I had never done yoga before and hardly interacted with a person with special needs; I joined this service empty handed with only enthusiasm to offer and now – two months in – I’m drowning in gratitude. Why? Because of how valuable this opportunity is, not just for my evolving mindset but also for every aspect of our community.

Another reason for my willingness to join this service would be because of how this experience might benefit me in my future career in genetic research. Since complications like the ones some of our partners have been studied extensively, these genetic conditions have lost their humanity. I believe research has grown accustomed to seeing numbers and concentrations that even we have forgotten that every data point and statistic represents a precious human life. By interacting with the members of MINDS Tampines I will be hopefully able to eradicate that perspective.

It’s plain, simple and definitely not complicated – we’re all human. We live on one planet and we breathe the same air. We are like cookies from the same cutter, fundamentally the same, all enriched with unique differences. So why do still discriminate, isolate and hate? That’s what’s disgusting about us. We’re shallow and stupidly afraid. It corrupts our systems and destroys our possibility of forming healthy societies. This is why I joined Yoga therapy with Tampines MINDS. I know I won’t change much, but at least I can rest on the thought that I have maybe helped someone else’s day get brighter even it is just planning or running through a yoga routine.

In the coming months, I will do my best to honour the role chair. I will to the best of my abilities try to help and facilitate interactions between our community and our service partners. Because we’re dealing with an issue of global significance I am determined to prevent avoidable slips that would otherwise hurt or deviate us from the path towards our shared goal.

From our service leader Mme Veron to all the members of the service and most importantly our partners, I owe you my deepest and most sincere thanks. 

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