Mindful in May: Clear Mind For You, Clean Water for Others

Friends and family have been telling me for quite some time I should speak to a psychiatrist and whilst they are probably right, that isn’t why I’m posting this interview with Dr Elise Bialylew.

I thought you’d be interested in what Elise has to say because as well as being a medical doctor she is the founder of Mindful in May.

It’s a brilliant initiative which invites people to commit to a month of meditation practice for 10 minutes a day, whilst also helping raise money for Charity: Water (the same cause I gave up my last birthday and alcohol for 12 months for).

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I had the pleasure of hanging out with Elise, who lives in Melbourne, and our mutual friend photographer Hung Pham (who is also supporting the cause) whilst in Portland last July, and we even meditated together briefly whilst in the beautiful surroundings of the Japanese Garden there.

Meeting them and a few others who spoke of the benefits of meditating regularly was a big catalyst in my taking up the habit 5 months ago (I’ve now meditated for 153 days in a row, minus one or two days when I plain forgot to do it).

I’ve really noticed the benefits of having a regular practice. It really makes me feel lighter and more clear-minded, which is lucky because of the name of this blog. I’m also convinced that it contributed to my (previously absent) steely resolve to train for the half-marathon.

In the full interview Elise tell me:

• How meditation helps you to “feel more connected to yourself, other people and the world at large”

• The importance of integrating the different parts of ourselves and expressing ourselves fully

• Why building habits starts with something small and manageable

• The huge impact that 30-40 minutes a day of meditation can have on our brains

• The link between meditation and creativity

• How belief in something bigger than yourself can help you ‘think big’

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The video above is a short, 2 minute preview of the full interview, which you can listen to below or at Soundcloud.com. (For some reason the video is quite a lot louder than the audio interview.)

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Join the Clear-Minded Creative Team!

I’ve signed up for Mindful in May and have set up a team called The Clear-Minded Creatives so if you’re interested in finding out more about meditation and helping a brilliant cause, you can sign up there (remember there’s only a week left). I’m intrigued to see what will arrive in my inbox at the beginning of May!

Note: as Elise mentions, there is a $10 registration fee and then you can choose how much extra you want to donate. 

Don’t forget to visit mindfulinmay.org for more info!