Blog - Mindful Moments Singapore

Free Talk-Workshop: Mindfulness in Everyday Life

29/5/2019

WHEN: Tuesday 16 July 2019, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
WHERE: 46 Sims Place, #01-197, Singapore 380046

ABOUT THE TOPIC:
Secular mindfulness is currently being applied in an increasing number of fields such as neuroscience, cognitive-behavioural therapy, healthcare, business and management, and education, with more and more research proving its benefits for our wellbeing. Mindfulness Coach Erin Lee advocates that modern mindfulness should not be learned as a technique but as a life skill, and practiced not for a quick fix but as an integral part of our everyday life. This talk will introduce the foundations of secular mindfulness, and engage the audience in experiential practices of attending to our own body and observing the nature of the mind, as well as inquiry into practice experience to gain insights into how we are living our lives.

SPEAKER: Erin Lee
Mindfulness Coach and Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, Mindful Moments Singapore

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The Mindful People Series: Luo Wanyin the Regular Singaporean

2/1/2019

In The Mindful People Series, we interview people from different walks of life and get them to share their mindfulness experience, as well as how learning and practicing mindfulness have made a difference to their personal and professional lives

MiMo: How did you get into learning and practicing mindfulness?
Wanyin: I had been hearing about the benefits of mindfulness via FB and in the news, and was keen to learn something new. With so much going on at work, it's hard to "switch off" after work and I was hoping that mindfulness could help with that.

MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program.
Wanyin: The practices were simple to follow, and not as complex as I had envisioned before the programme started. The challenge was to find the discipline to keep up with the daily practices, and being deliberate about applying what I've taught as I go about my usual routine. What I really found useful was the realization of how a 10-min breathing exercise was able to help me better focus and calm down.

MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being?
Wanyin: Two key areas: firstly, mindfulness underlines the importance of staying grounded and focused on the present. Secondly, to have a greater acceptance towards myself and appreciation for impermanence state of things.

MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work?
Wanyin: When faced with unpleasant encounters at work, I remind myself that things will not stay this way forever, and that feelings / events (both good or bad) will eventually pass. Similarly when dealing with my colleagues, I believe that being kind is a choice, and when faced with tense situations, you can actively choose not to react, but choose to respond kindly.

MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life?
Wanyin: Using an app, I've been trying to alternate between a 20 min movements practice, and the 20/30min awareness of breath practice. When out with friends & family, I try to be present and centered so that I can enjoy their company fully.

MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness?
Wanyin: Go for it. The practices aren't hard to follow. The challenge is to find ways to incorporate mindfulness into daily life, and to keep at it.

About Luo Wanyin

Regular Singaporean who loves good food, and is constantly looking to travel beyond our little island to discover new places, gain experiences, and create happy memories. On top of all these, Wanyin is also working on incorporating mindfulness into her daily routine so as to be more present and grateful for all around her.

Are you a mindfulness practitioner or do you know one who would like to share their mindfulness experience on the MiMo blog? Do drop us a message!

The Mindful People Series: Lennan Macdonald the Language and Literature Teacher

27/12/2018

In The Mindful People Series, we interview people from different walks of life and get them to share their mindfulness experience, as well as how learning and practicing mindfulness have made a difference to their personal and professional lives.

MiMo: How did you get into learning and practicing mindfulness?
Lennan: My mindfulness practice began on the yoga mat. About 10 years ago I had a disc replaced in my neck and yoga not only helped in the recovery it helped with my fitness and strength and sleep and overall health in ways I never would have imagined. Yoga introduced my to meditation, but only in small, 5 minute whispers at the end of some of the classes. The stillness and centeredness brushed up against there made me wish to deepen my practice through more focused and intentional meditation program - and that is when one of my best yoga teachers suggested MBSR.

MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program.
Lennan: Right from the first session I appreciated the thoughtful and intentional nature of Erin's class. She frames each session mindfully and guided us through each meditation in a way that was both accessible and expansive. As someone relatively new to meditation I felt very supported and safe and this environment allowed for real growth throughout the 8 weeks. I was not the best student and did not always find a way to bring the assigned practices into my daily routine, but whether or not I had a week where I practiced every day or merely once or twice - I felt there was always something to be gained every time I visited the mat.

MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being?
Lennan: My own personal mantra is that the truest path to happiness is to do things that make you like you better. MBSR in general and more specifically for me, meditation is one of those things for me. What a book can do for my brain, or a run for my body, meditation does for my soul. It is simultaneously a soul quenching and soul wringing out experience which consistently leaves me with greater focus, clarity and peace.

MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work?
Lennan: Anything that makes you a better person, inevitably makes you a better teacher. From allowing yourself to be a student for 3 hours every Saturday to sharing some of the insights in class with my own students, it is essential if one is to be a good teacher that one not only sees themselves as a student, but also allows their students to see them that way as well. Beyond that the focus on taking pauses to better measure responses is also a powerful tool to add to the teachers' toolbox.

MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life?
Lennan: The most direct takeaway is probably in trying to be a more mindful eater. With the essential nature of eating well for a healthy lifestyle coupled with the ease to mindlessly eat and literally finish meals and look at an empty plate - especially at work - and not remember a single bite. Adding some thoughtfulness to that part of my life - even in small flashes at the beginning of a meal or slowing down in the middle of a meal has been helpful.

MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness?
Lennan: I would highly recommend this enriching life experience as being potentially life changing and at the very least a powerful action in taking more control over your emotional and spiritual wellbeing. This is the first step in a journey towards better mental and spiritual health that should be embraced wholeheartedly and embarked on immediately.

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About Lennan Macdonald

Lennan has been teaching for over twenty five years in Singapore as well as internationally. He is a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a friend, a coach, a player (not that kind of player :), a yogi, a reader, a writer, a singer, a bad dancer, a big fan and an explorer of paths less traveled. Born and raised in Canada, he has spent the majority of his adult life in Singapore where he and his wife, Tracy, have taught some and learned much in both local schools as well as a few of the better international school's on the island.

Are you a mindfulness practitioner or do you know one who would like to share their mindfulness experience on the MiMo blog? Do drop us a message!

Mindful Moments Featured in Her World April 2018 Issue

4/4/2018

Deep gratitude to Her World magazine for featuring Mindful Moments in their April 2018 issue, as well as for writing about why we should pursue mindfulness and how we can practice it daily!

The Mindful People Series: Gavin Lim the Training Assistant Executive

4/1/2018

In The Mindful People Series, we interview people from different walks of life and get them to share their mindfulness experience, as well as how learning and practicing mindfulness have made a difference to their personal and professional lives.

The Mindful People Series

MiMo: How did you get into learning and practicing mindfulness?
Gavin: Initially I didn't know what mindfulness was all about, until I read an article that was about how mindfulness helps with managing anxiety and relieving stress. After I attended the first and second sessions of the MBSR program, I did not yet have the habit of practicing mindfulness by myself. Only after I attended the second half of the 8-week program and the full day retreat did I begin to realize that mindfulness practice is very beneficial to my daily life.

MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program.
Gavin: It has been a very fruitful learning journey of experiencing and understanding the concept and practice of mindfulness, and now I am applying the mindfulness skills I have acquired at my workplace and in my personal life too!

MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being?
Gavin: Mindfulness has actually helped me in managing my OCD. Whenever I know that I am checking more than usual, I will be more aware and non-judgmentally conscious of myself during the process of checking. I have been able to reduce the number of times of checking.

MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work?
Gavin: I am now able to think more logically and focus on my work better. Before learning mindfulness, I tended to be often distracted by the many thoughts I had while I was at work.

MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life?
Gavin: Whenever I become very nervous (I have the tendency to feel nervous almost everyday), I have the mindfulness skills handy to work with my thoughts and emotions; I would say mindfulness is becoming a very important support to my well-being.

MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness?
Gavin: Mindfulness is something that I find essential for our day-to-day life, since we are faced with stressful events all the time, be it at work or in our personal space. You will find mindfulness to be a very amazing skill to have as it is something that doesn’t take up a lot of your time but is so effective in promoting a healthy lifestyle!

