The world always keeps turning, and there is one force that makes all of it possible (other than physics) – the youth! Investing in what we know as tomorrow means dedicating our time and attention to the youngsters. Because there is plenty of wisdom in the eyes of the adult, it should be used to create a better world for generations to come.

As society moves forward and out of the pandemic, so does the business culture. Each day people face various challenges in the workplace that can further shape their overall professional experience. Some leave a greater mark on the employees, and others do not.

However, navigating through those more challenging post-COVID-19 times requires highly skilled leadership. It not only disrupted the workplace, but it paved the way for a lot of organisations to enter a new era of managing stress and mindfulness in the workplace.

In today's world, access to knowledge is no longer restricted to school walls. With the emergence of advanced AI technologies like Chat GPT, everything we need to know is at our fingertips. Consequently, schools are evolving beyond knowledge transmission and are now focusing on imparting essential life skills. Leading schools are integrating well-being, mindfulness, SEL, and life coaching, emphasizing the development of students' inter-personal and intra-personal skills.

In episode 44 of Deep Seed, Podcast for Coaches Renee Hodgkinson interviews Laura Festa on how Nature supports her and how she uses coaching and mindfulness approach in Nature to support clients who are experiencing fatigue and want to bring more resilience in their lives. 

I had two teachers who elaborated on the matters of fake and real. One was once called to a psychiatry ward to address the silent world of a catatonic. The patient once believed that he was going to be killed by a poisonous snake and to protect himself he stopped walking and talking. Living in horror that somewhere on the floor a snake was luring to attack him, he remained lying on his bed for years. Silent and still.

Every Monday, a group of strangers who have become or may soon become friends, gather to sit in silence, observing and accepting all that may come up in the process. This is Mindful Monday, a secular mindfulness gathering in the Hutongs of Beijing. It all started with the intention to support each and every person that comes through the door of BMC, as well as Dalida Turkovic, founder of Beijing Mindfulness Center, herself, on Mondays — the start of the week, and a day that can be notoriously quite tough. Mindful Monday is a support network, a gym for the mind, and a sanctuary all in one. 

Rabbit and tortoise, rabbit and lion, rabbit on the Moon, rabbit and crocodile, rabbit and fox, rabbit and tiger, rabbit and elephant, Velveteen Rabbit, Buggs Bunny, Alice in Wonderland and Neo escaped the matrix following the white rabbit. Human folklore is rich with stories where this fluffy creature teaches us to slow down, love or welcome good luck.

We are at the doorstep of 2023, and just like every other year, you might be spending time with your friends and family, coming forth with hope and wishes, and setting new objectives for the year ahead. A broken economy and fatigue from interrupted plans may suddenly shift to eagerness to work, be productive, reset our lifestyles and finally return to the 'normal.' With hopes that all your dreams and wishes finally receive conditions for fruition, look at the well-being tips below (including WHO article) and learn how to navigate through post-COVID recovery:

Under this circumstance, it is difficult for us to keep a work/study routine, or to engage in the activities of joy as usual. When the environment is lack of order, how could we help our mind and body settle down a little bit? Join the session with Mindful Self-compassion Teacher DalidaTurkovic and see what she suggests.

I left Beijing on 19th November at 4 am. Direct flight to Belgrade felt like a treat as news of the new wave of lockdowns stormed through my WeChat. Three-year restrictions, and continuous opening and closing, reminds me of exercising on a monkey-bar. After a while, muscles become fatigued and pausing to rest doesn't bring any strength into tired muscles and clammy hands. Even after letting go of the bars, pain reminds you how hard it is even to hold a spoon. As I reached my parents' apartment and lay down on a living room sofa, tears came to my eyes: I couldn't believe I could feel the smell of home. 

I stepped on the soil where my childhood memories flourished with joy. I am in Europe, the Balkans to be exact. I hear and understand the language but somehow feel out of tune. I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps parallel reality is playing tricks on my mind. My roots may be here but my heart still beats in and for China. I ache as I hear about lockdowns. Walking freely on the streets makes the lockdown experiences of this year even more meaningless. I don't know how to explain it. My lungs will explode as I try to gasp for Truth.

A few weeks ago I attended Justin Jones-Fosu's keynote speech for ICF Imagine (International Coach Federation): How to Change the Rhythms When Rhythms Around You Have Changed? I was surprised when he brought up that dinosaur-old question: Do you see a glass empty or full?

We are out of luck for retreats and silence. We couldn't go to Qingdao without difficulties to come back to Beijing, we moved the retreat to Changping and the event is cancelled... I crave togetherness, especially now that I have bought my ticket for 19th November. Winter is coming and I will embrace it in Europe.

I have been writing this article for two weeks. Numerous edits and observation how my state changes brought me to today. I was sweeping the yard and my Sadness came forward. I could see her, touch her and oh, yes, feel her. She didn't want me to sweep the yard, she wanted full attention and space to break. I invited her to join doing the chore. It can be fun if done mindfully, I said. She was willing to participate for five minutes, and then took me for another ride. Rewinding two weeks ago... it was Tuesday, 27th September.

What inspired you to become a coach ?

Becoming a coach was more of a personal need rather than an inspiration.

After a few years of attending mindfulness group sessions, I felt the need to expand and deepen my way of" being mindful" rather than "doing mindfulness practice."

"To become masterful in suffering means to experience joy each time we gain awareness that suffering is present. This is not an expression of sadistic nature but rather a reminder that suffering brings an invitation to learn, grow, and transform through the healing properties of mindful presence. To avoid suffering coming from emotions means that we ignore the anger and forget to express our boundaries, we ignore fear and anxiety, so we don't prepare well, and we forget about worry, so we don't consider different options."

Can we avoid suffering from emotions?

If you are reading this article, I assume that you are already familiar with the theories and principles behind meditation and mindfulness. I also assume that you are familiar with the benefits of physical exercise, gratitude journals, being present, focusing on your breath, spending time with good people, and eating well. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Why are we then still incapable of applying these pearls of wisdom in our lives? What else do we need to attain life wisdom?