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? May: I got to know a bit about mindfulness when I was taking a positive psychology course from The School of Positive Psychology in 2015. I started reading books like ‘The How of Happiness’ by Sonja Lyubomirsky and ‘Positivity’ by Barbara Fredrickson which links mindfulness with happiness and positivity. It sparked my interest in wanting to know more and how I could practice it. I found a book online and it caught my attention so I ordered it. It is called ‘Sitting Still Like a Frog – Mindfulness Exercises for Kids’. I wanted to try it out myself by starting with something simple. I then started searching for a more formal course which could guide me better so that one day, I can instil mindfulness into the younger generations. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. May: The whole experience has been very enriching. The home practices motivated me to keep to a regular schedule of practicing mindfulness. I also learnt about how I can incorporate mindfulness into my daily life. I realized that when we practice mindfulness, it is not about relaxing or emptying the mind but is a way of noticing our thoughts and emotions without engaging or judging them. I enjoyed the small group discussions and the one-day retreat. The one phrase that I will always remember from Erin’s class is ‘The Time is Now’. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? May: I used to be preoccupied with a lot of thoughts and worries. Now I am more aware of my thoughts and know how to let go of them. My mind is free to enjoy more present moments. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? May: As my work deals with young children and special needs children, mindfulness has helped me to stay focused and better manage my emotions and stress especially in difficult situations. I will take a mindful pause. Breathing and trying to stay non-judgmental are useful skills to have. Mindfulness gels very well with the Son-Rise program that I volunteered in, that is, being non-judgmental and being fully present in the playroom with the special needs child. When I am playing with an autistic child in his/her playroom, my mind can be easily occupied with past and future wandering thoughts especially when it comes to joining in with their repetitive behaviours for a long period. Now, I am in a better state of not engaging in any of these thoughts and to bring my attention back to the child (to be fully present in the playroom) for 2 to 4 hours. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? May: I try to make it a regular practice with the body scan before I sleep at night, alternating with mindful movements and sitting practice. I also incorporate mindfulness in my daily auto-pilot routines such as eating my meals, walking and taking the bus rides. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? May: Though it requires some commitment to practice mindfulness, do not be afraid to attempt and take the steps to make this change in your life. Be consistent in the practice and it will eventually be a part of your life. It will help build better relationships in your family, workplace and community. I especially recommend it for educators and parents as you play a big role in nurturing the young generations. We need to be mindful of our words and actions and not be "mind-FULL" of thoughts and judgements. --- About Chin Tan May May obtained her Bachelor in Early Childhood Studies from Monash University in 2006 and switched her career from the IT industry to the Education industry. She has worked with voluntary welfare organisations, special needs kindergarten, enrichment centres and childcare centres. She now works part-time as a learning support teacher in a childcare centre where she helps mild special needs children integrate into their preschool life. She also provides private learning support service to children with learning difficulties in particular dyslexic children. She is an active Son-Rise volunteer, contributing her time to 2 families who are using the Son-Rise home-based program to help their autistic children. In her quest for more knowledge to help young children and their families, she is currently working towards being a certified Goulding SleepTalk consultant. 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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Mindful Moments will be participating in the Green Bazaar at KK Women's and Children's Hospital!
