Welcome to the
May I Be Mindful Campaign
May 2021
May I Be Mindful was a month-long social media campaign that advocated for increased awareness of the intricate intersections between body image, mental health, and mindfulness through storytelling and open conversations.
Our goal was to help Hong Kongers bring awareness to the union between MIND & BODY, cultivate resilience and use mindfulness to manage stressors better.
Week 1: “Hi Body, Meet Mind!”
with Nicole Yinki Wong
Meditation and Crystal Singing Bowls Instructor & Body Banter’s Wellbeing Director
“Embodying mindfulness is being aware of the present moment, of my thoughts, actions and emotions. Caring about our mental health is just as important as caring for our physical health.”
Week 2: “Mindful Origins”
with Ralitsa Ivanova
Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction & Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Instructor
“Embodying mindfulness is about being present - knowing myself and listening to others deeply with kindness and compassion. It’s about how I show up everyday - for my family, for my work and into the world. Embodying mindfulness requires watering and cultivation of the things we want to grow in our lives. Mindfulness literally means “The Presence of the Heart”. In most Asian languages “mind” and “heart” are pretty much the same word. The Chinese character for mindfulness is a combination of two characters: the top one, the shelter, is for “Now” and the bottom character is for “Heart” or “Mind”. ”
Photo: lululemon athletica
Week 3: “Waking Up to Autopilot”
with Vriko Kwok
lululemon Ambassador & Co-founder of Herbs’ Oil Hawaii
“I have always been “fat” - yes I used the F word here because it is true and it took me years to embrace that this descriptor does not have to be negative. I believe everyone deserves body love, especially younger people. We deserve to be seen, included & represented, regardless of our shapes and sizes. Finding self-love and acceptance is not a matter of “trying harder” - it is a matter of becoming aware of a system that is profiting off our insecurities, and realizing that we get to define our own versions of beauty and worth.”
Week 4: “Befriending Ourselves”
with Maggie Lin
lululemon Ambassador & Meditation and Yoga Teacher
“Mindful movement is an invitation to pay kind and curious attention the body - moment by moment. Instead of trying to achieve a certain pose or reach some kind of physical result, allow the movement to be an invitation to help us come back to right here, right now, in the body.”
Participant Testimonial
“The May I Be Mindful Campaign gave me a very informative and interactive introduction into mindfulness, and why it is just as important to focus on our mental health as it is to place emphasis on our physical health! I loved tuning into the Instagram Lives to check out open conversations about how people in different fields practice mindfulness. A highlight was definitely Vriko’s letter to her younger self. There were so many life lessons and takeaways packed into one message.
It’s easy as a rugby player to get caught up in wanting to be a certain weight, as we often have to weigh and record our weight, and get scans that tell us how we should improve our body composition. This along with being expected to consistently keep a balanced and nutritious diet and other responsibilities that come with being an athlete often lead to forgetting to create good habits and schedule in time to be present.
I now feel like I’m in a much better place to be more accepting of my body and acknowledge it takes steps to deter any negative thoughts I may have, whether they’re to do with body image or general day-to-day stresses.”
— Anna Birkett
