Come & join
Mindfulness Made Easy!
Get calm & clear in this 6-week course
For beginners & those wanting to tailor a quick, simple practice.
Fridays, 1-2pm
4 Nov – 9 Dec
$2,300
At The Hive in Kennedy Town
(20meters from KT MTR Exit A)
To Register: Call or email me
+852 5441 7133
Elena at ElenaMariaFoucher.com
(video 4:13min) I’ve been reading research lately that talks about decision fatigue, the idea that over time, say over the course of a day, your ability to make decisions decreases. Essentially, you’re good at making decisions when you start, and then not so good, to bad as you continue.
The metaphor that is often used is that it’s like a muscle, it’s strong at first and then after using it for a while it gets tired and eventually too week to move.
After you rest you’re ready to go again.
This makes lunch breaks, coffee breaks, etc really important! Stop making decisions when you take breaks. Unplug.
If you can’t break for your whole lunch time, take a shorter break. Doing a 2 to 5 minute meditation practice is a great micro-break whenever you need one during the day. Or even a few mindful breaths… look away from your work & take a few.
Studies say you’ll make better decisions after enough rest.
Try it out & see if you agree!
(video: 3:52min) Live from the Resting Room, brought to you by the genius of the Hive, interior designers, sound artists Tom Middleton & Musicstyling, life coach Patrick Wenko and I… We’ve all collaborated to create this space perfect for resting, refreshing, coaching and meditation.
…and hypnosis if you wish.
What’s the difference? How do you know if you’re hypnotizing yourself or meditating?
The simple answer is, are you aware of yourself? If you’re aware of yourself, your thoughts & emotions and all you are projecting onto the situation then you are meditating.
Here is what Tom Middleton has to say about his Bioharmonic Surround Soundscapes that he has contributed to the Resting Room:
“Thrilled to be partnering with The Hive, Musicstyling, Nexus, Elena and Mariko to showcase a brand new immersive multi-sensory innovation in the co-working sector to help optimise productivity and improve workplace mindfulness and wellbeing.
(Video: 4:35min) When we’re really stressed our nervous system goes into ‘fight or flight’ mode & we start breathing fast & shallow. One nice way to help our system relax is to deepen our breathing.
If I’m really stressed, I can’t do that. I’m too overwhelmed to change my breathing. I will usually take a mindful breath , observing my (fast!) breathing & then when I’m a bit calmer I can play with my breath.
Progressive breathing starts with noticing my breath as it is and then inviting the next breath to be just a little bit longer & deeper. Just a tiny bit. I invite the next breath to again, be a tiny bit longer and I keep doing that bit by bit, until I’m taking much deeper breaths.
With this simple, subtle method, I gently encourage my nervous system to settle down pretty quickly.
Try it out & get good at it when you’re calm so that you already know how to do it when stress hits. As one client said, ‘build your parachute before you jump.’
(Video: 3:45 min) I spent some quality time this summer understanding what helps me when I’m really stressed.
This is the first in a series on what worked during those crisis moments. These tools are what I used when I needed to do something to gain composure versus blowup or meltdown.
This first one, a mindful breath, is a great tool for giving me some perspective without requiring too much of my already overtaxed system.
(5:22) I like to use this mindfulness practice when I am out in the world and I want to play… play with balance and play with getting calm and clear.
It is a standing practice, which makes it good fun in elevators, on escalators or standing waiting for the train or the light to change.
It can also be done sitting, which is perfect for getting calm and clear at my desk or in meetings!
Mindfulness Practice: Where Is My Center? (Standing or Sitting)
When your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, gently bring it back first to presence by noticing your breath and the quiet between thoughts, and then re-focus on the heart of the practice.
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(3:33) Ever feel like time is flying by? Here’s a simple secret to savoring your precious moments… Drink in all your senses!
How?