Date: Wednesday 16 November Venue: KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899 Location: Children's Tower Level 1 Cost: Free Visit our information booth between 10 am - 4 pm to get a free consultation or chat with Mindfulness Coach Erin, and ask her questions about mindfulness training. Erin will also be conducting a workshop - Introduction to Practical Mindfulness - during the lunch hour (12 pm - 1 pm) at the Training Room. Members of the public can walk in and register. See you there! 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? CK: I found a book five years ago which focused on being in the present moment by Thich Nhat Hanh. Shortly after that I saw a book called ‘Mindfulness’ at the local WHSmiths whilst I was waiting for a train back in England. Both of these books made a real difference to the way I thought about life. They helped me feel better about the situations and experiences I was encountering at that time. Since then I have been learning and practicing mindfulness, with the pinnacle moment of my involvement in mindfulness occurring around two years ago when I fell sick with a long and tough illness. That period of my life is when my reading, understanding and practicing of mindfulness really took off. I have been practicing since then, but I wanted to make it a more habitual, automatic behaviour, as I sometimes struggled to create consistency and motivation about my practice. Now, thanks to the MBSR programme, my practice has become more automated, and even when I take a few days off and do not practice, it is easy for me to recommence. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. CK: I learned a lot about my body. My awareness of the frequency and intensity of thoughts and emotions increased. My awareness of my body through breathing and stretching exercises also increased. I gained structure and discipline around my practices, in a gentle way. There was a sense of camaraderie and friendship amongst my group, which was a very enjoyable and motivating factor for me. It was enjoyable and I came away from each weekly session feeling happier, lighter, and more energised. The all day retreat was lovely, it was nice to be in nature with my new friends. I enjoy the recordings we can do in our own space, at home. I feel the home practice has been integral to this course. Erin is fantastic. Her voice is like honey. She has the patience of a saint, and she is so authentic, genuine and focused. I am creating the habit of doing mindfulness exercises again, and enjoying it. The MBSR programme helped my practice become more automated, relaxing, and habitual for me. This is the reason I chose to attend the 8-week mindfulness course. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? CK: I find it more normal to practice, and I feel less resistance. I almost look forward to it now, whereas before I sometimes dreaded it. I am more calm and collected in dialogues with others, and am able to respond slower and more mindfully in situations which may have previously ignited strong emotion and non-mindful behaviour in the past. That has been a great benefit which I did not notice until I started being in the same situations as I had previously been in (prior to the MBSR) where things had not gone so well, and I noticed that I have been responding in a way I much prefer. I am proud of that change, and I attribute it to the MBSR programme. I have reignited my enjoyment of mindfulness, breathing, and observing. I am more mindful generally of my experiences. I also learned not to chide myself for having racing thoughts or strong emotions, I learned it is okay to accept these and to simply observe them without feeling the need to resist them. This is something I am still improving on, but now I feel that I really understand this notion, I feel I have a good foothold to continue learning to accept my thoughts and emotions without being negative about it. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your studies? CK: I have been calmer and more productive in writing essays for my university course. It has helped reduce stress and stop me from putting so much pressure on myself. It has taught me to take breaks and take care of myself first and foremost over achieving things. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? CK: I have been practicing regularly, and every time it makes me feel better going on into my day. I do 20-40 minutes in the morning, and as a treat sometimes I do some in the afternoon. I don’t do it every day, although this is something I am changing. I intend to do it every day going forward. It was a gradual journey but now it seems normal to do 40 minutes a day (if you had said this to me before the MBSR programme I would have baulked as I was impressed when I managed five minutes). It’s very cool that I see longer practices as good and normal. In addition I am more mindful of activities I do day-to-day, from walking, to sitting on the MRT, to cooking, to doing housework. I am able to spot when my mind is running away, and can usually bring myself back to a certain level of peace through practicing mindfulness in these moments. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? CK: I would say, go for it. Don’t be afraid. It’s a gentle journey where, ultimately, you learn things without realising you have. Your brain will sneakily pick up the necessary skills you want, even if you think you are not getting anywhere consciously. You will subconsciously learn a lot, and it is these new behaviours that will pleasantly surprise you when you go about your day-to-day activities. You will also meet new and different kinds of people, who you realise are very similar to you in many ways. You will feel supported and encouraged, which are the two things I did not feel prior to enrolling in this course. --- About Caroline King Caroline is of Eurasian heritage and grew up in the UK. Her formative years were spent in Bristol, and she later studied modern European languages at Edinburgh University. As a language student she lived in Berlin, Milan and, later, Buenos Aires. She has a deep passion for travel, meeting people from different countries, and learning new languages. Having completed law school in London, she worked as a finance lawyer for 4 years both in London and in Singapore. She was living a full life and after a period of long hours and stress, she fell ill and was later diagnosed with M.E.. She has been on a fascinating journey of the self since that moment, and is looking forward to feeling her best again and reaching her full potential. She is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences and Psychology as she has a keen interest in the brain, the mind-body connection, and people’s behaviours. She is also looking forward to developing her interests in public international law and human rights law. 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!
