SLOW SoulSpace 心灵慢空间

18/09/2026

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🎁 The Gifts I Receive From What I Do 🎁
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“Hugging friends ”

That was one of the answers a learner gave when I asked what they liked to do during the Mid-Autumn Festival or around this time of the year.

Her answer caught everyone by surprise, and the other learners giggled. Most had shared the usual things we associate with the festival, like family gatherings, eating mooncakes and spending time together.

But I was curious, so I asked her to share more.

She said that hugging is actually very good. Once a year, when she meets up with her friends, they hug one another. To her, that simple hug is about giving warmth. It is the human touch, the blessings and the comfort that they give one another.

Her sharing made me think about how, perhaps in our Asian context, hugging is not something we naturally do or are always comfortable with.

But if giving warmth and comfort to another person can be so meaningful, perhaps we can also learn to give some of that to ourselves.

We often hear about the “butterfly hug”, where we gently cross our arms and give ourselves a hug. A simple gesture, but perhaps a reminder that we too need love, assurance and comfort from ourselves.

I kept thinking about what she shared, and it stayed with me. So I created this tile using The "Hug" string.

As I was creating it, I thought about how something as simple as a hug can hold so much: warmth, comfort, connection and care.

And perhaps this is what I love about what I do. I may be the one facilitating the session, but I am also constantly learning from the people I meet and the little things they share.

This tile is a reminder of one such moment.

That's the joy and the gift I receive from what I do.

13/09/2026

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🎁 The Gifts I received from What I do 🎁
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In class, I would remind learners to remember to breathe.

When we breathe and relax, our muscles naturally relax too. So when we hold the pen, we don’t have to grip it so tightly. The lines can flow more easily, and we have better control.

Just want to document down a sharing by a learner on Friday. ❤️

She shared that last time, she didn’t really understand, but now she does.

Previously, she would hold the pen very tightly, and the lines seemed to get “stuck”. Now, she understands that when she relaxes her hand, the lines flow more easily and she has better control.

I also noticed that she used to draw very small, but now she is drawing much bigger. It may seem like a small change, but to me, it is part of her progress. 🎉🥳🎉

I congratulated her after she shared and told her how happy I was for her.

These may seem like small things, but they are actually meaningful progress. It takes willingness to listen, to notice, and to observe ourselves.

Small to big.

Give everyone time to walk their own journey. 🌱

It always feels so heartwarming to witness these little changes in learners. These are the little gifts I receive from what I do.

💜💜💜

13/09/2026

Our prompt for last evening’s SLOW WeTangle2Gether Circle was “Tangleation”, featuring two tangles, BB and Courant.

I chose these two tangles because they are not often used, giving us an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and try something different.

As we worked through the tangles, there may have been moments of struggle or discomfort. But knowing that there are no mistakes in the Zentangle method can help lessen the fear of getting it “wrong”. Instead, we can simply keep going, one stroke at a time, and allow ourselves to move through the discomfort.

Perhaps it is the same in life. Sometimes we are unsure or uncomfortable, and we may not know how things will turn out. But sometimes, we just need to keep going and take the next step until we get through it.

Thank you to all our members for being willing to try last evening’s prompt, even when it felt unfamiliar or challenging.

Sometimes, stepping out of our comfort zone is simply about giving ourselves permission to try.

08/09/2026

During my facilitation session yesterday, I invited the learners to share one thing they had learnt from the workshop.

One learner shared that she had learnt to give herself more self-love. I was especially happy to hear this because, rather than sharing something technical that she had learnt from the workshop, she picked up on something that was more personal and meaningful to her.

During the workshop, I had mentioned that many times, we don’t give ourselves enough credit. Instead, we can be overly critical of ourselves, constantly feeling that nothing we do is good enough. When we are constantly hard on ourselves, we may unknowingly add more negativity and toxicity to ourselves.

As she was sharing, I could see tears circling in her eyes.

That moment reminded me of one of the gifts and joys I receive through facilitation. Sometimes, we may never know how a simple sharing or a few words can touch someone and create a moment of reflection for them.

Last Friday was Teachers’ Day. I’m thankful for all the messages from my learners, as well as the handmade card and gift.

Honestly, the greatest Teachers’ Day gift for me is when learners continue to come to the sessions, find joy in what they do, and discover a little more meaning in whatever situation they may be in through practising the modalities I facilitate.

I would also like to thank all my teachers, and practically, that means everyone who has crossed paths with me. I believe everyone can be a teacher in our lives. Sometimes, even a movie can be a great teacher.

Over the past two months, I happened to watch two movies that were quite similar in some ways. Both gave me different things to reflect on and learn from.

This year, my journey has been filled with learning. Not just learning to grow professionally, but also learning, unlearning and growing personally.

I’m still learning, and I’m thankful for all the people and experiences that continue to teach me along the way.

Have a good week ahead, everyone. 🌿

30/08/2026

🔴🟡🟠🟢🔵🟣⚪⚫🟤

The whole world came to know of the passing of a great artist, Yayoi Kusama, on Thursday.

If you don’t know her by name, you might know her as the “polka dot queen”, or recognise her famous pumpkins and Infinity Mirror Rooms. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to visit the Yayoi Kusama exhibition held at the National Gallery Singapore in 2017, and I actually went more than once. I love dots. I love circles. So naturally, her work has always held a special place in my heart.

