Mindfulness Teacher · Author · Speaker · London, UK
Helping people find peace, one breath at a time.
For over 25 years, Shamash has been one of the UK's most trusted voices in mindfulness — guiding thousands of people toward greater ease, clarity, and self-compassion through books, live teaching, and online community.
Shamash came to mindfulness not as a spiritual seeker, but as a stressed-out engineering student at Imperial College London. What he discovered on the cushion changed everything. The stress didn't just ease — he began to see the very nature of the self differently. That insight has quietly shaped everything he's taught since.
He spent a decade teaching science and mindfulness in London schools before becoming a full-time mindfulness teacher in 2010. Since then he has written 10 books, trained nearly 500 mindfulness teachers, founded the Daily Mindfulness Club, pioneered online mindfulness teacher training in the UK, and co-founded the world's first Museum of Happiness in London. His work has been featured in The Guardian, the BBC, Time Out, and Sky TV.
His approach draws on MBSR, MBCT, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), breathwork, and a deep love of nondual philosophy — woven together with warmth, humour, and a scientist's respect for evidence. He doesn't believe mindfulness is about achieving a perfect state of stillness. He believes it's about learning to be here, as you are, with a little more kindness.
"Mindfulness tells you what's going on. Kindfulness heals."
Read the full story →"Shamash guides you through practices that will help you live a richer, calmer life — with warmth, humour, and deep wisdom."
Amazon reader · Mindfulness for DummiesTrained at Bangor University's world-leading Centre for Mindfulness, Shamash teaches the gold-standard MBSR and MBCT programmes — backed by decades of clinical research and made genuinely accessible.
Start free challenge →Recommended by the WHO, NHS and the American Psychological Association, ACT weaves mindfulness, values and committed action into a practical, evidence-based path to psychological flexibility.
Explore ACT training →A pioneer in online teacher training since 2013, Shamash has guided nearly 500 teachers through his Teach Mindfulness Online programme — combining deep skills with authentic marketing and community support.
Teach Mindfulness Online →Trained in person with James Nestor, Anders Olsson, Patrick McKeown and Professors Brown and Gerbarg. His book Breathing Exercises for Dummies (Wiley) brings the science of breath to a mainstream audience.
10-Day Breath Journey →At the heart of Shamash's teaching lies a deep engagement with nondual philosophy — the ancient understanding that separation is an illusion. Drawing on Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta, Ramesh Balsekar and Alan Watts, this thread runs quietly through all his work.
Read the manifesto →Shamash delivers bespoke mindfulness workshops and keynotes for organisations across the UK and internationally — from corporate wellbeing programmes to global conference stages, including work with HSBC and mindfulness summits worldwide.
Mindfulness at work →As a stressed student at Imperial College London, Shamash discovered mindfulness in an adult education class. He didn't just find a stress-relief tool — he began to see through the very nature of the self. That insight has quietly shaped everything since.
Shamash spent a decade as a science teacher in London secondary schools, where he also ran daily meditation and weekly philosophy classes. Teaching children to pause, breathe and notice — long before mindfulness was mainstream.
Flicking through a friend's copy of CBT for Dummies, Shamash noticed there was no mindfulness edition. He emailed the publisher on impulse. They asked him to write it. What followed was his first international bestseller — now in its third edition and translated into over a dozen languages.
Leaving the classroom, Shamash launched his own mindfulness teaching practice in London. He trained formally at Bangor University's Centre for Mindfulness and with Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness in Massachusetts.
Shamash launched Teach Mindfulness Online — one of the first fully online mindfulness teacher training programmes in the world. Nearly 500 teachers have since trained through the programme, with new courses developed every year.
Out of the pandemic, Shamash launched the Daily Mindfulness Club — a live online community meeting every morning at 7.30am UK time. What began as a 30-day challenge became a flourishing daily practice community for people all over the world.
Shamash believes deeply that good teachers remain students. Over the years he has sought out the most authentic voices in mindfulness, contemplative philosophy, breathwork and wellbeing — and sat with them, learned from them, and let their wisdom deepen his own teaching.
He has attended retreats with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in France and the UK, trained formally with Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness in Massachusetts, and studied for three years at Bangor University's internationally respected Centre for Mindfulness. He has attended multiple retreats with Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Thailand and the US.
In breathwork, he has trained with James Nestor, Anders Olsson, Patrick McKeown and Professors Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg. In behaviour change, he is a Tiny Habits Certified Coach under Stanford's Professor BJ Fogg, and has had the pleasure of meeting James Clear of Atomic Habits.
Whether you're brand new to mindfulness or ready to go deeper, there's a place here for you. Start with the free 31-Day Challenge, join the Daily Mindfulness Club, or get in touch about speaking and workshops.
Discover Mindfulness and Kindfulness with the best-selling author Shamash Alidina. Learn how to implement his teachings into your daily or corporate life. Live happier, spread happiness