Whenever I met with doubts or challenges in teaching the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, my mentor would gift me this timely reminder: "Erin, be curious. Curiosity will always get you out of trouble". The cultivation of curiosity in mindfulness is an interesting practice to engage with. When was the last time you were truly curious about something? If you have observed a child figuring out the way the world works, you might notice the wonderment and spark in their eyes as they discover something new and interesting. As a child, we were naturally curious and open about everything around us, and we simply wanted to explore. But as we grew up, fears, expectations and judgments set in, and we no longer approach things with genuine curiosity. We worry about the unknown or ambiguous, we reject repetition and avoid change, we seek concrete answers to the questions we ask, we tend to form biased perceptions, categorizing what we observe into stereotypes, and we almost always look to get something - usually a function or benefit - out of anything we see or come across. Mindfully Curious Being curious about things is encouraged in mindfulness practice. In mindfulness, we practice a lot of acceptance towards the stresses and challenges in our life, but before we can even develop greater acceptance, we need to train the mind to see things just the way they are. We notice the prejudices and assumptions we tend to make, and learn to let go of preferences for things to go our way. When we are able to cultivate such genuine curiosity that is free from expectations and judgment, we usually experience remarkable changes to our relationship with the world around us.
Curiosity does not kill the cat. Instead, it can be your new best friend - a support you can depend on anytime, anywhere, and a gentle practice that invites you to approach life in an entirely different way. If you'd like to learn how to cultivate genuine mindful curiosity, do check out our 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. 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? AR: We live in a world that is moving and evolving too fast, change is the only constant in today's day and age. Hence, stress levels are endemic. While a lot of us focus on physical health, the awareness and attention being given to mental health is still nascent. At some point last year, I decided to rewire my routine and make it more balanced. I decided to focus on my mental wellness too. This led me to the Plum Village group in Singapore which was my first tryst with mindfulness practices. Furthermore, I started reading a book on Buddhism where I learnt about Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and the MBSR program. Being an engineer, this instantly caught my attention since the program has a scientific basis to it! MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. AR: I had already experienced the practices taught in the MBSR program at the Plum Village 'Day of Meditation' events. However, MBSR is a structured program that focuses purely on mindfulness practices. In addition, the class size is small allowing enough face time with the teacher (Erin). The discussion sessions in class after each practice or discussions about the home practices are an essential and valuable part of the program. Without going into too much theoretical detail, the MBSR course also helps you understand stress, how it affects your body, why you react in certain ways and how you can deal with it. Hence, all in all it was an enriching experience for me. MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? AR: Earlier in stressful situations, I would react and not understand why there were certain reactions or sensations. Now, I am much more aware. Mindfulness practices are simple yet powerful tools to support you in a multitude of situations. It has helped me calm my mind and as a result my body. Of course, that said, there is no switch that can be flipped and suddenly you have a "Eureka" moment of being a mindful person. It is a slow process which requires persistence and practice. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? AR: I work as a Vendor / Project Manager in IT. My job involves working with multiple internal / external stakeholders, dealing with conflict, dealing with tough situations on projects. When faced with challenging situations, mindfulness helps me be aware of my feelings / emotions and sensations. Once I am aware, it enables me to take a Pause. Basically to apply one of the practices to draw attention back to the present moment and calm the mind. What works best for me is drawing attention to the breath and breathing deep. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? AR: Since I got to know about mindfulness, I am more aware of how I spend my time. Often sparing 30-40 minutes every day for formal practices can be challenging. As a new father, I also need to strike a balance between spending time at work, with my family and on my well-being. Hence, I try to use my transition times more effectively - while I am on the MRT or in a cab or walking towards somewhere. I try to bring my attention back to my breath or focus on nature and just observe. Of course, when time permits I still try to keep up with the formal practices as well. MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? AR: We spend our lives worrying about the future or getting stuck in the past. Our minds have gotten attuned to overthinking, to making a mountain out of a mole hill, to be racing all the time. Mindfulness helps us break this vicious circle and brings us back to the present moment. