7 Inspiring Things to Do in Lebanon This June

Summer is around the corner (although the weather seems to think we are smack in the middle of it), and another instalment of our ‘Things to Do’ series is long overdue. So here we are again, ready to help you tackle your FOMO, because the one thing Lebanon is never short of is a massive diversity of events to attend. Narrowing it down to our top 7 was no easy feat, but we’d like to think we distilled a well-balanced, high-caliber range for all your palates. Let’s get to it!

1- The Things We Don’t Talk About- A Speed Discussing Event.

You’ve probably heard of speed-dating, but speed-discussing? Hey, if you’d like to start the summer skipping the small talk and pushing your boundaries by engaging in challenging conversations with strangers, The Things We Don’t Talk About might be the event for you!
Taking place at B.Hive from 3-5pm on June 1st, this is actually the third ‘speed-discussion’ event hosted by Documented Experiences, a self-proclaimed:

…club that provides an uncensored creative space that spreads and celebrates all forms of self-expression in various types of artistic mediums. We are based in Beirut, Lebanon.

Address, Express, Progress!

Sounds pretty interesting right? And a wonderful opportunity to broaden your horizons and forge unexpected connections. Find out more on the event Facebook page right here

https://www.facebook.com/events/297068321248503/?active_tab=about

2- Of Love and Onions: A Youth Theatre Performance.

If ‘youth theatre’ makes you think of something sub-par and thrown together by teenagers who’ve been coerced by an enthusiastic drama coach, it’s time to check yourself. Not only because this group of youth are anything but sub-par and coerced, but also because, I’m starting to think youth today have their game face on in terms of dealing with the world a lot more than we did. I’ll let the statement from their Facebook event page speak for itself:

We are Anis, Patricia, Rabih, Rayyan, Salah, Aziz, Ali, Omar, Louai, Maria, Mohamad J., Mohamad H. and Moussa. We are a group of young people brought together by our love for theatre and our belief in the necessity of raising questions about issues that we face and see people around us facing every day. We want to raise these questions on stage without limits or hesitations. We have been working together once a week for 6 months because we want to evolve as actors and writers and directors in the world of theatre and this is our first step on the road that we wish to take.

Entrance is free and you have the evenings of June 1st and 2nd to choose from. More info about the event and ticket details are right here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1331979183606748/?event_time_id=1331979186940081, but I’ll leave you with the production synopsis before we move on:

There are people and more people. There is you and there is us too… There’s an apple and some onions… A bag of Onions and some Pomegranates… some pomegranate Juice.
There’s Quais and there’s Abir… and their fathers too…
There’s Rami and there’s Patrick… and their parents too…
There is Love, and all the issues around it; religion, race and sexuality…
We have everything here and we are always mixing onions with pomegranates.

3- The Haven Market

Hosted by the NGO Haven for Artists and its project Concept2092 (which encompasses an exhibition space, workspace, garden, café and bar), The Haven Market showcases a range of random items from designers and local collectors. It sounds like the best of hipster bazaars, and is set on June 7th in a lovely garden with coffee, beer, snacks and socializing encasing it. What’s not to like? Grab your friends and make a day of it.

4- Women and Ocean Conference.

June 8th is World Oceans Day. Using that day to honor our ocean by engaging in the work it direly needs us to do (all year round), is important. On this particular World Oceans Day, the theme is Women and the Ocean, and from 3-7pm at Dammeh Coop, a conference is being held that takes up that theme. The conference statement is as follows:

This year, we want to create the space for women to be heard, for people everywhere in Lebanon to be able to find ocean heroes they can relate to. There is no single pathway to reversing the crisis facing our ocean. It requires creativity, innovation and, most importantly, all of us. We need to start listening to the many voices that make up our collective civilization. It is indeed by embracing our diversity that we can truly bring about change.

Presentations you can look forward to include ‘Women in…’: Ocean Conservation (by Mona Khalil), Ocean Research (by Dr. Marie Abboud Abi Saab), Ocean Restoration (by Dr. Myrna Semaan), Marine GIS Applications (by Manale Abou Dagher), Marine Spatial Planning (by Vera Noon), and Women Divers and Fisherman on Invasive Species (by Sahar Lakkis).

