Feb 7
4 min

What to do when mindful 'non-judgment' doesn't work

One of the key traits of mindfulness is to practice 'non-judgment'. How mindful 'non-judgment' is often explained. If you are new to this concept of non-judgment, this may sound strange at first. You may be thinking 'What does that mean?' A common definition is: Non-judgment involves acceptance of our present moment experiences, not getting caught up in our stream of likes and dislikes. This includes accepting our thoughts and feelings—whether positive or negative—and immersi

91 views

Jan 6
4 min

'Mindfulness Coaching' or 'Mindful Coaching' - what's the difference?

If you don't know the difference between the terms Mindfulness Coaching and Mindful Coaching, release yourself of any judgment - relax, you're not alone! Such terminology can be confusing for sure. I recently had an excellent discussion with my mindfulness facilitator community exactly on this topic. We came away from this discussion saying 'WOW', that was SO valuable and helpful! I now want to share some of the key insights and practical take-aways from that discussion. He

72 views

Aug 22, 2022
5 min

The blunt truth - why untrained facilitators shouldn't lead meditation

Leading a meditation isn't as simple as reading a meditation script. As the mindfulness and meditation field continues to grow and mature, there's something potentially dangerous happening. If you know me, you'll know I'm not one to be blunt, but this is an important topic. Meditation practitioners get excited to share what they know Something really good can come from someone who has learned about mindfulness and meditation. Perhaps they've attended a few classes, read some

149 views

Jul 19, 2022
3 min

Is this how you go through change? Compare yourself with this 'Individual Change Journey' model.

How to use mindfulness and meditation to improve your experience through difficult change. See the 'Individual Change Journey' model here.

137 views

Jul 19, 2022
5 min

3 mindfulness factors that greatly improve difficult change

Here are 3 key mindfulness and meditation approaches to vastly improve your experience of change.

54 views

Jun 1, 2022
2 min

Look at the sharp rise in percentage of meditators

My inbox has been filling with requests from organizations all seeking the same thing -- to help their employees deal with the stress and anxiety that the pandemic has caused. This is what my clients are saying, very consistently: "Our staff have been working so hard, they're stressed out and full of anxiety. They are burning out. We'd like to help our staff learn about mindfulness to help them cope." The main observation I've had in the past two years is that the audiences

98 views

Nov 1, 2021
2 min

Mindfulness video poem: The Present Moment (with script)

Please gift yourself with a moment of stillness for 3 minutes, and experience the present moment. Thank you for being here. This poem reminds us to seek awe and wonder in the present moment. This is a favourite of my mindfulness meditation groups. I hope you enjoy. Either close your eyes & listen, or enjoy the video as you listen. I discovered this script from an unknown author then added modifications, lovingly. Feel free to take the script below. Poem script: The Pre

433 views

Aug 25, 2021
1 min

Mindfulness audio poem: 'Life is amazing' - or is it.

Mindfulness doesn't aim to make us happy and blissful, but it can help us live life with more awareness and resiliency. Here is a passage that may make you go 'hmm...' Thank you for being here. Warmly, ~Wendy Quan, Founder, The Calm Monkey #mindfulness #meditation #LifeIsAmazing

195 views

Aug 11, 2021
3 min

How to compare mindfulness facilitator training programs

If you are considering training to become a mindfulness meditation facilitator and learning how to bring mindfulness practices to the workplace or community, it certainly can be confusing to compare programs. The best one for you is one that fits your style of learning, provides you with the outcomes you seek, fits your budget and just feels right. I hope this might help bring clarity for you! Here are some key considerations when you are evaluating which program may be best

116 views

Aug 10, 2021
3 min

The litmus test for mindfulness

Mindfulness is often misunderstood, or maybe better said, it's not understood well enough. Do you think you're clear on what mindfulness is? You might be nodding 'yes', but would you be able to state whether a particular meditation or mindful practice is truly 'mindfulness', something else, or a hybrid of some sort? After many years of running and attending many workshops and teaching mindfulness facilitators, I'd love to share with you my list of the Key Traits of Mindfulnes

