Mindfulness is a helpful practice in any language. That's why we collaborated with Community Hubs Australia to bring two new in-language programs to the app: Arabic and Dari.

We sat down with one of the project's Arabic translators and voice artists, Naseem Hasweh. A loving parent and mindfulness newbie, here's what Naseem had to say about the experience.

Tell us a bit about yourself...

My Name is Naseem Hasweh. I enjoy cooking, going out with friends, watching TV, and volunteering. The most important thing to me is having a healthy and happy family. There is nothing more fulfilling than exchanging endless love with your children.

How did you first hear about the community hub, and what role does it play in your daily life?

I was fortunate to hear about the community hub through my children's school. I had and still have a very pleasant experience. I learnt a lot from the community hub and have always been inspired by the community hub leader's ideas and thoughts.

The community hub has become a second home for me where I meet and chat with people from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life.

How much, if anything, did you know about mindfulness and meditation before taking part in this project?

I didn't have much information about mindfulness and meditation before taking part in this project, however I now understand how meditation works and what the benefits are.

Meditation reduces any stress that I might have, promotes positive thinking, increases attention, boosts the immune system and keeps the vascular system in good shape.

How do you find mindful moments in your day to day life? 

I always try to start my day in a positive way, setting a purpose for my day and sparing some time to experience my current environment with all of my senses.

What role did you play in developing these meditations?

In addition to voicing the Arabic meditations, I had to read a lot about meditation after joining this project. I have made meditation a daily habit in my life in order to be able to effectively share meditation practices with others through this project.

How do you think these meditations will support you, your family and/or your community?

These meditations will help relieve stress, promote positive emotional health and support wellbeing.

Which meditations would you recommend to others?

I would recommend all meditations, but especially Mindful Listening, which uses sounds of nature to bring us into the present moment and reminds us to be kind to ourselves. 

To learn more about this program you can download the Arabic Meditation Resource HERE. You can find these meditations in the Smiling Mind App under All Programs > Other Languages