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, the present moment is the only moment we have. Hence, mindfulness is all about being aware, being present, being here. Mindfulness practices help us achieve this and see the benefits of it. Mental health is often a touchy topic and there is stigma associated with it. I personally have gone through this. However, I would just say shun the stigma, shun the doubts and immerse yourself into the mindfulness experience. Because "Happiness is here and now, Peace is here and now"! Being here and now is Mindfulness. --- About Ameesh Randeri Global Vendor Manager at Autodesk Asia Pte. Ltd. Ameesh has a Masters in Information Technology and started off his career as a techie. In 2010, he transitioned to the business side of things and currently works as Global Vendor Manager at Autodesk. Ameesh enjoys working in diverse, cross-cultural environments and interacting with people from the world over. Luckily, his job allows him to do just that. On the personal front, Ameesh is a new father and lives in Singapore with his wife, four and a half month old son and their pet dog, Cookie. He is an avid reader and loves reading both fiction and non-fiction books. Off late, he has been flirting with books on Buddhism, Spirituality and Mindfulness. 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? OCY: I knew about meditation way back but the very first time I got to know about mindfulness was when Erin and I had a discussion about Vipassana Meditation. MiMo: Tell us about your experience in the MBSR program. OCY: I enrolled in the MBSR program in August 2015 in Singapore. The 8-week program was fulfilling and experiential. I could put all the teachings and principles of mindfulness into action and apply them in my daily practice. The biggest challenge was to commit to a scheduled slot of time every day for mindfulness practice - without giving myself any convenient excuses! MiMo: How has mindfulness contributed to your personal well-being? OCY: I feel my personal well-being has improved tremendously since I began practicing mindfulness from moment to moment in my everyday life. I feel more grounded in the here and now, rather than worry too much about the future and regret the things I've done or have not achieved in the past. Whenever I get anxious, I will just try to stop thinking negatively and start breathing. Breathing in and I know I am breathing in. Breathing out and I know I am breathing out. When I am paying attention to my breath, I am able to keep my mind calm to work with the challenges I encounter in life. MiMo: How has mindfulness supported you in your professional work? OCY: As an educator and coach, mindfulness has helped me manage my level of stress in education management as well as more effectively coach my core team in 1-to-1 digital teaching and learning - a relatively new area of curriculum integration which many teachers are still getting used to. I practice deep, mindful listening when I have dialogues with my colleagues and the young learners in school; I find that I am more compassionate when dealing with the problems or difficult situations that my team members have to face; and most importantly, I am always aware of my emotions and energy in different work scenarios - this has been especially helpful for me in managing my stress levels. MiMo: How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily life? OCY: I meditate and do the body scan practice twice a day, and I schedule a mindful swim of about 20 minutes every day. Whenever I am walking, I will remind myself to walk mindfully - Singaporeans tend to walk quite fast due to our more stressful pace of life, and I have found that it takes practice to remain mindful when we are walking at a faster speed! MiMo: Any words of advice for people who are thinking about learning mindfulness? OCY: Mindfulness is a liberation of the soul and a lifelong skill that every human being should acquire. It will help you discover your true authentic self, I promise. And I personally feel that mindfulness training is much needed in the education field, especially for our teachers, because of the heavy responsibilities we have in nurturing the future generations of Singapore. I believe that only mindful teachers can nurture and develop mindful learners. I strongly encourage teachers, principals and even students to learn and practice mindfulness. --- About Ooi Ching Ya A former trainer at the Ministry of Education Singapore and key founding member of the School of Science and Technology Singapore (SST), Ching Ya is currently Special Advisor to the Principal at RDFZ XISHAN SCHOOL in Beijing China. As a strategic consultant who bridges the educational development between Singapore and China, Ching Ya is focusing her contributions on international relations, branding, as well as lifelong learning in global digital education. She is passionate about showcasing how technology can support the rich interactions and connections across life. In 2015, Ching Ya was selected to sit on Apple Inc's ADE Regional Advisory Board for Asia-Pacific, and is responsible for the professional development of Apple Distinguished Educators in individualized digital teaching and learning. 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!
