The Mindful Muslim Podcast

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this Ramadan special episode, we spoke to Dina Aziz! She is a Muslim influencer and social media personality, who published her Ramadan Planner: A guide to reflection and growth during the holy month this year! (15th February 2024). With each Ramadan, Dina shares glimpses of her planner, providing invaluable support and preparation for her eager followers embarking on their spiritual journey. Her book that Dina shared online garnered over 1 million clicks and brought wide-spread praise: “So easy to follow . . . I don’t know what I would have done without it“ “Using this planner is the most productive and closest to God I have been for any Ramadan” “This has made a massive difference in how I’m using the days of Ramadan” We spoke about: Her journey from being an influencer to an author What Ramadan means to her and her inspiration behind writing this planner Her journey of creating this planner and how it can be used to ease your Ramadan experience The many features of her planner and where you can get a copy & so much more! You can connect with Dina in the following ways: Instagram @dinaaaaziz Twitter @dinaaaaziz You can also purchase her Ramadan Planner here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/297081/dina-aziz. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. Osman is a medical school student who has struggled with Religious OCD (ROCD). He shared his story with Inspirited Minds on our Mindful Messages Blog, which can be found HERE. He features on this episode, speaking with Adam Afghan about his lived experiences and his journey towards healing. In this episode, they spoke about: His symptoms of ROCD and how he realised what he struggles with How his ROCD led to panic attacks and severe illness How his relationships with others and himself were affected as a result of his struggles with mental health His journey towards coping with and healing from ROCD His advice for fellow Muslims struggling with ROCD & so much more! You can connect with Osman on Instagram @osman.md_ or via email at osmanwmohammad@hotmail.co.uk. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18Q4nFF_1c The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, we spoke to Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi, who is an expert on OCD and the Founding Director of Khalil Center – the first Islamically oriented professional community mental wellness center and largest provider of Muslim mental healthcare in the US. He is licensed as a psychotherapist in the state of Illinois, holds a Doctorate of Psychology, a Masters of Clinical Psychology and a Bachelors of Science in psychology and Islamic Studies. He is currently a visiting scholar for Ibn Haldun University (Istanbul, Turkey) and Adjunct Professor at American Islamic College, Hartford Seminary. He is also a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding at the Global Health Center, conducting research on topics related to Muslims and Mental Health. Dr. Hooman is an international public speaker and trainer currently serving as a Clinical supervisor of graduate students of clinical psychology at the Village of Hoffman Estates (DHS). He also delivers seminars on specialized topics around multiculturalism and psychology. In this episode, Dr. Hooman shed light on: The clinical definition of ROCD and its symptoms, and what Islam says about it Most common misconceptions about ROCD and how to tell the difference between an intrusive thought stemming from OCD versus from shaytan How mosques, community centres and organisations can be more inclusive of people with OCD Best treatment methods available to help people with ROCD Practical ways to deal with OCD and support a love one struggling with OCD & so much more! You can connect with the Khalil Center via twitter. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l7Jz82OgdE The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, we spoke to Dr. Omar Reda, who is a board-certified psychiatrist, Harvard-trained trauma expert, the founder of Healing Trauma Institute, and the author of many books including Untangled and The Wounded Healer. Dr. Reda lives with his wife and 3 daughters in Colorado, USA. Our conversation explored: The definition and impact of trauma Breaking generational trauma cycles Nurturing environments for families and communities to heal from collective traumas Carers and the impact of care-giving on mental, physical and spiritual health Using Islam as a toolkit for healing Self-care of the Prophet & so much more! You can reach out to Dr. Omar Reda in the following ways: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-omar-reda-9852065a/ Website: http://www.dromarreda.com/ If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGrwjzsn8cI The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, Sivan spoke to Mostafa Mohammed Karim. Mostafa is a marriage coach and founder of Muslim Marriage Services (MMS). He was educated at the Universities of Liverpool (Pharmacology) and Cambridge (Islamic Philosophy) and holds post-MBA Professional Membership of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI). As a former foster carer with a wealth of knowledge and experience in SEND, child development, children’s mental health, safeguarding and guardianship. Mostafa also has 20 years expertise in matrimonial issues. Outside of work, Mostafa enjoys being a virtual encyclopaedia, going for long walks, watching cat videos and volunteering as a school governor at Finchwoods Special Needs Academy, Liverpool. Their discussion explored: Bereavement and its impact on mental health His Muslim Matrimonial service and how it stands out Childhood trauma and how it can trickle into marital life How the purpose of marriage is very important and sets the tone for the relationship The current landscape of divorce and why they are higher than ever before The fine line between working on the relationship and giving up & so much more! Launching in Jan 2023, MMS will have an innovative and forward-thinking domain designed for global organisations. If you would like to find out more about the Muslim Marriage Service, check out: Their website: www.muslimmarriage.global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muslimmarriage/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muslimmarriage.global You can learn more about Mostafa Karim on Linked In (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mostafakarim/). If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKFmZOHTNsQ The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this episode we spoke to friends Lily Syed and Naila Huggins. A graduate of International Relations from the University