My Story
Before mindfulness, I never knew how to take care of myself. I spent almost a decade in corporate work — working very hard, but never quite understanding why. I burned out often, fell sick every few weeks, and took forever to recover. I lived carelessly, and indulged in habits that quietly wore me down.
At the brink of a breakdown, a friend encouraged me to try “one of those meditation retreats.” I googled the nearest one and checked myself into a ten-day silent camp in Taiwan. I surrendered my phone. For ten days I only meditated, slept, and ate the bare minimum — most of it in stillness, all of it in silence.
I emerged feeling renewed and thought my life had completely transformed. I could not have been more wrong. That very night I went to a bar and got drunk. That very week I fell back into old patterns. That very month I was tired and unhappy again.
It took me a while to understand: there is no quick fix to being well. It is a lifelong commitment. We fall back onto old paths because we forget. We grow comfortable with pain that feels familiar, even when it no longer serves us. We need to keep checking in — to remind ourselves to be well, and do our best to stay well.
So here I am today — a work in progress. I do my best to share what I know and teach what I practise, so that more of us have the chance to live simply, healthily and wisely. May we all shine with happiness.
