun to dive into the world of watercolors&nbsp;and experiment with different shades with each careful stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\">This painting workshop offered participants a soothing, mindful experience in which they could relax, connect with others, and practice self-care through art. It focused on paying attention to detail, relaxing, and enjoying the creative process rather than aiming for perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4042\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.333345690454124;width:586px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-2.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\">A visiting faculty member, who is a professional painter, also joined the session. She explained how she enjoys painting all the time, and it&#8217;s so relaxing after a&nbsp;busy day. For most of the participants who were at the beginner&#8217;s level, watching a painter working on the canvas&nbsp;was truly inspiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4038\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3333401151553377;width:655px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.14-PM-1.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\">Our amazing EDST staff member,&nbsp;<strong>Carl Luke<\/strong>, embarked on his first painting journey&nbsp;and was absolutely serious about his work. However, painting takes a lot of patience, and one session is not enough to complete such detailed artwork. Although the masterpieces couldn&#8217;t be finished in one session, the amateur artists gained confidence by the end of the session and promised to complete the final touches in their spare time. As someone puts it, &#8220;This can be a great project for this Summer. I am excited to do some more paintings.&#8221; We can&#8217;t wait to see what comes next!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4043\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7500070940098181;width:427px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4041\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7500070940098181;width:427px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-26-at-1.40.15-PM-1.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1003\" data-id=\"4050\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-07-at-9.20.05-PM-1024x1003.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-07-at-9.20.05-PM-1024x1003.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-07-at-9.20.05-PM-300x294.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-07-at-9.20.05-PM-768x752.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-07-at-9.20.05-PM.jpeg 1199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"992\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"4079\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-08-at-11.46.05-AM-992x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-08-at-11.46.05-AM-992x1024.jpeg 992w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-08-at-11.46.05-AM-291x300.jpeg 291w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-08-at-11.46.05-AM-768x792.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/files\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-08-at-11.46.05-AM.jpeg 1353w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Photos: Participants shared their completed artworks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\">NB: The March Painting Workshop was for 2 hours instead of the regular one-hour event. For this reason, there will be no&nbsp;<em><strong>Mindfulness&nbsp;with Mahfida<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/em>session in April, as the participants are expected to complete their paintings at home. We can&#8217;t wait to see what&#8217;s there for the upcoming May event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">___________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\"><em>Snacks and drinks were provided for all participants.<\/em><br><em>Photos are shared with participant&#8217;s permission. Any Participants who did not consent to being photographed are not included.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\"><strong>About the Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;line-height:2\"><strong><em>Mindfulness with Mahfida<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is part of the ongoing&nbsp;<strong>EDST Well-Being Series<\/strong>, supported by the Student Support Lead (SSL). With a new theme each month, the sessions are open to everyone in the EDST community \u2014 students, staff, and faculty alike. Together, we continue building a culture of care, connection, and well-being within our academic home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For this month&#8217;s 2-hour painting workshop session, Mahfida set up all the tools, canvases, and colors. Participants enjoyed creating their own masterpieces! They couldn&#8217;t believe that without any prior experience, they could paint with such ease! It was fun to dive into the world of watercolors&nbsp;and experiment with different shades with each careful stroke. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108574,"featured_media":4047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edst-well-being-series"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108574"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4037"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4122,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4037\/revisions\/4122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/edst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}