Last weekend, dozens of people seeking to revive the lost connection with their souls and to overcome the crowdedness of the city that oppresses their inner peace, gathered for a two-day workshop titled "The Path to Happiness" held at Mövenpick Ain El-Sokhna. The event is organised by Sandra Shama Kaur, an Egyptian lifestyle consultant, in cooperation with PR company Blue Ocean. The goal of the workshop is to help attendees "re-discover" their souls—a connection that has been lost amid their fast-paced lifestyles—through four main workshops: "From Stress to Success", "The Art of Communication", "You Are What You Eat", and "Master Your Mind". Sandra chose the name Shama Kaur, which is a name of Indian origin meaning the one who shines the light of his/her inner soul. Her broad understanding of the human experience is an outcome of the collective and diverse knowledge she gained through her personal journey. She graduated in Business Strategy and Commerce from McGill University, Montreal, and also holds a master's degree from King's College London. However, it wasn't her scientific studies that helped her find inner peace—it was yoga. This is why at the event Sandra focuses on yoga as a main key for self-balance. The activities in Sandra's workshop encompass four pillars of happiness. The first workshop teaches how to let go of things outside our control that negatively affect our spirits. Sandra believes that stress is one of the most negative impacts on a person's creativity, and it prevents a peaceful state of mind. Throughout the session, Sandra discussed the symptoms of stress, how to control it, and the methods of overcoming it. The second workshop taught people useful tools for communicating with their partners for a healthy relationship. The principle of this second session is: "The key to good communication is the realisation that every human being is unique and of value." On the third session, Sandra said: "Because food is who you are, making better choices will make a better you." Attendees learned how food can control their mood and the methods of "delighting the mood" solely through their food choices. In the fourth workshop, attendees were taught mindfulness and how to prevent negative thoughts from taking control. The event also included wellness activities, such as a healing session, as well as a special session on food and its impact on our mood, creativity, and overall wellness and happiness. Sandra chose the name Shama Kaur, which is a name of Indian origin meaning the one who shines the light of his/her inner soul (Photo by Mahmoud Nasr) Some 25 media executives attended the workshop and participated in group exercises on managing stress, effective communication, and mindfulness. Besides yoga, Sandra also has experience in alternative medicine and has studied numerology. She received her coaching diploma from Erickson College International, and undertook lifestyle and wellness training in France and Portugal. Her practical portfolio includes work with NGOs and youth programmes. In 2012, Sandra received a six-month grant from the Cherie Blair Foundation for the Mentoring Women in Business programme—an innovative programme that combines mentoring with technology to unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs. Recently, she became involved in working at a refugee camp in Greece with the NGO Zainabiyya Alliance for Refugees. This camp is located on the Greek island of Lesbos, where the situation is very challenging and the needs are endless. There are about 2,500 people of 14 different nationalities living in this camp. Some have been there since March. The variety of nationalities living there has caused inter-cultural conflicts that sometimes erupt up into theft, crime, and rioting. Sandra's work there in liaising between refugees and English speaking organisations and representatives, including lawyers, doctors, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Euro Relief. She also spends time with the women there, listening to their concerns about the conditions in the camp and their needs, which she then reports to the officials in charge. In addition to this campaign, she intends to go back to the refugee camp in Greece for a follow-up visit at the end of this year.
