Explore the

Ultimate Solutions to Stress

with DurgaMata

to

Build Resilience

and

Increase Happiness

We offer joyful and empowering Workshops and

Mindfulness-Based Happiness Coaching

Find out more

INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

Stress is a natural reaction to danger and prepares us to escape with the

"fight, flight and freeze" response. If the danger is physical then the stress response may well save our life.

But in today's world, most of the stress comes from the environment and it's often ongoing. As a result, our stress response remains high, which is extremely harmful for physical and mental health.

The Covid Pandemic resulted in a 55% increase in the number of people seeking help with stress and anxiety globally. With all the additional issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the ever-growing threat of Climate Change,
this epidemic of toxic stress (and 'reactive' depression) continues to increase.

We offer one-to-one Coaching to balance energy of body, mind, emotion and spirit

We offer Mindfulness based Stress-Reduction Workshops for Corporate, Community, Charitable and Individual Clients.

DurgaMata, founder of Ultimate Stress Solutions is a retired teacher and accredited Mindfulness Coach.

Having met and married her Indian husband while at University, DurgaMata has personal insight into the unique stresses that immigrants, international students and mixed race families. But stress affects everyone and we all need more inner peace.

With over 170 million refugees worldwide refugees suffer more stress than most other demographics. As a Community Interest Company we offer workshops each month in South-West London which are free for refugees.

Our Free Service to Refugees with the monthly Mindfulness-Joy Silk-Painting Mini-Retreat Workshops held in London. These powerful 5-hour 'Mini-Retreat Workshops' which include Mindfulness, Values, Forest Bathing, Dance, Silk-Painting, Live Music for relaxation and reflection and a Vegetarian Feast.

WHY WORK WITH US?

DurgaMata, author, silk-paint artist and musician has been practicing Mindfulness for over 40 years

Her Programmes include talks and workshops on Mindfulness, workshops which combine silk-painting and mindfulness, ideal for Staff Wellbeing Days. She draw on her own experience as a teacher and student of mindfulness, as well as an in-depth knowledge of stress and what is most effective in building resilience and inner peace.

DurgaMata views the whole field of education as something of a stress factory and it was her own experience and observation of the way that stress harmed the lives of both staff and students which motivated her to become an entrepreneur, working to reduce stress and build more happiness by increasing inner peace.

Believing we are all part of each other - organically part of the entire world - if we can 'lift' the spirits of even one person, we actually make our whole world just a little bit happier and more peaceful.

As a Mindfulness-Based Happiness Coach, DurgaMata offers one to one coaching.

In her Coaching and Workshops she teaches a Mindful approach which includes Breath-work, following her own unique Programme - 'The Seven Steps to Happiness.'

This is a holistic and comprehensive approach which brings the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements of our lives into balance.

The Success-Gratitue-Joy-Diary

Our coaching is based on increasing inner peace and happiness by using out Success Gratitude-Joy Diary.

We explore and monitor our own daily discipline/routine, beginning by setting up a page for the new day, by choosing 3-5 items which we want to track every day, followed by 3-5 tasks or aims which we hope to get done that day.
Then in the evening we reflect back on the day to ask, 'What Went Well today?' and listing any progress made on any of the items as successes.

Then we list 3-5 Gratitudes - which can be anything from Gratitude for there being a universe - something rather than nothing - to gratitude for having a pencil. I think of the Palestinian journalist who said 'Every morning I wake with Massive Gratitude because i am still alive and I still have all my limbs.

Finally we list 3-5 Joys - situations when we smiled or laughed or made other people laugh or smile.

At Ultimate Stress Solutions, we include three of the most empowering and clinically proven strategies for managing stress:

Mindfulness, Silk-Painting and Forest Bathing

After retiring from teaching, DurgaMata began pursuing her passion for improved health and wellbeing, teaching Mindfulness, Silk-Painting and Forest Bathing - Three of the most powerful strategies for reducing stress and improving mental health.