of Birmingham, Lily has conducted research into the effects of Islamophobia on the Muslim youth and the discriminatory application of counter-terrorism legislation on the UK’s Muslim communities. With 7 years experience in counter-extremism and supporting victims of hate crime, domestic and sexual violence, she has embarked on a career change with the ambition of becoming a human rights lawyer to further support and improve standards for British Muslims. Having visited Bangladesh, Palestine and China, she is determined to support the Rohingya, Palestinians and Uyghurs. Lily is currently on a scholarship with the University of Law studying MA Law. She will then undertake the LLM with LPC funded by the Law Society. Naila is a mixed race revert and has been a Muslim for 9 years. She is the only Muslim in her immediate family. Her family has been her biggest test and she has unfortunately been estranged from some, as the case with many reverts. She is a health and social care graduate and has worked within the sector for 7 years and has been working within children social services for the past 5 years. Working within children’s social service has had a big impact on how she understands people and working systems. As a mixed-race black revert woman, she feels it is very important as Muslims that we are brave enough, where able, to be that voice for the community as we are often not correctly represented within organisations and systems. They discussed: Experiences with colourism, racism and racial confusion Struggles with identity and sense of belonging Growing up in families and communities and facing discrimination Islam and inter-racial marriages & so much more! If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzrLji2xzug The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, Sivan spoke to Sakinah Abdul-Aziz about Suicide within Muslim Communities. This is Part 2 of a 2-part episode. The 1st part is available on Papyrus’s own podcast called HOPECAST (Available on Spotify) and features our very own, Meanha Begum! Meanha is the Head of Operations at Inspirited Minds and has been supporting the charity from 2014. She has many years experience of working in Crisis and Suicide Prevention services within the NHS and third sector organisations. She has worked closely with the UK’s leading mental health professionals, Imam’s and community leaders and is an avid fundraiser. Sakinah Abdul Aziz worked as a Community Development Officer for Papyrus UK, a national charity aimed at the prevention of young suicides up to the age of 35. Sakinah’s role involved engaging communities across London, raising awareness about suicide and equiping communities with skills in suicide prevention. Sakinah is passionate about engaging and building relationships with diverse minoritised communities, unpacking conversations around suicide and smashing the stigma associated with it. In this episode, they spoke about: The stigmas surrounding suicide in Muslim communities Deconstructing negative language around suicide and creating neutral language around the topic Educating and equipping those around you with knowledge about self-harm, mental health and suicidal thoughts Understanding those around you who are affected by suicidal thoughts The importance of creating safe communities so that the topic of suicide is normalised You can find out more about Papyrus UK on their website: https://www.papyrus-uk.org and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter and Youtube. You can get in touch with Meanha via email at meanha.begum@inspiritedminds.org.uk. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a71Mcj1s2c The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this episode, we spoke to Sameer, a Muslim brother who has been actively involved in community cohesion and interfaith work from a young age. This has provided him with an opportunity to enhance his skills in facilitating dialogue and discussion amongst people. In addition, he has also worked within the field of education over the last ten years, ranging from primary, secondary, SEMH and evening faith supplementary schools. As a result of working with a wide array of people in different settings and due to personal life experiences, Sameer soon came to realise the importance good mental health and the lack of support available, specifically in the BAME community. This led him to train as an Integrative Transactional Analysis Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Islamic Psychologist. Currently, Sameer is working in a pastoral/welfare capacity within schools and with the National Mental Health Charity, MIND, on their BAME project, which intends to encourage more people from the BAME to access counselling services. Alongside this, he is also offering counselling services through his private practice, delivering workshops for the wider community and CPD for schools and educational institutes. They spoke about: His training to become a counsellor and psychotherapist The importance of having men in the field of mental health and its benefits within Islam Reflections on therapy from a faith perspective The Western models of psychology and mental health and how they coexist with Islam How to use both Islam and therapy to give meaning to our experiences How to become more aware of our social and emotional mental health needs as a Muslim The qualities of a Muslim that coincide with being a counsellor You can find out more about Sameer’s work at www.noortherapy.co.uk, or via Instagram @noor_therapy. You can also reach him via email at info@noortherapy.co.uk. If you would like to ask our team a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss one of the episodes or even feature as a guest speaker, then please do get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk Support our Podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWXRqI3SqXE The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this episode, Sivan was joined by professionals Isma Ahmed and Qasim Malik. Isma is a Key Worker for the NHS. She also works at Inspirited Minds as a mental health writer for our very own Mindful Messages Blog, and is a British Islamic Medical Association ExCo Director. Qasim is a Junior Doctor working in paediatrics and an education fellow with an interest in the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. The discussion delved into: What its like to work in the NHS and health care sectors The concept of emotional burnout and compassion fatigue How to deal with your wellbeing as a healthcare professional and the stigma involved with reaching out for support The importance of self-care and knowing when to take a step back to care for your mental health & so much more! Isma can be contacted via