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About Gavin Lim

Gavin has worked in the training industry for more than five years, with good experience of coordinating and working together with trainers and participants, and building conducive training environments. He has been actively participating in the Hair for Hope event on an annual basis. Gavin also loves to collect various public transport collectible items as well as spotting buses. During his free time, he likes hanging out and spending time with his friends.

Are you a mindfulness practitioner or do you know one who would like to share their mindfulness experience on the MiMo blog? Do drop us a message!

Mindful Musings: We're Exhausted, And We Don't Know It

7/12/2017

In the Mindful Musings series, MiMo Founder and Mindfulness Coach Erin shares her personal thoughts and views about the practice of mindfulness.

I like to observe the environment around me, especially when I'm commuting from one place to another on the train. One thing I notice is how as a society living in crowded spaces, our physical bodies are so close in proximity to one another - sometimes in an almost smothering way during the peak hours, but our mind is often miles apart, not just from person to person, but also from ourselves. As I scan the space around me on the train, I find it interesting that the first thing I see would always be the crown of people's heads. Everyone would be looking down at their phones - either busy replying to messages, or browsing the web, or playing a game. Occasionally, they would look up to check which station the train was at, and then resume to bowing down to their gadgets again. Their attention would almost never leave the screen in front of them.

I would then look more closely at their faces and expressions, and what I often recognize is a shared sense of deep-seated exhaustion - perhaps leftover from a day of working and firefighting, or from a lack of restful sleep at night, or from some personal troubles. I would think, if people are so tired, why don't they close their eyes and rest for a while? Why do they choose to have an external object drain more energy from them? Perhaps they don't want to know how tired their body feels, or they dread facing how much is on their mind, so watching a random video on their Facebook feed would obviously be a much "easier" option. As a society, we are collectively exhausted, and we don't know it. Or rather, we don't want to know it.

We are living in a world full of external objects that stimulate the mind, and we have gotten so used to being absorbed in them or using them as a distraction, that we no longer have the capacity to turn our attention inwards to tend to what's going on inside us. Keeping ourselves occupied with something, even when we don't need to, seems to be much more accessible than just sitting and being with ourselves. But what we are giving up in exchange for a coping mechanism masked as a temporary relief from having to confront our exhaustion, is the opportunity to know the mind and body for what they are, and how they are doing.

In the practice of mindfulness, we train ourselves to constantly turn our attention inwards to observe the mind and body. Being mindfully aware of what's going on inside us may seem counter-intuitive at first, since we instinctively want to avoid or fight off anything that feels unpleasant or negative to us; but when we are able to rest our attention inwardly, we can then recognize what the body is being put through, as well as understand what the mind may be unnecessarily holding on to, thus becoming better able to take care of ourselves.

Erin teaches the classic 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program. Ask her a question about practicing mindfulness.

The Mindful People Series: Pamela Qafoku the Marketing Executive

17/4/2017

In The Mindful People Series, we interview people from different walks of life and get them to share their mindfulness experience, as well as how learning and practicing mindfulness have made a difference to their personal and professional lives.

MiMo: How did you get into learning and practicing mindfulness?
Pam: I came to read about mindfulness very randomly. During a certain period, I found myself falling into anxiety and negative thinking more often than ever before. I started reading up on ways to combat them and one of the possible techniques suggested, which would come to help me gain some present moment awareness, was Mindfulness. What I liked the most while reading about this technique was that there is some scientific research supporting the whole method.

MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program.
Pam: As a person who had never done meditation before, I knew this program was not only about meditation. It was clearly explained to us from the beginning that meditation would be a part of the program, and the main focus would be on bringing awareness to the body's physical sensations and the mind's thoughts through observing them and just letting them happen. During the 8-week MBSR program, we got to learn a full variety of mindfulness techniques, tried to be consistent with practice at home instead of just using them once a week in class, as well as developed more awareness of myself, my body and my feelings, and just letting things happen without engaging in further thinking. The sharing of experiences in class among the participants was very useful for everyone; it gave me other perspectives or another way of thinking about the overall experience, and the different ways of being mindful in my everyday life too.

MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being?
Pam: I realized that the whole problem with my anxiety in my everyday life was because I didn’t let things just be; I would judge my thoughts, judge my decisions, and have my mind focusing too much on the future, without realizing that the present moment was all that I had in each moment. With mindfulness skills, I bring myself back to the present moment, then make my decisions from here and move on. I see myself appreciating things more than I used to, such as the small details of everyday life, nature and each moment of my breath.

MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work?
Pam: With my mind clearer, I make better decisions. I have less anxiety and I have learned that there is another approach to every problem. I have learned how to appreciate my well-being and happiness even more. In the case of any unenjoyable emotions or feelings, I would not judge or try to avoid them, but just observe them as they are, and put a small buffer between the negativity and my emotions and reactions. I have learned how to better approach stressful situations too.

MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life?
Pam: I use simple techniques such as taking a deep breath and placing a light touch of attention on my body to bring myself back to the present moment. I try to break the stress reaction cycle by not getting captivated by my own emotions. I do not practice mindfulness for the same amount of time as I had learned to during the MBSR program, but I do continue with sitting practice or paying attention to the physical movements and my body responses when I do sports.

MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness?
Pam: What I have learned about mindfulness is that it doesn’t encourage you to escape from stressful situations, nor make you forget them; on the contrary, it teaches you to observe the stressful feelings in that moment. Just letting things be and accepting things the way they are. It is a very nice gift you can give to yourself and your well-being. Your future self will absolutely appreciate it.

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About Pamela Qafoku
Hailing from Albania, Pamela is currently living and working in Singapore. She works as a marketing executive at an MNC in the Logistics and Supply Chain industry. She holds an Msc in Marketing Analytics and Management. Pamela has always been curious about learning and keen to know and understand different cultures, which was one of the reasons that brought her to Singapore. She has been volunteering at different NGOs and giving support to different causes. Being kind and polite to one another is her motto in life.

Are you a mindfulness practitioner or do you know one who would like to share their mindfulness experience on the MiMo blog? Do drop us a message!

Video: MBSR - Six Things You Should Know

3/2/2017

Mindfulness Coach and MBSR Teacher Erin Lee gives an introduction to MBSR, highlighting six things you should know about the classic research-proven mindfulness training program.

MBSR stands for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. This is an 8-Week mindfulness training program, that was developed in 1979 by Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Over the decades the program has helped many people significantly improve their well-being.

Here are some things you need to know about the MBSR Program:

#1 - It is backed by many strong research studies showing positive benefits to our well-being, including reducing chronic pain, anxiety, and depressive symptoms; research has also shown that the program helps us increase our positive moods and regulate our stress levels more effectively.

#2 - The classic MBSR program on which many of the research benefits are based, should follow a structure of 8 weekly classes, two and a half hours per class, plus one all day retreat. It should be taught by an approved facilitator who has been trained to teach MBSR, and it should also be taught in a group setting.

#3 - This program is highly experiential, and it focuses less on theoretical or conceptual knowledge, and more on actually practicing and experiencing mindfulness.

#4 - The practices we do in an MBSR program does not only include sitting down, there are also lying down and movement practices. There will be discussions among participants during class, but you are not required to share anything personal - because this is not therapy, you are only encouraged to inquire into your own experience of mindfulness practice.

#5 - What's really unique and beneficial about the MBSR program is that you learn to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, which is very important, since mindfulness is a way of life, and it should be a lifelong practice.

#6 - This is what I highlight to many people who are considering an MBSR program - a certain level of commitment is needed to maximize the effectiveness of your learning. If you take part in an MBSR program, you are required to commit to a home practice of about 45 minutes a day in between the weekly classes.

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Video: How To Have A Mindful 2017

25/12/2016

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Welcoming a More Mindful New Year

21/12/2016

So we are nearing the end of 2016, and about to welcome a brand new year ahead. Have you set your New Year Resolutions yet?