When people come to know that I practice and teach mindfulness, quite a number of them would ask me this same question: What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a word that we see everywhere in the media and at our workplaces nowadays. Through reading editorials and articles, we probably have a roughly idea about what it is, although we may not really understand what it encompasses. Many of us define mindfulness as a kind of meditation, but this concept of mindfulness might stop at images of sitting still and quiet in a cross-legged position, attempts to empty the mind, or of other rituals such as prayers and chanting. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the classic 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, explains mindfulness as "paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally" (see source). If we tried to understand this definition conceptually, it might be difficult to fathom what this form of paying attention truly means. What do we mean by paying attention on purpose? Why the emphasis of the present moment in mindfulness? What does being non-judgmental have to do with mindfulness? In this article, I will aim to explain in the simplest way possible the key words and terms used in describing and practicing mindfulness. It is worth noting that experiential practice of mindfulness is much more important for understanding what mindfulness is, than the terms I discuss below. ------ Awareness All of us have awareness. In the broader sense, awareness refers to the capacity of knowing or perceiving events, objects and situations. In mindfulness, we talk about knowing what is happening while it is happening, often referring to one's inner experience. When someone makes you happy and you smile, you are aware that your face is smiling. When you are angered by another driver rudely cutting into your lane, you are mindfully aware of the grip of your hands tightening on the steering wheel, and the wave of heat rising in your body. You are aware of your own likes and dislikes, the thoughts and voices in your head, your emotions, actions and behaviours. Awareness is different from reflection - reflection often takes place on hindsight, after something has happened and you're pondering about what had happened. Awareness takes place as the event itself is taking place, i.e. in the present moment. Present Moment There is a great emphasis on being present in practicing mindfulness. We cannot be practicing mindfulness if we are not in the present moment. By the present, we mean the here and now - what is going on in your inner experience at this particular moment. The opposite of the present moment is the past or the future. The mind often carries us to the past to relive (and dwell in) memories, or carries us forward to think about (or worry about) the future. When the mind is engaged in the past or the future, we are no longer in the present moment. For example, while you are having lunch, you start to worry about the business presentation you are about to give in an hour, or you begin to think about the comments your colleagues had made about your work earlier in the morning. Your mind is caught up about the past or the future, and you have lost the ability to pay attention to the present moment: i.e. the food on your plate, the tastes on your tongue, the way you are eating, etc. In mindfulness, we are learning to be in the present, moment-by-moment - one moment at a time. We take each moment as it comes - learning to let go of the moments that have passed, and learning not to anticipate the upcoming ones. Autopilot Autopilot is the opposite of mindfulness. When we are mindful, we are aware of what is happening and what we are doing. But when we are in autopilot, we are doing something without being aware that we are doing it. For example, when we are driving, our mind shifts to autopilot and does the driving for us without us having to put too much conscious attention into the skill, and before we know it, we have reached our destination quite effortlessly. Autopilot is a function of the mind that allows us to carry out learned habits and skills efficiently, thus freeing the mind to engage in other activities or thoughts. But when we are in autopilot, we also act out ingrained patterns of the past without knowing it, and some of these patterns are often negative or destructive. For example, when faced with new challenges, the mind automatically retrieves information about past failures and we react with the same cycles of fear and anxiety. Or we might shove unhealthy food down our body simply out of habit, or light a cigarette time and again without being aware of it until we have taken the first puff. With mindfulness of the present moment, we learn to be aware of our negative patterns and behaviours, thus beginning to break out of our automatic patterns. Stress Mindfulness is one of the most effective antidotes to stress. When we talk about stress, we are referring not only to the stress itself, but also to the relationship we have with the stressors in our lives. These stressors can be internal or external, but more often than not, it is the stress we feel internally that really affects our health and well-being. External stress is inevitable in life, and we often add on to the stress by reacting to the stress, such as allowing ourselves to engage in negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours. For example, your boss calls you into his or her office. This may feel a little stressful for you, but you tend to react to this initial (and external) stress by thinking: What does he want from me? Is she unhappy with my performance? And before you know it, these negative thoughts are taking over your mind, and you are ruminating not just about the stress at hand. Everyone in the office is looking at me with sympathy. This is so embarrassing. Why can't I do anything right with this job? What am I doing with my career? What am I doing with my life? Mindfulness trains the mind to be aware of the stressors as they arrive, and learn to weaken and break out of the negative and automatic cycles of thoughts and emotions. With the practice of mindfulness, we are working on greater acceptance towards stress, without fighting with reactivity or avoidance or running away, thus changing our relationship with stress. Doing versus Being The modern pace of life, with its