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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? 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!
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On 27 October 2018, Erin was invited to Autodesk Singapore's Out of the Building initiative, where she gave an introduction to the importance of body awareness in practicing mindfulness. We discussed how we are mostly "living from the neck up" and the importance of grounding ourselves to the body in times of stress. Also present was Tiffany Wee from Mind Body Slim who shared on mindful eating!  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!
 Do you live or work around the Aljunied vicinity? This once-a-month session hosted by Dot Connections Growth Centre 圆点心宁中心 welcomes all residents and working adults around the vicinity to take a break during the lunch hour and come together for a group mindfulness practice. The first half of the session will be dedicated to basic mindfulness practices guided by a facilitator (Mindfulness Coach Erin Lee) in English, followed by Q&A, sharing or mingling (it is okay to leave after practice). No prior experience or knowledge about mindfulness is required to participate. Free entry! --- DATE: Thursday 30 March 2017 TIME: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm VENUE: Dot Connections Growth Centre, Block 46 Sims Place, #01-197, Singapore 380046. (Nearest MRT: Aljunied) --- To register, please Call / SMS / WhatsApp @ 85014365 We look forward to practicing with you! Our next free mindfulness practice session is scheduled in March! Date: Thursday 23 March 2017 Time: 7 PM - 8 PM Venue: 190 Clemenceau Ave, Singapore Shopping Centre #04-10, Meeting Room 4, S(239924) Fee: Free Entrance Other Details: Chairs will be provided. You may also wish to sit on the floor (carpeted). Simply email Erin at [email protected] to indicate the date you're joining!  Mindful Moments is hosting a monthly practice session open to all who are interested in practicing mindfulness in a group, whether or not you have any experience in mindfulness.
Each session will be led by Erin or a guest mindfulness practitioner / teacher, and will focus on different mindfulness practices or themes. Each practice session will last 30 - 45 minutes, after which you may wish to have a chat with Erin about mindfulness or mingle with one another. 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!
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!
Mindful Moments conducted two introductory workshops over the months of September and October 2016 for the graduate students at the National University of Singapore (NUS) UTown Residences. The participants learned the importance of living in the present moment, as well as how to more effectively manage their stress levels. The mindfulness skills they picked up will certainly come in handy in times of stress and difficulties! Are you an organization looking to organize a mindfulness training workshop for your colleagues or employees, do contact Erin to discuss possibilities!
We are also able to bring the classic research-based 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to your workplace or community. [More details here] 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!
At Green Living 2016, Singapore's eco-living event held at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Mindfulness Coach Erin gave a sharing about the importance of practicing mindfulness in sustaining our personal well-being, for the greater good of a more peaceful community. She talked about what mindfulness is and isn't, the stress we experience when we dwell in the past or the future, as well as why we should train the mind to pay attention to the present. Erin also led the audience through some simple mindfulness practices to observe their inner experience. All in all, the audience was really supportive and curious, and we hope they took away something valuable from the short 30-minute session! Special thanks to Reed Exhibitions for inviting Mindful Moments to participate in Green Living. Find out how to improve your personal well-being with mindfulness by registering for our 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, of which many positive research outcomes are based. |
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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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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