The philosophy underpinning Ultimate Stress Solutions is a belief that we are all interconnected, we are part of each other and the wider world. We really can make a difference. By working with groups and individuals, to reduce stress and increase inner peace, we improve not only their own level of happiness, but contribute to making the whole world just a little bit happier and more peaceful.

Silk-Painting

Any form of creativity has the capacity to bring us into the present moment. Silk-Painting is particularly effective.

When we place paint on paper, we think about where we'll put it and as we progress, we look at it and judge it with our critical mind. But when you place liquid dye on a fabric - especially silk, you have very little control. You simply play with the colours and the silk plays with you. The colours flow together and the abstract results are always beautiful.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the universal human capacity for self-observation. When you practice mindfulness, you bring your attention to the present moment, here and now. We notice where we are, what we're doing, thinking and feeling.

In addition to this focused awareness, we bring an attitude of curiosity, honesty, acceptance, kindness, compassion and self-love. There is absolutely no criticism or judgement in mindfulness.

Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing originated in Japan in the 1980s. There was a big push to increase productivity and young people started to drop dead, often at work. This was found to be due to stress-related heart-attacks.

At that time, work-related stress was literally killing people. The government organised trials of many different strategies to see what would be most effective at reducing stress. It was found that any contact with nature relaxes the neocortex and reduces stress. Think of how we love to take our holidays by the sea or up in the mountains. We feel refreshed by the space and beauty of nature. But the Japanese study discovered that the colour green is most effective in relaxing our brain and when is spent around trees in a forested environment, the benefits are especially powerful.

Doctors now prescribe spending time in the forest for people who are suffering from persistent or toxic stress. Japanese call this shinrin-yoku, which translates as Forest Bathing.

Trees produce special oils which protect them from fungi and insects and these are found in the air around trees. When we breathe them in, they strengthen our immune system giving even more benefit.

The longer we can spend in a wooded environment, the greater the benefits - for both physical and mental health we enjoy.

Breath-Work

Breath-Work is closely associated with Mindfulness. In the video above, DurgaMata lieads a workshop in a Rhythmic Breathing exercise..

Conscious Breathing

In conscious breathing we simply bring our attention to our breath and observe the inhale and exhale, without making any deliberate change to the way we are breathing. We notice the way that air enters our nostrils and the way our chest and back move with each breath.

The next exercise may be to deliberately make our breath slower and deeper. We notice whether this affects how we are feeling - both the physical sensations and emotions which we may be feeling. Slowing and deepening our breath often helps reduce stress and give us time to reflect on any situation and choose how to respond, rather than simply reacting to any situation.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

The diaphragm is a muscle which separates our chest and abdomen. It is the main muscle involved in breathing. When relaxed it arches up slightly into our chest cavity and when it contracts it flattens out, pressing into our abdomen and forcing our lungs to expand and draw in air. To fill our lungs and reduce stress, we need to use breathe from our belly, using our diaphragm.

Rhythmic Breathing.

Stress is related to the inhale. Relaxation is linked to our exhale. Think of how we gasp - take a sharp inhlae - when alarmed, while if everything is fine, we give a sigh of relief. We can use this to conscoiusly reduce stress by breathing with a rhythm and making the exhale longer than the inhale. DurgaMata gives an exercise in the video above where we inhale to a count of 4, hold for 4 and exhale for a count of 8 before holding for 2 and then repeating this rhythm. Do this for a few minutes whenever you feel stressed and notice how it helps to lower your blood-pressure and reduce your heart-rate.

Interactive Talks and Workshops

DurgaMata gives Talks and Workshops for Schools, Colleges, Universities, Community Groups, Companies and at Festivals to reduce stress, build resilience, improve wellbeing and increase happiness.

The photograph above is an interactive Talk at Richmond Festival of Wellbeing.

Contact DurgaMata now to discuss your own needs.
Topics she teaches or facilitates include - Strategies to Build Resilience

Mindfulness,

Breath-work

Gratitude

Forest Bathing

Silk-Painting

Observational Drawing

Music and Dance

Singing and Laughter

Sharing Healthy Food Together

Journaling

Visualisations - Light - Oneness - Joy - Gratitude

Stillness and Silence

Unconditional Love

Reduce Stress to Increase Inner Peace and Happiness

by balancing the needs of mind, body, emotion and spirit in a Holistic way.

