CACCC started the Mindful Self-Care classes since early 2019, which includes training instructors, translating and writing Chinese teaching materials, and offering the Mindful Self-Care program to the Chinese-American community. Sandy Chen Stokes, the founder of CACCC, has been the driver of this program since the beginning. Currently, Teresa Cheng is the leader of the program; she has received training in mindfulness stress reduction, has translated many books on mindfulness, and won a “Best Translator” award for the book No Time to Lose. Currently, there are seven instructors leading the Mindful Self-Care classes. Mindfulness Book Clubs, Mindfulness Sharing Circles, and Class Reunions allow everyone to experience the benefits of mindfulness in a more in-depth way. These programs have attracted the Chinese community from the U.S., Canada, and Asia.
Note that the Mindful Self-Care classes are only held in Chinese.
Instructor Team
Course Outline
Week 1 Welcome and Thanks
Week 2 Introduction to Mindfulness
Week 3 Cultivating Compassion
Week 4 Self-Care
Week 5 Mindful Communication
Week 6 Human Self-understanding
Week 7 Flying Against the Wind
Week 8 Conclusion and Sharing
Recent Class Schedule:
Registration for 2026 Phase II class at 9/8/26-10/27/26, Tuesdays 7:00-9:00 pm PDT in US (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan 9/9/26-10/28/26, Wednesdays 10:00am-12:00 pm) is available online at https://forms.gle/hx3qVtXdWjovJFUX8.
Since 2019, we have organized 16 sessions with more than 350 participants. Below are videos of feedback from a few participants.
Meditation Practice Videos
- Meditation – Body Scanning (14 min 36 sec)
- Meditation – Breath Observation (13 min 36 sec)
- Meditation – Cultivating Compassion (14 min 46 sec)
- Meditation – The Way to Happiness (13 min 55 sec)
Reference Information
- Taiwan Mindfulness Workshop
- How Meditation Builds Compassion (DeSteno, 2015)
- Understanding Emotions (14 min 40 sec)
- Mindfulness Activates the Brain and Improves Concentration (12 min 51 sec)
Background
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means to focus in a particular way: deliberately, on the present moment, without judgment.
This focus nourishes more positive knowledge, clarity and wisdom, and a greater acceptance of the reality of the present moment.
Life unfolds in moments, and without being present to those moments, we miss out on the most precious things in life and are denied the richness and depth of growth and transformation. – Dr. Joe Kabatkin
Where does mindfulness come from?
In 1979, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), created MBSR by combining traditional meditation and contemporary scientific research. Since then, mindfulness has gradually become a whole field of training and education in the West, with medical, business, education, and psychological sectors all developing comprehensive contemporary mindfulness programs.
Is there a scientific basis for mindfulness?
Over decades of research, thousands of papers have been published by researchers, confirming that Mindfulness can:
Reduce chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn et al. 1998; Rosenzweig et al. 2010)
Improve immune function (Davidson et al. 2003)
Improve brain resilience for emotional processing (Davidson et al. 2003)
Enlarged gray matter in the brain (insula and cortex) (Hölzel et al. 2011)
Improved quality of life (stress-related chronic diseases) (Carlson et al. 2007)
Improved mental health (happier) (Fredrickson et al. 2013)
Reduced anxiety (Miller, Fletcher, and Kabat-Zinn 1995)
Reduce impulsivity, compulsivity (Baxter et al. 1992)
Prevent recurrence of depression (Teasdale et al. 2000; Segal et al. 2010)
Preventing drug addiction relapse (Parks, Anderson, and Marlatt 2001)Who is suited for learning mindfulness?
In general, everyone can benefit from mindfulness, and mindfulness classes are especially suitable for the following people:
People who want to improve their stress, anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue or pain.
Office workers, professional managers, supervisors or managers in high-pressure competitive environments.
Professionals and students in healthcare, psychology, social work, education, human resources and other related fields.
Those who need to find a balance between work challenges and family responsibilities.
Those who want to improve their emotion management skills and interpersonal relationships.
Those who want to grow themselves and improve their quality of life and sense of well-being.
Those who want to be healthier physically and mentally, more confident and energeticWhat are the foundational mindsets of mindfulness?
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn introduces nine foundational attitudes of mindfulness:
The Mindfulness Mindset: Introduction
The mind itself is often where the problem begins.Mindfulness Attitude: Beginner’s Mind
This moment is always novel, a new experience.Mindfulness Attitude: Non- Judging
Notice how you are judging, without judging the fact that you have just judged.Mindfulness Attitude: Acceptance
Acceptance does not mean being passive. It means not forcing the present situation to change or trying to make reality different from what it is right now.Mindfulness Attitude: Patience
Things unfold in their own way, there is no rush.Mindfulness Attitude: Letting Go
Allow things to be as they are. Do not grasp, cling, or push away.Mindfulness Attitude Non-Striving
Be aware of things without trying to manipulate them, make something happen, or create a special state, such as relaxation or peace. Simply be with life as it unfolds in this moment, without any “to-do” agenda.Mindfulness Attitude: Trust
Begin by trusting yourself, just as you can trust your breath.Mindfulness Attitude: Gratitude and Generosity
Being alive and breathing are not things to take for granted. They are things to be grateful for.The more fully we invest ourselves in life, the more deeply we can delight in it. Being generous to others brings them joy and deepens the connection between us.