In tribute to this incredible artist, we created a tile inspired by her work during last evening’s SLOW WeTangle2Gether Circle.

Many times during my sessions, when I talk about orbs, dots, circles, or how such simple elemental strokes can create so many possibilities, I would share Yayoi Kusama and her works with my learners.
Her work reminds us that even something as simple as a dot can create so much.

I created a Zendala during the circle, while the black tile was created on Friday as my personal tribute to her.

It was also amazing to see how differently each member interpreted the inspiration and created their own tile. There is something beautiful about starting from the same simple idea, yet ending up with something uniquely our own.

Thank you, everyone, for your presence, creativity and sharing.

🔴🟡🟠🟢🔵🟣⚪⚫🟤

08/08/2026

August is a special month.

It is a month of national celebrations, with Switzerland, Singapore and Malaysia celebrating their National or Independence Days. Our members of SLOW WeTangle2Gether Circle come from these three countries, and over the years, the Zentangle Method has brought us together across borders, cultures and distances.

Today’s prompt is a tile to celebrate the beautiful friendship we have found through Zentangle Art. Our tangle prompt for this evening's circle is Echoism.

The tangle reminds us of hands holding and reaching towards one another, symbolising the connections we have formed and the friendships that continue to bring us together.

Thank you, everyone, for these five precious years of friendship, creativity and connection.

May our Zentangle art journey continue to bring us together, wherever we may be.

31/07/2026

21/07/2026

OmakaZEN is back !

Join us in our Zentangle Art Feast 😋

A little story behind OmakaZEN

This journey began in 2020, when we first created OmakaZEN together with our dear late Wai Fong.

It started with a simple intention — to create a space where people could slow down, reconnect with themselves, and experience creativity in a mindful way.

Inspired by the Japanese dining concept Omakase, where each experience is thoughtfully curated and revealed one moment at a time, OmakaZEN invites you to trust the process and enjoy the journey of creation.

Through the Zentangle Method — a mindful art practice of drawing structured patterns, one stroke at a time — we create space to pause, focus, and discover the joy of being present.

After some time away, we are grateful to bring OmakaZEN back — carrying forward the heart and intention behind where it all began.

You Arrive. We Curate. You Create.

No prior art experience is required.

✨ OmakaZEN Series✨
👩‍🍳 15 August 1pm - 4pm
👩‍🍳 17 Oct 10am - 1pm
👩‍🍳 28 Nov 10am - 1pm

Venue: 42 Waterloo Street

Fee: $79 per session

Registration: https://bit.ly/OmakaZEN2026

20/07/2026

International Day of Zentangle (IDOZ) was held on Wednesday, 15 July, with the live session starting at 10pm (Singapore time). By 9.30pm, my eyes were already closing. Instead of forcing myself to stay awake, I made the decision to head to bed.

It has become an ongoing practice to remind myself that some things can wait. Not everything needs to be done immediately, and not everything even needs to be done at all. As human as I am, life can sometimes become a little haywire. Those are the moments when I need to remind myself "It's okay. It doesn't have to be done now."

In this case, there was no real need for me to stay up for the live session. I could always watch the recording the next morning, or whenever time allowed. Missing the live session would not change anything. Ultimately, it became another opportunity to practise being with myself, to listen to my body instead of being driven by the fear of missing out.

The same goes for sharing my tile. Just because I finished drawing it doesn't mean I have to post it immediately, or even post it at all.I used a Phi tile that I had previously folded in half.

The session itself was not complicated. In fact, it was beautifully simple. Nothing fancy, just the good old classic way of tangling. One stroke at a time. One step at a time. One breath at a time.

We live in a world that constantly tells us that more is better. More to do. More to have. More to achieve. But when we pause and honestly ask ourselves, why do we always need more? Does having more truly bring us joy? And what does joy really mean?

As I reflected on those questions, I found myself thinking about a gathering with friends from our numerology class last Saturday.

After a full day at a facilitation course, I joined them for dinner before settling into a board game that explored our relationship with money and our financial mindset. I wasn't one of the players. Instead, I observed from the sidelines, listening to everyone's sharing and reflections.

The joy I experienced wasn't in the activity itself.
It came from being with people who were fully present, genuine, and who carried kindness and care for one another. We don't meet often, but that reminded me that relationships are rarely about quantity. They are about the quality of the time we share.

The facilitator's sharing was insightful and prompted me to reflect on the small changes I could make in the way I think and live.

Perhaps that is what both The Zentangle Method and life continue to teach me.

Not everything needs to happen now. Not everything needs to be more.

Sometimes, enough is found in a simple line, a meaningful conversation, and the quiet decision to honour what our heart needs in the present moment.

15/07/2026

Today (15 July) is International Day of Zentangle!
Zentangle, Inc. officially launched this celebration in 2024, and tonight marks the third annual IDOZ!

Join Rick and Maria for a LIVE session at 10 PM (Singapore time) on their official YouTube channel.

Materials:
White 3.5" Original Zentangle Tile
Black Micron pen
Graphite Mini Pencil
Tortillion
Passion and Gratitude

These are the materials that will be used during the event, or you can tangle along with whatever supplies you have on hand.

Let’s tangle together with tanglers worldwide - Join in if you can 😄



#ぜんたんぐる #ゼンタングル #ゼンタングルアート