Book a Discovery Call Now

One to One Coaching

Stress-Reduction is a serious matter. It can even save your life. To make any genuine change in our lifestyle takes time. If someone wants to run a marathon or lose weight, they will need to find a trainer and work towards their goal for months. Reducing stress or depression and building resilience is similar, so I offer programmes of one month minimum and recommend a six-month period, to really explore the particular causes of stress or depression for each case and embed new and life-changing habits. We begin with basic Mindfulness Practises because these encourage self-awareness which is essential for progress and positive change.

Having taught in schools and colleges for some 30 years, including in Learning Support, DurgaMata has seen how our education system results in stress for both staff and students alike.

At University she met and married an International (Indian) Student which gave her insight into the particular challenges and pressures that International Students face. She began one to one coaching, organically, meeting students who were struggling with depression and toxic stress and found that for most if not all, it was not only the pressure of studies that was the cause, but deeper issues, isolation from the world they knew, parental expectation, language support and personal issues which have varied from childhood abuse to sexual orientation.

This has led her to a holistic and personalised approach, which includes the healing trauma, following strategies taught by experts such as Compassionate Enquiry, developed by Gabor Maté and effectively managing our thoughts using Daniel Amen's insights which come from years of studying what makes for a healthy brain.

S, a South Asian student writes -
'I have very amazing experience with your Coaching because I had lots of childhood traumas and also adult traumas. This has caused many physical symptoms and depression, but doctors treatment didn't help.
With your Coaching and Mindfulness every week, with the daily practises and accountability is release my traumas and still I see improvement in my emotions and feeling. My days improve a lot and I really appreciate your support and help kind regards, God bless you always with good health and joy :) Ameen. (Ameen means, truly or verily. It is a form of Amen.)

DurgaMata has created her own unique 'Seven Steps to Happiness' programme which is offered as a five-day physical retreat or online, spread over 9-weeks.
This works by sharing a weekly 90 minute interactive zoom-call, with simple micro-practises (short activities) to complete every day. There is accountability, and individual support, to change negative mindsets and build new, positive and empowering habits. We work with a limited number of clients in each cohort, to ensure everyone receives the personal attention, feedback and guidance which is what makes all the difference.

Contact DurgaMata for a 30 minute Discovery Call.

In 2021, as Covid-related toxic stress and depression were rising, DurgaMata created this 5-hour workshop using the most effective elements from her existing stress-reduction programme.

In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she personally hosted two refugees and made the workshops free for refugees. Ukrainian refugees soon became the majority of participants of the workshops and they shared information about them through their social media and friendship groups. The workshops quickly became popular within this community and they are usually fully booked within days of going live on eventbrite.

In 2023 we established Ultimate Stress Solutions CIC to expand this work. We constantly add to our contacts by attending refugee events and networking with refugee organisations in every London borough, especially in Richmond, Hammersmith and Fulham, Camden and Westminster. We continue to expand connections with Muslim communities (particularly Palestinians) and interfaith groups and maintain regular contact with refugee and muslim communities, both in person and online.

In 2021, as Covid-related toxic stress and depression were rising, DurgaMata created this 5-hour workshop using the most effective elements from her existing stress-reduction programme.

Although Ukrainian refugees are not yet formally represented on our board, we have Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and Christian representation and maintain strong refugee involvement. We have no formal steering group, but plan to expand the workshops to reach refugees and Muslims in more districts because they are so effective in reducing stress, reducing prejudice, building resilience and thus increasing inner peace and happiness, which is so much needed in our world today.

Book a Discovery Call Now

Responding to Crisis -

The Gaza Freedom-Cards

When theree is any kind of crisis, when we see something wrong, when we see the face of suffering, we have three choices.

