Joshua Van Leader - Inspire to Inspire - Unlock Your Mental Health with Richard Abrahams & Guests
Date: 16th September 2025
Time: 18:00 to 20:00
Location: Moda New York Square Commercial Space, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7BT
Accessibility: The event is fully accessible for individuals with mobility needs, taking place on the ground floor of the Moda New York Square Commercial Space in Leeds.
Event details:
This mindfulness workshop with Jake is designed to show you the benefits of living deeply in the present moment. In this workshop you can expect a variety of gentle mindfulness practices and self-awareness techniques in conjunction with readings of Joshua’s poetry. Please note this workshop is designed to be suitable for beginners so please feel free to come down as you are and give it a go!
Jake will start the session with a talk and open discussion about what mindfulness is, how to practice it & why it’s important for our health. This will be followed by a gentle meditation of the five senses, taking in the many artworks and surrounding space of the exhibition. We shall then close the workshop with a creative-expression exercise, exploring our own energy and emotions freely on paper using colouring pens, pencils and pastels.
About Jake Shaw:
Jake Shaw, brother of one of Joshua’s friends Charlie, is a mindfulness meditation instructor from Leeds with a love for art, creativity and wellbeing. Jake discovered a passion for meditation in response to his own challenges with his physical and mental health - he was diagnosed with a recurring lymphoma condition in 2015 which led to two courses of intense chemotherapy treatment and some life-long side effects which continue to affect his body. After his first experience with cancer, he initially felt elated and grateful to be well, but as he immersed himself back into everyday life, he began to experience symptoms of depression for the first time. This led to a deeper interest in meditation and mindful philosophy, and specifically a recognition of the truest self as consciousness. He found this realisation to be so powerful and meaningful that he founded his own teaching service, ‘Love Being Mindful’, in 2024. The aim of this project is to show others the healing benefits of mindful-based awareness practices and the underlying truth that we are all one in our nature.