When you’re standing on the beach, holding your loved one’s hand this summer, inhale slowly and take a moment to drink in all that you can see, hear, feel, taste & smell. Drink in the rich blue of the water and the fluffy white foam dancing over the top, the crash as the wave hits the wet sand, the call of the gulls and children laughing, the warmth of the sun kissing your skin, your loved ones hand softly caressing your’s, the salty tang in the air, the soft smell of sea.
It’s a great way to drink in the moment!
Want to take mindfulness on your next run, walk or hike?
Here are a few tips for how to take mindfulness on the go!
I’ve used these practices on the uber crowded streets of Causeway Bay, the trails of Sai Kung country park, and the kilometers of the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon… take them where ever you go!
Enjoy!,
Elena
My dear friend Christie and I met a monk in Thailand who said to us, “You can meditate anywhere. You don’t need to be in the meditation hall.” It was quite profound at the time because we were looking for a place to meditate. It hadn’t occurred to us to meditate on the sidewalk. I figured that if he said that it was ok, it would work.
I haven’t looked back since.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about meditation versus presence… If the point of meditation is to practice being present, to practice noticing what is happening right now, do I have to meditate to be present?
In other words, if meditation helps us focus on the present moment, if it helps us focus on something that is happening right now, do I have to meditate in order to do it?
Or really simply: Can I be present with out meditating?
YES, YES and YES!
In any given moment of my life I can take a moment to notice where I am and what I am doing. In fact I do this throughout my day. So do you. You do this when you pause for a brief moment and check to see if you have your keys when you leave. You do this when you pause to check if there is enough petrol in your car or money on your metro card. You do this when you look around at who is at work today. You do this when you glance at yourself in the mirror to check your hair or make sure that you’ve gotten your hands clean.
You do this multiple times a day.
You just don’t think about it this way.
And you can if you like.
As you go through your day, you can start to notice those moments when you’re naturally present.
You can also choose to be present for moments at random if you like. You can pause on the street corner and take a look at where you are. Even if you’ve been there a thousand times, it will be unique in this moment. It will never be the same way again. Something will have changed by the time you get there next. Can you see the differences? Are the sounds different? Do you feel different standing there? Things will change.
Of course, now I’ve created a practice out of it.
You don’t need to be this formal about it. You don’t have to turn it into a game or a practice. You can just pause and notice the street corner… And then go on your way.
Another friend of mine, Esther, introduced me to Kitchen Yoga. She said you could practice yoga in your kitchen while bending over to get a pan from under the counter, stretching up to get a plate, or twisting around to open the fridge.
I’m suggesting a similar kind of “non-practice” practice.
I’m going to start calling it Sidewalk Presence.
Yep, I can be present anywhere and anytime. I just notice where I am in this moment and voila, I’m present. And so can you. No practice needed.
Enjoy.
Enlightening Radio Interview: Spiritual Awareness through Cultural Immersion
Christine Andrew, owner of CoSozo Wellness interviewed me for her Enlightening Radio show. Here’s what she wrote about it:
“Every moment in our lives has the opportunity to provide deeper awareness and insight into our true essential nature. Traveling to and living in a completely foreign country or within new cultures and belief systems enables you to confront and encounter awarenesses that you perhaps might not have the opportunity to experience any other way.
Joining our conversation today is Elena Foucher, the Founder of the Joy Lab in Hong Kong. Elena delivers short and easy meditation tools and tips that you can literally do any time. She also has a fascinating backstory with Enlightening Radio host Christine Andrew. On today’s show, we’re not only discussing that rich history, but also some of the insights that you can gain in your life, whether you’re in your own backyard or half way around the world!
There’s a rich and deep world within each of us. Use the messages and examples of today’s show and dive on in! For more information about Elena and the Toothbrush Meditations, please email Elena@ElenaMariaFoucher.com or visitwww.toothbrushmeditations.com.”
Recorded 23 August, 2014, click the link at the top to listen to the interview.
Enjoy!,
Elena
