Dear MBSR friends,
I am consulting with a university in the US and they are collaborating with universities in China and Vietnam, conducting research around mindfulness and smoking cessation. We are interested in helping them to develop online and smartphone app resources to support this. I would love to be able to speak with anyone using mindfulness in the native languages in either of these two countries. We want to explore language about mindfulness concepts.
Thanks for any help!
Mark Dannenfelser, Atlanta, GA, USA
Hi Mark,
What an amazing opportunity and process! Two thoughts: One–to connect with Helen Ma or Kevin Fong in China. Both are excellent MBSR teachers and colleagues of ours. Second, do you know about Judson Brewer (our Research Director) and his app Craving to Quit that is specific to nicotine?? You might reach out to him or his research team (emails are on our website) to see if there is any interest there. It’s an exceptional approach and perhaps there is no need to reinvent the wheel!
Good luck, Mark. Let us all know how it goes!
Warmly,
Lynn
Hi Mark,
I am from Vietnam and I’m currently studying at Brown University, majoring in Contemplative Studies and Health & Human Biology. I will not be home anytime soon but I’m more than happy to support you in any capacity.
Best regards,
Lan Anh
Hi Lan Anh,
Thank you so much for your reply. I am excited about your willingness to help.
Would you send me a direct email so that I can introduce you to the lead researcher using your direct email? U can contact me via: mark@markdannenfelser.com
Thanks and kind regards,
Mark
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I’m second generation Vietnamese American (now based in Vancouver, Canada) and a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine. Although I don’t teach MBSR per se, I do teach mindfulness in health care - to teens with depression, anxiety, pain; and to health care providers. I visit Viet Nam occasionally and have relatives there, but do not live or work there.
In terms of mindfulness in Viet Nam, I think it may be useful to draw in the rich Vietnamese cultural tradition. MBSR as you know was inspired by Zen and Vipassana, and “de-Buddhified” for a Western audience. I think it may be possible to offer and/or adapt a mindfulness-based intervention that resonates with Viet Nam’s rich culture and history (which Vietnamese are very proud of), but in a way that could appeal to Vietnamese who are Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.
Thich Nhat Hanh (who as I’m sure you know was one of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s early inspirations) sparked a bit of a revival of mindfulness in Viet Nam during his last public visits in the late 2000’s. He is still revered there; but that said the political situation involving him and his followers is very complex in Viet Nam. There are many mindfulness and meditation teachers working in Viet Nam now who have been inspired at least in part by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Potentially useful contacts:
Thai Ha Books
(They are translating and publishing my book, “The Mindful Teen” into Vietnamese)
Peaceful Bamboo Family
http://www.eurasia.org.vn/bamboofamily.html
NGO incorporating mindfulness into social services
Good luck!
Dzung Vo, MD
dvo@cw.bc.ca