We at IPWS absolutely love Shanghai, but we also know that this fast-paced, dynamic city can be overwhelming at times. This month, IPWS annual sponsor, Octave, helps us all stay balanced in our daily lives by sharing practical techniques for Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness is involved in various religious and secular traditions, from Hinduism and Buddhism to yoga and, more recently, non-religious meditation.
In Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is utilized to develop self-knowledge and wisdom that gradually leads to what is described as enlightenment or the complete freedom from suffering. The recent popularity of mindfulness in the West is generally considered to have been initiated by Jon Kabat Zinn, creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the United States.
The concept is entering the corporate world where professionals are consistently distracted. The mind is on overload and if you buy into the concept of mind-body connection – what is occurring in your mind (relative chaos) is also depleting your body.
One of the techniques to practice mindfulness is captured in the acronym SBNRR (a.k.a. Siberian North Railroad) – popularized by “Search Inside Yourself” which is a leadership emotional intelligence workshop born and practiced at Google. (www.siyli.org)
- Stop. This is the most important step. Instead of becoming wrapped up in the emotion or making an impulse decision, just stop. Commit to take a moment.
- Breathe. Take a deep breath. This helps clear your mind, as well as helps physiologically calm down your brain.
- Notice. Notice what you’re experiencing on a moment to moment basis. What are you feeling in your body? What emotions are you experiencing? Is it static or is it changing? Does the emotion seem out of proportion compared to the trigger?
- Reflect. What’s causing the emotion? Is it the right response? Is a part of you feeling attacked, belittled or threatened? Is there a story to the experience you’re having?
- Respond. Think of all the different courses of actions you can take. Consider the most compassionate way to respond to the situation (even if you don’t take that path.) Finally, make a conscious decision on how to respond.
Mindfulness can be practiced wherever you are, and regardless of what you are doing. Simply acknowledge what’s going on around you – the visuals, voices, smells and tactile textures – rather than being distracted by them. Let this awareness surface without judgement. Meanwhile stay focused on what’s simultaneously going on inside you.
In this way, we become aware of the connection to our inner self, others and the world around us.
Octave, the Living System
Built with the Purpose to facilitate Clarity through Mindfulness, Octave offers wellness programs and retreats that help people integrate body, mind and spirit with wellness philosophies originating from Eastern wisdom coupled with Western science.
Octave has 3 integrating entities to actualize this Purpose:
Octave Properties
Octave Properties creates spaces which allows a person to enter mindful living throughout different junctures in a life journey. There is an urban holistic wellbeing center – The Living Room by Octave – nestled in the former French Concession for daily visits from bustling executives who seek an urban oasis of calm. There is also Sangha – a get-away ex-urban retreat in Suzhou appropriate for team gatherings which seek to connect and solidify relationships among colleagues as well as personal retreat journeys for decompression and renewal.
Octave Living
At the Living Room, with a team of international wellness experts on board, Octave Living offers individuals, families, and enterprises exploratory mindset offerings such as meditation, yoga, Pilates and executive coaching. There are group classes and tailored ones according to a client’s specific needs. Meanwhile at Sangha, there are retreat journeys for decompression and renewal such as the weekend Healing Spa Taster which provides an introductory course on wellness, a private wellness consultation and healing treatments.
AITIA
The Octave Living System is driven by the evidence-based research of the AITIA Institute. This international organization creates and curates programs that promote the evolution of consciousness through mindful awareness and human connectedness towards sustainability. Such curation of programming includes “Search Inside Yourself (SIY)” born and developed at GOOGLE – an emotional intelligence workshop for leaders anchored by Mindfulness. AITIA integrates Eastern esoteric wisdom and Western scientific process using mindful practices through advocacy, research, prototyping, outreach and training in the areas of stewardship, family business, leadership development, philanthropy and sustainability.
About Octave
Octave is a curated Wellbeing Platform that blends Eastern wisdom with Western science to help people reach Clarity, a harmonious and free way of living in the present moment.
Octave built “The Living Room by Octave” in Shanghai’s culture-rich Jianguo West Road, and “Sangha by Octave” besides the beautiful Yang Cheng Lake, where we offer holistic learning, practice and wellness programming to help you discover harmony between Body Mind & Spirit. All our programs are delivered by a group of world-class professionals, including physiotherapists, fitness trainers, yoga and Pilates instructors, nutritionists, psychotherapists, life coaches, TCM experts, India Ayurveda healers and others.
For inquiries, please e-mail: margiechiang@livingoctave.com
