Transforming Lives,
One Breath at a Time

Deciding to sign my 13-year-old up for a three-day camp with Mindful Space was on the spur of the moment. Dreading to have a naturally sedentary teen growing roots on the TV couch during the June holidays, I was intrigued when I read about Mindful Space's programme, particularly their aerial yoga activity.

Those three days came and went, and as usual, I didn't get a lot of information out of a teen apart from the fact that he had a lot of fun and wasn't bothered by the large age gap with his camp mates.

Then a week later, I received a post-camp message from Mindful Space.

Oh my, it is by far, the most detailed and best post-camp review I’ve ever read. True to their business name, someone took the time and effort to mindfully communicate to me about my child and his time at the camp. Not only was the message kind and thoughtful, but it was definitely on point about what kind of person he is, and the areas in which we can continue to help him flourish.

One of the "wow" moments for my child was how he attempted and succeeded in doing a handstand. To some parents of naturally well-coordinated and active kids, this may not seem like much, but for my child, it was huge. He was so surprised and proud of himself - for trying and overcoming. From the note, I especially love how the teachers were able to identify a huge learning point for him through this activity - there was an acknowledgement of fear, followed by an acceptance of self, before embarking on the actual learning of the technique and continual practice.

In our busy, modern society, many people, including adults, get buried with the "doing" but missed out on the critical stage of "being". Once in a while, we all need to recalibrate and reframe our mindsets so that we can be better equipped to embark on the "handstands of our lives".

I'm also happy to report that my child's posture has improved. When waiting for the bus recently, I noticed he was sitting upright when he would otherwise be hunched up like a little old man.

While Singapore is in no lack of children's holiday camps, life-transforming programmes like these are rare and precious. Thank you so much, Mindful Space.

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I must start by saying that Mindful Space curates the best learning experiences for families! With them, we have gone for walks in the nights in search of bats, learnt the patience behind the hobby of fishing, enjoyed walking through streams in the rain, posed on aerial yoga hammocks gracefully and even handcrafted our own wooden toy.

These are activities I would probably not have done (or thought of doing) with my children, if not for Mindful Space.

What really amazes me is how Vernessa (founder of Mindful Space) always makes a point to get to know the participants and connect with us on a personal level. It truly shows the passion she has in her work!

All the other teachers/coaches we encounter on the programmes are kind in their words and interactions too. I learnt tips along the way as a participating parent and I treasure these shared experiences with my child.

My girl went here for a 3 day mindfulness camp and it was truly transformational. She is a ball of energy, so we were sceptical sending her for three days of seemingly “quite” activities. Yet, it was a hit! She absolutely lived it.  It helped her to reflect on her behaviours and experiences in a very mature manner, she fell in love with aerial yoga and she made some good friends. The experience helped my daughter to feel more in control with her emotions and keen to continuously do better.  The camp was organised in a very thoughtful and professional manner, with attention to detail and amazing follow-up. I would also like to give big compliments for being open and transparent about the emotional challenges they observe my daughter faces. All spot on, with thorough analysis and recommendation. It’s hard to get to the crux of issues, particularly for a young kid in one day. It is even harder, and takes courage and professionalism, to openly share observed issues to the customer at the risk of not having recurring business, but it was handled exceptionally tactful, giving confidence that kids are really in good  hands and with caring hearts here. In addition to great experience and communication during the camp, we also got a comprehensive write-up on observations as well as a good set of photos to keep the good memories. Exceptional jib! Well beyond expectations.