We can ignore it and look away (or if you come from a Christian tradition and reflect on the parable of The Good Samaritan - choose to ignore the problem and walk past on the other side of the road. *)
We can identify with the suffering with empathy. We are upset, sharing the pain but not taking any action. We may feel utterly helpless and angry or miserable and depressed. We recognise the suffering and identify with it, so it disturbs our inner peace and takes away our happiness - or
We can reflect on the situation, perhaps with reference to our own past experience or in discussion with others - and then take some kind of positive action which 'makes a difference' and reduces the suffering - bringing about positive change. We may not have the capacity to stop the suffering but we can and do reduce it. Even a very small reduction brings with it a sense of oneness and strengthens the connection between us. And that brings both of us more inner peace and happiness.

* The Good Samaritan in the parable made a huge difference. A man had been robbed and beaten and left for dead. The Samaritan tended his wounds, lifted him onto his donkey and took him to a hotel, paying for him to stay there and making sure he would be cared for until he fully recovered. Not many of us can do that, but we can always do something.

To ignore suffering is not a neutral act. It diminishes our own humanity. It cripples our heart and it makes the world more cruel. But to identify with suffering on the strength of our empathetic nature, without taking any positive action, simply drains us of our own inner strength, inner peace and happiness.

We need to pray and meditate, to inwardly ask, what can I do? What is the best action I can take in the face of this suffering - or if you have a personal sense of God's Reality you can ask something like this: 'How can I best serve You in this situation, in the hearts of those who are suffering here?'

Once you have found your 'corner' and are making a difference in that small way, you don't need to engage with all the other issues and causes of suffering which abound. Your 'role' may seem insignificant. It may simply be to protect yourself from more exposure, to conserve your own energy and inner peace. It may be to care for your own family with more seriousness and attention, or to feed some hungry birds. Or it may be to do something directly which helps a victim of injustice to suffer less.

Screenshot

When the attack happened on 7th October, I was shocked to the core. I knew very little about the Middle East or the history of Israel - but I started to read and listen and learn. I quickly came to know that the 7th October was not the start of the

Years ago, I trained as a Religious Education Teacher. It was something of a Calling.

My son had just started in Primary School and I took a part time job in the local High School as a teaching assistant. I was supervising a young lad who was wheelchair-bound, helping him keep up with the lessons he couldn't physically access, and one of these was Religious Education.

This was was taught in a classroom annex outside the main building, comprising wooden huts, which were accessed by steep steps. Going there at lunchtime to collect some work, I saw there had been a lesson on Hinduism. Some of the deities were drawn as caricatures in chalk on the blackboard.

My husband is Hindu. My spiritual Teacher comes from a Hindu background. The inner emotional response, the strong sense of recognition and homecoming that I had felt when I encountered both my spiritual Teacher and my husband - and Indian culture as a whole was very real. (This has given rise to my own personal belief in reincarnation, and my father in law jokes that I was probably a Bengali freedom fighter, and so prejudiced against the British that God made me be born one.) On that occasion, in the Religious Education Hut, to suddenly see the deities who meant so much to me, drawn in this ugly, disrespectful way - and even wrongly labelled, was quite a shock. I stood in the empty room burning up with intense and angry emotions while feeling, rather than just thinking, If we aere toi teach the great world religions we need to teach them with accuracy and respect.

about us

We use our experience to create yours

Having trained as an accredited mindfulness teacher with Shamash Alidina, leading expert and author of some of the best-respected books on Mindfulness. DurgaMata offers the proven 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction programme, much used in therapeutic settings, to reduce workplace stress either in-house, online or as a hybrid programme - but this is only the start of her work. Recognising the importance of Meta-Cognition in changing the habits and patterns which tend to rule our days, we being with mindfulness and then bring in many other proven strategies including Breath-Work, Gratitude Journalling, Silk-Painting and Forest Bathing.

The Mindfulness-Based Silk-Painting Programme is very popular and great for improving staff morale as well as reducing stress. This requires a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 15 people. DurgaMata will provide all materials and will deliver this either in-house or at a convenient location.
Each participant creates their own hand-painted silk scarf and this anchors the learning as well as providing a beautiful and unique piece of wearable art.

