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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? Gillian: My interest in mindfulness was sparked during my training as an art therapist, where I first learned about it and the use of mindfulness in art therapy. As a therapist, I think the daily practice of mindfulness is important in managing stress, which also helps in cultivating being present at work (and other areas of life) and maintaining a sense of calm. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. Gillian: The MBSR program is quite experiential, and allows you to explore your own responses to it. I tend to have some personal reflection that is quite helpful in gaining some self-awareness of my own stress reactions and how this might impact on many other areas. The practice is not only experiential, but I feel it promotes space for growth, self- forgiveness and love. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? Gillian: Slowing down certainly has its benefits! Being more aware of my own pace in life has let me become more cognizant of the choices I make, being less attached to things that do not matter. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? Gillian: It has taught me how to recognize my stress patterns and reactions, and taking that little pause for some mindfulness helps in giving space to let go of thoughts that might be toxic and residual. I find this helps in minding my responses that allow for more compassion to myself and others. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? Gillian: I find it quite enjoyable to be able to incorporate bits of mindfulness in simple activities that we do on a daily basis, for example, brewing a cup of tea, when eating my lunch, or even washing my hair. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? Gillian: Go with an open mind! Embrace the opportunity to learn how you can cultivate loving kindness to yourself and others, and enrich your connection to life. ------  About Gillian Ong Trained in Australia as a social worker and art therapist, Gillian has worked with diverse populations that include the area of disabilities, HIV work and mental health. A self-taught artist, Gillian believes in the healing power of the arts and is passionate about harnessing the therapeutic value of creativity for social change and good in her work. Currently an art therapist working with the terminally ill in a hospice, Gillian witnesses the tremendous capacity within us for transformation, forgiveness and healing through art. Her work has helped her understand more deeply the need for compassion to self and others in the journey of 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!
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Click on the image below to read the full article.  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? 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! ------  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!
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? David: I am a curious and adventurous person who is always eager to learn new things. As a trainer and organization consultant, I am always looking for new ways and techniques to constantly remind myself to have a clear mind and engage events with different perspectives. As a practitioner of NLP (Psychological) and Whole Brain Thinking Metaphor (Social), I want to enhance in the area of Physiology. Therefore, searching the Internet, I chanced upon the practice of Mindfulness. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. David: It has been an eye opener and great experience. My course mates were great. Initially, it was a tough challenge to attend all the weekend classes. After the first three lessons and daily practices, I realized that I was experiencing different physical experiences. Erin was great. She was always very patient and helped us overcome detractors during the practices. The frequent weekly group sharing was very motivating and encouraging. I could see that towards the end of the course, most of my course mates were very different in their physical appearances and were engaging people with very positive body gestures. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? David: I am beginning to enjoy my surroundings better, becoming more patient with events happening daily, and more importantly, appreciating things from a different perspective. I am also able to recognize the physical sensations I feel when I am about to burst, and I am able to manage myself well before I exploded. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? David: It has helped me to maintain a clear mind where at times my work can be very overwhelming ("Mind Full"). I am also able to integrate Mindfulness into my training agenda and help my clients/students cope better with the mental, social and physical aspects of their lives. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? David: I have been making it a point to continue the daily practices whenever possible amidst my daily activities. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? David: It is a great practice that I would say all humans should learn and practice. It has very diverse benefits and suits people from all walks of life. ------  About David Ong David has more than 25 years of Managing, Developing and Training Human Capital both local and regional countries which includes, Japan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and various provinces of China. His vast training experiences and travels make him a close Business Consultant with numerous corporations, partnering them in their Organization Development in areas related to Values and Culture, Training Needs Analysis, Training Evaluation and Leadership Competency Model. His niche areas are delivering Leadership Competency Related Programs; ie, Project Management, Change Management, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Creativity, Innovation, Negotiations, Diversity Management, Team Enhancement, Communications, People Skills and Human Behavioral Science(Psychology/Sociology). His passion in Human Behavioral Science has seen him further studied in the fields of Education-Adult Learning and Psychology-Behaviors. 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!