It seems Diaries of the Ocean are the great changemakers you’d need to contact to get more specific info on this, and you can find out more about them right here: https://www.diariesoftheocean.org/fbclid=IwAR2ZJltUyAPtaFoo9Pudww2hUS3tM0a_2nXmvzO64p2GPCPToXB4eVp9oI4.

5- Yoga and Cognitive Therapy Retreat.

Combining Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) with Yoga Practice, this packed 2-day residential workshop offered by Mynd Care gives you an immersive and healing experience at the Taaneyil Monastery in Bekaa Valley. What’s MBCT, you ask? According to the Omkara House of Yoga website:

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an evidence-based practice that combines Buddhist meditations with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The idea of this practice is to directly show the science behind the Art of Meditation. MBCT is a therapeutic program dedicated to treat depression, anxiety, and physical pain such as back aches and psychosomatic symptoms. It is also highly efficient for relapse prevention into acute stress. Research has shown that 1 MBCT session reduces 62% of a person’s anxiety. This practice is being done worldwide. That includes Oxford University’s Mindfulness Centre and University of California San Diego Mindfulness Professional Institute.

With a schedule that runs from 6:30am to 8:30pm, June 8th-9th, the $200-$220 course fee includes the full workshop itself, accommodation, 2 vegetarian meals each day with snacks in between, and access to the monastery land and lake. To register and find out the exciting program outline, you can find all the info you need right here: http://www.omkaralebanon.com/portfolio/yoga-cognitive-therapy-retreat-8-9-june-2019/

6- Dar El-Nimr Film Evenings.

Photo Credit: Dar El-Nimer for Arts & Culture‎مساء الأفلام:طيف المدينة|Film Evening: In the Shadow of the City

Dar El-Nimer, in case you haven’t heard of it, is the amazing independent non-profit art foundation ‘…for historical, modern and contemporary cultural productions from Palestine and the region…(which) promotes deep historical awareness and keen intellectual productions by curators, writers, historians, performers, musicians, and filmmakers, whose works engage with the challenging social realities and political currents shaping the region.’

Aside from their many other offerings (including talks, workshops and exhibitions, which you can check out right here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/darelnimer/events/?ref=page_internal, there are 3 captivating films being screened there in June, as part of a month honoring filmmaker Jean Chamoun:

• On June 10th from 6:30-7:30pm: Women Beyond Borders (2004), a film which ‘…explores the lives of three pioneering Palestinian women, who each in their own way broke the boundaries that society, history, and politics placed before them’.
• On June 18th from 6:30-8:00pm: Suspended Dreams (1992), a film which ‘…tells the story of four characters in a community shattered by war, to highlight their persistence to rebuild their future’.
• On June 25th from 6:30-8:30pm: In the Shadow of the City (2000), a film which ‘…recounts the story of Rami from south Lebanon, who was pushed to immigrate from his village at the beginning of the civil war, because of the Israeli bombing. Rami lives his experience in the city facing the irrationality of war’.

Whether you’re interested in our history and how we carry it through into our present, or if you’re simply a serious filmmaking buff and Chamoun fan, this series is for you. Book your seat and bring a friend.

7- Mindfulness Sessions with AUBMC Health & Wellness Center.

Photo Credit: https://www.lebtivity.com/event/mindfulness-sessions-with-aubmc-health-and-wellness-center

If you are looking for an ongoing easy-access way to cultivate your mindfulness practice, look no further than AUBMC’s sessions guided by Reiki and Karuna Master Mrs. Nawal Fleihan.

Why mindfulness? If the benefits we mentioned in the Yoga and Cognitive Therapy Workshop didn’t make it clear enough, studies have shown that it reduces stress, anxiety and depression, promotes better sleep, boost self-awareness, lowers blood pressure, balances mood, helps you overcome addiction, and so much more. It’s also just a fantastic way to center yourself and calm your mind during a busy week. You can never have enough self-care!

You can check it out every Monday from 6:00-7:30pm, and more information on location, pricing, and registering is right here: https://www.lebtivity.com/event/mindfulness-sessions-with-aubmc-health-and-wellness-center

And that’s all folks! Hope you’ve enjoyed this run down. If we’ve left something you think is important out, or if you attend something we’ve listed and have some feedback, please let us know in the comments! We love hearing from you.