DurgaMata has been organising Forest Bathing outings for more than 10 years. She lives in South-West London and takes individuals or parties for a Forest Bathing experience in Isabella Plantation which is located in the beautiful Richmond Park.
Meeting at Pembrook Lodge, there is an opportunity for teaching some background instruction in Mindfulness, before spending quality time among the trees.

This experience often includes a picnic meal and we may conclude in the evening at The Red Lion pub in Barnes which also offers space for feedback, reflection and consolidation.

Isabella Plantation in spring - Azaelia Season runs from mid-April until the end of May.

Interactive Talks and Bespoke Workshops

DurgaMata offers Talks and Workshops on all aspects of Health and Wellbeing, but especially stress-reduction and resilience-building. With many practical and interactive elements, the workshops do not simply talk about health but teach participants how they can improve the quality of their life and increase their happiness using a holistic and mindful approach.

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testimonials

Check what our clients say about us

The mindfulness session was very helpful I learned breathing techniques which enabled me to feel stress free and helped me with my depression.

Also I felt connected with nature while exploring and observing the green area to draw plants and trees in our Forest Bathing taster.

Making the silk scarf was really fun , there was a wide variety of materials to make your own personal scarf and the live music played during the session was soothing to the ears. You leave the session feeling brand new and refreshed.

Sarah

RECEPTIONIST

Everything was amazing! Thank you so much!

The notes that I made:

1) I like the place of a workshop, because of calm atmosphere, a beautiful inside garden, big windows, sunshine and wind.

2) I like an idea of all exercises. And moreover, for me it was interesting to watch the painting process.

3) The items that we were using are really cute and it was a lot of varieties of paints what I really like!

4) Life music helped me to sink into my thoughts. It was comfortable to sit on cushions.

5) A tea with cinnamon and ginger was really tasty and vegetarian dinner was amazing!

Polina

refugee

After Durgamata had delivered a workshop at my workplace, I decided that I wanted to share the experience with my family who I took to her half day workshop. The whole experience was amazing. I attended with my two kids (11 and 4) and they absolutely loved the silk-painting, the forest-bathing and all other activities. We all had a lot of fun and learned a lot.

The environment was peaceful, and reduced stress levels, personally from a 5 to a 2.

The silk-painting was enjoyable and we all made unique scarves which we still treasure to this day.

I'd recommend the workshop to anyone who serious about reducing stress within their team or with their loved ones.

CJ

data analyst

The Workshop was wonderful. I can't find the words. Silk-Painting was amazing. Everything was very nice. Great Music and Super Great Dinner. And Good Company with bonding talk. Thank you Soooo much!!!!

Olga

translator

Dearest Durga Mata! Thank you so so much for the absolutely most amazing wonderful workshop you did dedicated to Ukraine!

It was such a Joyful Celebration and such a beautiful event for all of us! Your generosity and kindness are so wonderful and heart warming! All of the girls were so touched, they did not expect anything like that, they were so so impressed!

Hope you were ok the next day! ANgel was also so amazing and we had such beautiful music from him! Thank you so so much again! I look forward to the photos! Lots and lots of Love xxx ANgel our great cellist.

Marina

store manager

Mindfulness and Peace

I found DurgaMata’s workshop incredibly beneficial and an absolutely beautiful experience. We were gently, eloquently, and professionally guided on how to employ stress-reducing mindfulness strategies and we engaged in several of them.

Forest Bathing

I found the forest bathing to be a lovely experience of connecting with nature and a relaxing, meditative experience.

Silk-Painting

The Silk-Painting part of the workshop was an absolute joy. We were guided through an understanding of colour and the process of painting to create a beautiful, soft, delicate silk-scarf.

Stress-Reduction

Whenever we hold and look at the lovely scarf it acts as a tangible anchor to take us back to the peacefulness of the day and remember the stress-reducing mindfulness strategies which we have learned.

Overall, a wonderful, creative experience.

Satu Liina Vai

HOLISTIC WELLBEING GUIDE