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? Kim: I have been exposed to the word "mindfulness" from social media articles and friends. I was curious what it really was because I read that mindfulness can help me cope better. At the time, I was facing anxiety issues and it surely does not feel good. From a friend's facebook, I chanced upon Erin's postings on mindfulness and the MBSR program. I went for the MBSR preview session and began my journey of mindfulness. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. Kim: Having gone through the MBSR program, I felt it was an enriching, life changing and an enjoyable experience. I enjoy and really appreciate that most of the time we were hands-on practising the mindfulness techniques and exercises. Ultimately, these are the practical portions I have to be mindful to practise in reality after the MBSR program ended. We also get to share our experiences after the practice in an assuring and non-judgmental environment. Through the facilitation by Erin, I got to learn how everyone experiences mindfulness differently in their own way. We had a Silent Mindfulness Retreat and it was an amazing experience that we got to practise all of the mindfulness exercises in a calming and relaxing environment, with no distractions from our mobile gadgets. I really enjoyed it. I found it very therapeutic, fulfilling and satisfying. I deeply appreciate that Erin is a welcoming and friendly coach who makes the environment safe and conducive for great learning. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? Kim: Mindfulness has helped me to cope better with my anxiety and esteem issues. By knowing the fact that mindfulness itself can help alleviate stressful states of mind, is already a huge help in the form of hope for me. In times of stressful situations, by taking a pause and being mindful, it brought myself back to the moment and reminded myself to not get involved with the negativity that was going on in my mind. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? Kim: Being a Herbalife Wellness Coach, I interact with students and clients from different walks of life who carries different expectations in their health and weight management journey. Mindfulness has allowed me to learn that everyone is so unique and different in the way they think, feel and behave. It helped me to focus better to empathise and understand the needs of my clients better without judgments, by being in the moment. Also, I was able to share about mindfulness and mentor my fellow wellness coaches how mindfulness can benefit in helping them focus and keeping them on track to their commitments and responsibilities. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? Kim: To quote an example, when I take the public transportation and feeling anxious, worrying whether I will be on time for my appointment. By "Taking a pause" through a deep breathing and feeling the physical sensation of my feet touching the ground, I was able to bring myself back to that awareness and assurance to be kind to myself to appreciate that moment, alleviating the stress. Time to time, I reminded myself to simply observe and watch my own negative emotions (in the form of vehicles and clouds), and not getting involved with them. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? Kim: I strongly encourage anyone who is thinking about learning mindfulness to just go for it. To achieve something that we have never achieved before, we need to do something we have never done before. For things to change, we have to change. For things to get better, we have to be better. If not for taking the step to learn mindfulness, I would not have learnt the skills that can help me lower my anxiety issues and cope better with life.
--- About Sim Kang Kim Kim is a passionate Dance Fitness Instructor & Herbalife Wellness Coach. She holds a NUS Bachelor Honours Degree of Arts and Social Sciences (Second Class Honours, Upper Division), majoring in Social Work. She has a latin ballroom dance background and attained the Title of the Champion for Macpherson's Got Talent in 2016. Being a wellness entrepreneur, Kang Kim not only specialises in Nutrition & Weight Management Personalised Coaching locally and internationally, she also mentors anyone who would an extra income or who are seeking for a business opportunity. She is AFAA-accreditated and attained certifications in AFAA Group Resistance Training, Sunrise Yoga, Standard First Aid, CPR and AED, Zumba® Fitness Basic 1 and 2, Zumba® Gold, Zumba® Toning, AquaZumba®, Zumba® Sentao, Zumba® Kids, Zumba® Junior, Zumba® Pro Skills, KpopX Fitness, Hot Hula Fitness, Super Body Super Brain, TRX Group Suspension. 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!
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. --- 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!
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. How could mindfulness help us respond better to the stress in our lives? The 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program is a research-proven, evidence-based mindfulness training program that helps us develop more awareness of our mind and body, gain insight into the sources of our stress and unhappiness, as well as build emotional resilience and self-compassion to improve our overall well-being. If this sounds like what you would like to work on in 2017, do sign up for our upcoming Apri 2017 MBSR Program, taught by Mindfulness Coach and Qualified MBSR Teacher Erin Lee.   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. --- Can you think about how else you might be able to have a more mindful 2017? Share it with Mindful Moments! |
About The AuthorMiMo 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. 
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