never-ending stream of tasks and communications, as well as roles and responsibilities we have to take on, has us engaging in the mode of doing all the time - we focus on to-do lists and check-lists; we think and plan ahead, we make decisions and problem solve. Although these types of doing are important in getting us through the day, the doing mind also often gets into the habit of thinking non-stop, and we find that it gets increasingly difficult for the mind to shut off at night when it's time to rest and sleep. The doing mode also encourages the mind to make judgments and appraisals, assess and criticise, speculate and make assumptions, or dwell in what had happened (the past) and worry about what's to come (the future). For example, you might spend the whole night going through your to-do list for the next day over and over again, or get lost in regretting what you had done today at the workplace. The practice of mindfulness encourages the being mode of the mind, and simply allows us to rest in the present moment instead of getting drowned in the turmoils of the inner mind. Non-Judgment As humans, we tend to be judgmental beings. We like to appraise things, people or events we encounter, deciding whether they are good or bad, beneficial or detrimental, useful or harmful. We have preferences, hoping for pleasant experiences to continue, and avoiding or pushing away unpleasant ones. We often want things to go the way we like, and when they don't, we react. These reactions we have greatly add on to the stress in our lives. When we practice mindfulness, we simply pay attention to our inner experiences non-judgmentally. We learn to observe things just the way they are, without the adding of judgments, without preference, and without attempting to change the experience. Whatever that arises in the mind, we train the mind not to engage or react, but to simply observe non-judgmentally. Paying Attention Paying attention is the fundamental practice of mindfulness. We always set an intention to pay attention at the start of each practice. We have learned how to pay attention - without judgment and in the present moment. But what are we paying attention to? We can pay attention to anything that arises in our inner experience. To practice the foundations of mindfulness, we often start with paying attention to physical sensations of the breath and body. We also learn to pay attention to the physical sensations in movement. These practices help to anchor our attention to the present moment. As we progress along our practice, we learn to also observe the thoughts and emotions that come and go in the mind, without engaging in them. Through paying attention this way, we acquaint ourselves with the nature of our mind, and over time we learn to concentrate better, increase our self-awareness, manage stress more effectively, shift the neurology of the brain to embrace more positive outlooks, and improve our health as well as emotional and mental well-being. ------ Do you have more questions about mindfulness, or need further explanation on a mindfulness term you have come across? Leave a comment, or drop Erin a message here or via email! What's the big deal about mindfulness? You might have wondered. You see it everywhere in the news and media; you've received emails and newsletters about mindfulness events; perhaps you've read an article or book about mindfulness; maybe you've even engaged in a little mindfulness practice yourself. You've noticed that companies, institutions and other organisations are paying increasing attention to this field and beginning to conduct mindfulness workshops and training for their employees and stakeholders. Why the fuss over this seemingly new discipline?
The fact is, mindfulness is getting a lot of attention, and it is not all just media hype. It is being increasingly backed by scientific research spanning the fields of neuroscience, psychological therapy, healthcare, education, and parenting - just to name a few. The proven benefits of practicing mindfulness has, in the recent decades, attracted more and more people to incorporate mindfulness in their daily lives. This free information session, conducted by Erin Lee from Mindful Moments Singapore, will cover the background and develop of mindfulness, applications and research of this field, as well as an introduction to the classic 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, on which many positive research outcomes are based. Participants will also be invited to join in a little experiential mindfulness practice, and have their questions about mindfulness answered. The event offers two sessions: Session A at 2:30 pm, and Session B at 4:00 pm. Participants will only need to register for one of the sessions. If you're bringing family and friends, please register a seat for each attending person. "I can't think of anyone who will not benefit from learning more about and practicing mindfulness. It is so all-inclusive that whatever your background and life situation, mindfulness opens the door for us to become more compassionate towards ourselves and others, and develop an attitude of gratitude for what we have." "Mindfulness really does help us to appreciate the moments in life better and enrich our daily lives." "Mindfulness makes you into a more well-rounded person. It helps you see the world in a clear light; it lets you hear yourself better without all the negative chatter in your mind." "A practical tool to better manage your stress level." "I'm a calmer person and I find simple joy in everyday life." "Let go of the past, stop worrying about the future, and just be with the present." "Mindfulness really helps if you commit yourself and dedicate the time to do it sincerely! Erin is a great mindfulness teacher and I really appreciate how she is so helpful, responsible, and non-judgmental." "Every session was fun and can pick up an insight about everything ranging from self to nature to people." |
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. Categories
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ContributeAre you a mindfulness practitioner and have meaningful experiences or thoughts about mindfulness that you'd like to share? You can contribute an article on the MiMo blog! Please contact Erin to find out more.
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June 2021
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