As an advocate of mindfulness as a way of life, I invite you to incorporate mindfulness as a part of your New Year Resolutions. You might want to commit to doing one thing mindfully per day, or establish a more routine mindfulness practice. You might even want to get yourself formally trained in mindfulness, if you have been toying with the idea for some time. Perhaps you already have a New Year Resolution in mind, and you could be more mindful about achieving or sticking with it.

Here are some simple suggestions on how you can have a more mindful year ahead:

Doing one thing mindfully everyday: this could be any activity within your daily routine, such as brushing your teeth, locking your apartment door (we know how absent-minded we can be about this!), drinking your first glass of water or first cup of coffee in the morning, waiting for the bus, a household chore like washing the dishes - the possibilities are endless!

When mindfully doing that one thing you've chosen, you are essentially paying attention to what you're doing as you're doing it; multi-tasking is a big no-no in mindfulness practice, so don't for example drink your coffee and read the news at the same time. As you pay attention, notice the details using your five senses - see the colors and shapes with your eyes, hear the sounds with your ears, smell the scents with your nose, taste with your tongue, and feel textures and sensations with your hands and skin. When we open up our senses to what we're doing, we stay focused and the mind settles more easily into the present moment by moment.

Establishing a more routine practice: Those of us who have had training or experience in mindfulness would probably know that one of the most challenging aspects of mindfulness is keeping up with our practice. Whether it's because of our busy lives or a lack of commitment or some other circumstances, we have probably tried really hard to practice regularly, but there is just no denying that the real research-proven benefits of mindfulness come from a sustained, routine daily practice.

When it comes to establishing a routine mindfulness practice, I encourage you to 'start small' and slowly build up your practice. This could mean a simple awareness of breath for just 5 minutes every morning when you wake up or every night before you sleep. When you have gotten used to this 5-minute routine, extend it to 10 minutes a day, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes...

If you're commiting to longer mindfulness practices (such as 30 or 40 minute durations), you might want to break it up into several parts practiced over different times of the day. For example, split a 30 minute practice into 10 minutes when you wake up, 10 minutes during lunch time at work, and 10 minutes in the evening or before bedtime.

If you have been exposed to or trained in a variety of mindfulness practices (awareness of breath, body scan, movements, choiceless awareness etc.), you might want to start with a practice that you feel most comfortable with and can ease into more effortlessly. If you've established a routine of one particular practice, you might want to switch to another one that is more challenging to you.

Look for an App that helps you stick to your routine mindfulness practice - I highly recommend Insight Timer, a meditation App that not only allows you to track your practice hours (and achieve miletones!), you also get to connect with fellow mindfulness practitioners from around the world. Best of all, it's free!

Getting formally trained in mindfulness: Many people have probably thought about attending a mindfulness class, but have yet to act on it. If you've been thinking about getting mindfulness training, pick a class or program that allows you enough time to learn the skills and that scaffolds you through the learning process in a more structured way. We recommend the classic 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, which is research-proven and usually taught by an approved facilitator in a group setting. There are important benefits to learning mindfulness in a group setting and over an extended period of time.

Being mindful about your New Year Resolutions: Maybe you already have a New Year resolution in mind for 2017 - such as learning a new language or mastering the guitar, and you're wondering if you might actually stick with it or achieve it successfully this time. The practice of mindfulness teaches us to focus our attention and minimize judgments or criticisms towards ourselves. With mindfulness, you can actually cultivate more patience in the process of learning the guitar, and offer yourself the compassion you need when things don't turn out as you had expected.

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Can you think about how else you might be able to have a more mindful 2017? Share it with Mindful Moments!

About The Author

MiMo founder Erin Lee is a Mindfulness Coach and MBSR Teacher at Mindful Moments, and advocate of mindfulness as the way of life. She conducts the classic 8-Week MBSR Program, as well as the 8-Week MBSR Workplace Program.

Erin holds a Masters of Science in Studies in Mindfulness with University of Aberdeen, UK. She is a Certified MBSR Teacher as acknowledged by the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (MBPTI) of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Mindfulness to conduct and deliver the classic Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program.

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