Doing Mindfulness Differently

Harnessing the insights of neuroscience and psychology, drawing on interdisciplinary practice, and endlessly creating and innovating in the service of human flourishing for all.

Tamara Russell PhD, D.Clin Psych is a clinician, neuroscientist and martial artist specialising in mindfulness, embodiment and emotional intelligence. She is an internationally recognised educator and thought leader on mindfulness as relates to health, disease, and human flourishing. Tamara founded the Dragon Academy and the nonprofit Mindfulness Centre to develop accessible, creative and fun mindfulness trainings that meet people where they are at. Her passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including psychology, mindfulness, spiritual practice, kung fu, tai chi and creative practice. Her experiences offering mindfulness trainings worldwide has highlighted the need for a radical departure from standardized protocols and the potential for wide healling and transformation that results from doing mindfulness differently.

Tamara’s clinical and academic research explores the link between movement, mind, and the brain. At the heart of this work is the kung fu principle that our training (and our mindfulness) can and is in everything we do.  By working with the body and movement, we are tapping into the most fundamental of brain processes that underpin all our mental activity and subsequent actions in the world.  Working with contemporary dancers and those in the creative arts, Tamara’s work explores how we can learn and share experiences of embodiment across disciplines to improve the pedagogy of mindfulness.

Academic Work

Tamara's academic career focus on exploring the social brain, using eye movements and neuroimaging methods.

More recently she has contributed to studies looking at the efficacy of mindfulness based interventions and the impact of mindfulness training on the brain.

Clinical Psychology

Tamara has a small private practice working with clients with a range of presentations but specialising in ADHD, bipolar and those who help or lead others.  She also offers clinical and mindfluness based supervision.

 Martial Arts

Tamara is a martial artist with a blackbelt in Shaolin Kung Fu. She has been teaching kung fu and tai chi for more than 15 years. These deeply embodied practices not only keep her healthy and well but also inform her mindfulness and clinical work.