Chris Cheung
Inspiring, Mindful, Leadership
When I joined the program I was not able to embrace mindfulness, and thank the practices I have learned to identify important things, my feelings and thoughts, and how to cope with them. I have also been able to integrate it in my work schedule which I feel is very impactful in my work outcome.
What an honour to be guiding this inspiring group of Leaders on their mindfulness journeys. In partnership with Business for Better Society (itself an inspirational platform for helping NGOs) I guided NGO leaders from Nigeria, Jordan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Thailand through the eight week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Life program (MBCT-L, also known as the ‘Mindfulness for Life’ program) which has been developed by Oxford Mindfulness Foundation – www.oxfordmindfulness.org.
I was looking forward to learning more on mindful meditation and how I can apply some of the learnings with my clients in therapy. The sessions taught me more mindful activities beyond meditation like gratitude, taking walks, identifying activities that nourish or deplete me, and being conscious of my thoughts and bodily sensations, and impulses. Definitely worth the time spent.
At the forefront of mental health
Their organisations are at the forefront of delivering essential mental health and well-being services and programs to their communities; providing education and medical care for underserved areas in Thailand, bringing mental wellness to communities in Nigeria and Africa, helping youth mental health through promoting and advocating well-being, resilience, fighting stigma, and, connecting them to mental health service providers in Jordan, working with vulnerable young people living with HIV and disabilities, and providing re-training and educational initiatives for former child soldiers.
Tools and strategies to face life’s challenges
It is hoped that through the MBCT-L program the participants come away with concrete strategies and tools enabling them to manage stress and providing them with greater capacity to work with the life challenges that they face in their communities. A big thank you to all the participants for their enthusiastic participation and to Business for Better Society – https://businessforbettersociety.org – for the work you do in connecting and supporting these pioneering organisations.
Mindful organisations
Find out more about the organisations participating in the MBCT-L Program, and the inspiring work that they do:
- Thai Child Development Foundation (Thailand) – https://thaichilddevelopment.org
- Idimma Health Initiative (Nigeria and Africa) – https://idimma.org
- The Sunshine Series-Mind Wellness (Nigeria and Africa) – thesunshineseriesng.com
- Circle of Hope – (Jordan) – https://circleofhopejo.com
- Activate Action – (Kenya) – https://activateaction.org
- Remember Youth for Change – (Democratic Republic of Congo) – https://businessforbettersociety.org/cause/provide-a-brighter-future-for-former-child-soldiers
The training has taught me non-judgement, how to cope with people instead of avoiding them. It has taught me how to pay attention to my body , thought and emotions.
More to explore
My Journey In Mindfulness
A recent interview about my experience of mindfulness practice to introduce my mindfulness journey and to show that you are not alone in the challenges
The Essential 3 Step Breathing Space
The three step breathing space takes the practitioner on a journey of mindfulness practice. It begins by watching the sensations in the body, then thoughts
What is Mindfulness Practice?
Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition points to mindfulness being attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgmentally. Read this article for an even simpler definition.