Something to Think About: Become Part of Hong Kong’s Mindful Revolution

May 14th 2014 Do you find yourself feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work, acting irritably towards others and reacting emotionally, rather than logically, to difficult situations? If this sounds like a version of yourself you’d rather break up with, mindfulness training can give you the tools you need to cut yourself loose. Mindfulness instructor Stuart Lennon told us about the benefits of the business world’s biggest buzzword before the start of his first Hong Kong course next month. If you haven’t heard of mindfulness yet, you simply haven’t been paying attention. And that’s the whole point! With its foundations in Buddhist meditation techniques, the practice involves training the brain to simply pay attention to attention itself, allowing those who use it to become more focused, avoid conflict and experience increased motivation. Mindfulness, also known as meta-attention, has been rapidly spreading through hospitals, schools and workplaces since neuroscientific studies claimed it actually changes the structure of the brain, specifically in areas responsible for empathy, emotions and attention. It has also enjoyed widespread media attention, including the front page of TIME Magazine earlier this year. Marketing and PR executive Stuart Lennon has been practicing mindfulness for eight years, but says he found it particularly useful after taking a demanding job in PR & Marketing in Hong Kong five years ago. After undergoing a teacher training course with The Mindfulness Institute, he is now looking to share his skills with Hong Kongers in his Mindful Focus course, set to be held for six sessions over seven weeks between June 3rd and July 17th. “People working in corporate environments in Hong Kong often have high workloads and intense pressure, leading to difficulties both at work and at home and the feeling that things are getting too much,” Stuart told Localiiz. “Mindfulness can put space around the pressure points, allowing people to step back and use the attention and awareness training to get more focus and deal with difficult situations better.” The course will include guided meditations, discussions and talks, as well as ongoing support and resources including guided meditation recordings for home practice, email support and an optional 30-minute one-on-one Skype session with Stuart. All applicants who sign up before Friday May 16th will also receive a HK$500 discount on the HK$2,500 course fee.

What: Mindful Focus – Hong Kong Where: The Henley Group, 1/F Henley Building, 5 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong When: Tuesday evenings (7:15pm-9pm) June 3rd - 24th, (no class on July 1st) July 8th, 15th Price: HK$2,000 before May 16th, HK$2,500 after Sign up: Here (bottom of page)

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