email on Isma.ahmed@inspiritedminds.org.uk, and you can follow Qasim on twitter @QasimMalikMed. If you would like to ask our team a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss one of the episodes or even feature as a guest speaker, then please do get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk Support our Podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOutEF6zTWw The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this episode, Sivan was joined by Zahra Aljabri and her husband James Faghmous. Zahra is a spiritual coach, writer, award-winning entrepreneur, wife and mother of four. Zahra empowers successful, bold Muslims to apply the insight of Islam into their day-to-day life. Supporting those who aim to evolve and transform, into the next-level version of themselves. She equips these talented and ambitious leaders to step into the power that is hidden within them. Her approach results in astounding personal transformation. James Ph.D. is a four-time chief dad officer and four-time entrepreneur. Prior to starting Limitless Love, James was an award-winning scientist, researcher, and speaker having lectured on every continent on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and entrepreneurship.  James’ life goal is help Muslims live beyond a mediocre job and average life to help create the Muslim Serena Williams, Steve Jobs, or J.K Rowling. He is passionate about creating generational defining talent that uses Islam as a source of inspiration to do more as opposed to settle for less. In their discussion, they explored: How to cultivate an abundance mindset What are the tenets to love and success Ways of nurturing your mental wellbeing & so much more! You can find out more about Zahra and James, and their platform Practical Muslim on Instagram @practicalmuslim. If you would like to ask our team a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss one of the episodes or even feature as a guest speaker, then please do get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk Support our Podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHjkc6pu8Us The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, we spoke to the eloquent Sophina Khan, who is a Registered Nurse (BSc (Hons) RN, IP, ANP), Aesthetic Practitioner at Revita Clinic in Birmingham, an inspiring humanitarian, a successful makeup artist, vlogger and influencer in the areas of fashion, lifestyle, beauty and female empowerment. She combined her love of nursing and facial artistry which led her to become an Advanced Aesthetics Nurse Practitioner and international freelance makeup artist. She has recently raised over 100K+ in charity for a variety of projects as a humanitarian. For her, building a platform on social media was by fluke, but she focuses on positivity and is a true believer that spreading love will only bring back love. They explored: How she came across Salam Charity UK, became a humanitarian and went on deployments to places like Palestine, Ghana and Yemen Her journey through motherhood, her struggle as a mother, working woman and social media influencer The role of positive thinking, mindset and affirmations in keeping mentally well How faith plays a role in her attitude towards challenges and struggles The relationship between makeup and self-confidence, and her experience of how it is important to look good because it makes you feel good about yourself How to deal with controversy and create healthy boundaries to screen toxicity Her advice for budding vloggers on how to maintain a social media presence and for mothers who are struggling to balance work and family You can find Sophina on various platform online: For all aesthetic related queries, Sophina can be contacted on info@revitaclinic.co.uk For all other queries, viewers can contact Sophina via social media: Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/sophinakhan, Instagram: www.instagram.com/sophinakhanartistry If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or even feature on the podcast as a guest, then please do get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucV8OP4pmpE The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. This month, Sivan (our host) meets Aiysha Khalil. Aiysha is a working muslimah, currently employed within the NHS. She graduated in Psychology and has lived with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. She has spent the next 9 years after her diagnosis managing mental health and life.  She has also volunteered at The Listening Place as a listening volunteer to support people struggling with suicidal ideation and suicidality and to help others in whatever way she can. During the episode, she talks about: What Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is and how she was diagnosed How her childhood experiences and marriage negatively impacted her mental health Her symptoms and how BPD can affect social interactions and relationships How she overcame her mental health disorder with a combination of therapy, unlearning/relearning practices and faith How she was in the minority as a Muslim woman diagnosed with BPD, and how she coped with that feeling Her coping methods and self-care practices that helped her on her journey to recovery More about The Listening Place where she worked as a listening volunteer supporting suicidal individuals Today, Aiysha does not qualify to receive a diagnosis of BPD, and her story of healing and recovery is truly inspiring. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or even feature on the podcast as a guest, then please do get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcfQgn7pwVs The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality. In this episode we meet Wajid Haqq, a.k.a ‘Heretic’, a spoken word artist who shares his experiences with depression, religious PTSD and self-harm. He really explores the concept of mental health with faith and identity through his writing and poetry. During the episode, he discussed: His idea behind the self-titled name ‘heretic’ and what it stands for The motivation behind becoming a spoken word artist and how this shaped his identity The personal experience of his mental health, including been diagnosed with depression and how he used pain to cope His interaction with the Muslim community and how stigma played a huge role in deteriorating his wellbeing The importance of having a support network in dealing with struggles How faith played a role in his lived experiences In what ways he coped and his advice to people struggling with mental health difficulties You can find Heretic Official on Youtube. If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk. Support our podcast by becoming a Torchbearer for Inspirited Minds.