204 views

Aug 10, 2021
2 min

Bystander Intervention - using mindfulness in a racist incident

Would you know what to mindfully do if you witnessed a racist incident? Maybe you would wonder what the 'right' thing is to do, or if it would be cowardly if you didn't confront the aggressor? I was speaking with one of my certified mindfulness facilitators, who is a civil rights attorney in Chicago, and this sparked us to run a free public session called Bystander Intervention Training. We see how mindfulness really plays a key part in that moment you might be presented wi

52 views

Aug 8, 2021
3 min

Confessions of a mindful 'Type A' personality

What's always been interesting to me is to see heads nodding when I'm speaking to an audience, IRL (in real life), as I mention I'm a 'Type A' personality. There seems to be a lot of us in this world! When I looked up the characteristics for Type A's, I must say that I was a little uncomfortable reading this list: Competitive Impatient Domineering Overly ambitious I think my discomfort comes from feeling that these traits seem negative, because I describe my main Type A tra

109 views

Apr 25, 2021
1 min

Evidence that mindfulness boosts the benefits of being in nature

We probably all feel some increased well-being when we go for a walk in nature. But what happens when you add mindfulness to your walk? Can it boost the benefits even further? Dr. Kerstin Ensinger generously shared her study (below for download) that was conducted in the Black Forest National Park in Germany. This study aimed to determine if providing mindfulness training for a hike in nature benefited the participants, and whether it made a difference to provide this train

64 views

Apr 18, 2021
3 min

3 walking meditations for you to try

If you didn't know that there are different ways to do a walking meditation, it's time to explore this for yourself and see which way resonates with you. It can be fun to try different techniques. Doing walking meditation simply means being 'present', and placing all your attention on your walking. You use your body's senses to fully experience the movements. Notice what your body is doing when it walks, when it moves. We usually take walking for granted and often don't th

308 views

Mar 10, 2021
2 min

How COVID has boosted the interest in workplace mindfulness

When I started running mindfulness meditation sessions in the workplace in 2011, I felt like a fish out of water. I've witnessed the sea change over the past 10 years of these practices becoming mainstream. When COVID hit us all in March 2020, I went into high gear to help the mindfulness facilitators in my community learn how to transition their sessions from in-person to virtual. They rose to the occasion with grace and continued with vigor to help others. I also wondered

57 views

Jan 20, 2021
2 min

3 ways to curb nervousness when facilitating mindfulness

Here are insightful and unique ways to transform performance anxiety into something you can enjoy.

207 views

Oct 1, 2020
3 min

How to start a meeting with a mindful minute (with video, MP3 and script)

Having people’s quality attention in a meeting results in a much more productive and focused meeting. Whether having an in person or virtual meeting, this is easy to do. These days, it’s not such a rarity to attend a meeting where someone says ‘before we get into this meeting, let’s spend a mindful minute’. If you have ever participated in this, you know how amazing one quick minute can be to bring everyone into full presence and ready to focus on the meeting’s purpose. Th

26,151 views

Aug 10, 2019
1 min

An honest dialogue - mindfulness, change and life purpose.

A video discussion with Luke Irio of IPEC coaching about the reality and struggles of mindfulness, change and life purpose.

52 views

Jul 10, 2019
3 min

Can Type 'A' personalities meditate?

How Type A personalities can enjoy meditation. Listen to a 7 minute guided meditation by Marc Lesser "Finding the one who's not busy".

304 views

Aug 21, 2018
1 min

Digital addiction: Get more productive

A quick 1 minute read to get more done during your day. UBC's Healthy Newsletter article Digital Addiction: Make a mindful switch to better productivity. 1) Notice your urge. 2) Notice derailment. Warmly, ~Wendy Quan, Founder, The Calm Monkey #digitaladdiction #mindfulness #productivity #workplacemindfulness

17 views

Mindfulness Meditation in the workplace

Blog