02:18 An overview of Tony De Mello

Born in Bombay in 1931

He was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist

In 1973 he founded the Institute of Pastoral Counseling, later renamed the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counseling, in Poona, India

Francis was 20 years old when he first met Tony

Tony De Mello was always questioning things and moving forward, and brought the concept of awareness to the forefront

06:39 The impact of Tony De Mello�s work in the US

He ran prayer seminars, that would last for ten days where he would speak for six hours a day to a 1,000 to 2,000 people

His book �Sadhana, a way to God� became a huge bestseller in the late 70s

Tony only rose to prominence during the last few years of his life

10:07 The acceptance of Tony De Mello�s teachings today

Tony was well known for blending East and West science and spirituality

After he died, during the 90s some of his teachings were criticised for not following some of the fundamental truths of the Catholic Church

Tony was on the radar in his lifetime for being too liberal on sexuality, but he was never irresponsible with his teachings

Tony was of the opinion that �you should do what gives you that spiritual sustenance and nourishment� where God calls, that�s where you go�

Tony was freer to talk to people in India, but he had to be more mindful about how he spoke in the West

16:49 The influence of Krishnamurti�s work on Francis Valloor

Francis has read of all Krishnamurti�s writings

18:46 How Francis� knowledge in various fields has contributed to his perspective on mindfulness and its importance in personal growth

The roots were in the Buddhist tradition, where awareness was the key things

�Awareness is not limited to anyone� it is common property�

Mindfulness is something you do and awareness is something you experience

24:23 The role of breathwork in mindfulness meditation

�Breath is life�

Breath helps to heal and change

In yoga, Pranayama is to purposely inhale, exhale, and hold your breath in a specific sequence

Getting our breath in order first helps us to solve our problems quicker and better

For certain breathwork practices you need an expert with you to support and guide

28:38 An introduction to breathwork

Change from shallow breathing to deeper breathing

You can�t breathe deeply all the time, but establish a regular practice where you do that several times a day

Keep your hands on your belly, and see what happens when you breathe

33:15 Francis� journey as a clinical psychologist and how it has informed his views on mindfulness and its role in mental health

It�s about finding lasting change

Awareness if the key ingredient for any psychological technique

37:24 Exploring body-centered therapies

Training the mind alone is hard without the body

The body reveals how you feel

Example practices include Holotropic Breathwork, Focusing, Dreamwork

41:59 What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences

Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s

Francis was one of the early students of EMDR

45:37 Tips to begin and sustain a meditation practice

It depends on the person and where they are in life, but allow the practice to evolve and develop to suit you

Some people like to sit and watch the ocean, while others prefer to walk in the woods � there is no one-size-fits-all

49:56 The role of silence

Silence is when the mind is quiet

�Silence is the language of God�

Nature is a powerful catalyst for silence, e.g. sitting by a lake

54:32 Embodying vitality, aliveness, and stress-free efficiency in the workplace

Allow the heart to do the work, once your mind is still

There is not enough compassion in the workplace

If you want to change the workplace, change your self

Stanford University teaches Applied Compassion Training

Build a culture that doesn�t squeeze out people�s energy, but nourishes and sustains them

Francis has seen more companies lead with kindness and compassion

Kindness builds loyalty and trust

01:03:21 Finding happiness in the everyday

What is not found now is not found

�We only have now � there is no future or past�

Everyday life is the only way we can find happiness