Jack Kornfield is an American writer and teacher in the Vipassana movement in American Theravada Buddhism. He trained as a Buddhist monk and has taught mindfulness meditation worldwide since 1974.

The past month in Shanghai has brought more lessons about life than the past year combined. I had spent my whole life avoiding Mandarin - I struggled so badly in school because my parents speak only English and Malay, and as a result of that my brothers and I did not get the chance to practice it at home.

As I stand at the precipice of a new chapter of OASIS's journey; I can't help but look back at all the challenges that presented themselves over the past 8 months.

“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?” - Mary Oliver. As life would have it, I saw and heard the Mary Oliver quote above from my restorative yoga teacher, and also, my restorative yoga student. Life speaks, and I have availed myself to listen.

5.5 years ago I manifested a vision. It was so grand I quivered on the inside as I spoke it out loud in front of an interviewer who had asked me where I saw myself in 5 years' time.