S2 Ep10. Maryem Biadillah: Mindfulness, Yoga, and the Power of Community

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In this episode, Aderonke Bademosi Wilson engages in an insightful conversation with Maryem Biadillah, a mindful yoga practitioner and community advocate. Throughout the discussion, Maryem shares her personal journey to mindfulness, highlighting the transformative power of yoga and the critical role community plays in navigating life’s challenges. Together, they explore practical techniques for staying present and cultivating inner peace in today’s fast-paced world.

The conversation begins with Aderonke introducing Maryem as a yoga practitioner and a dedicated advocate for mindfulness and community. Early in the episode, Maryem congratulates Aderonke on reaching the impressive milestone of the podcast’s 50th episode and nearly 1,500 downloads.

Maryem then delves into the concept of mindfulness, defining it as the practice of being fully present in the moment—observing feelings and interactions without judgment and allowing them to pass. She shares that her personal journey into mindfulness began in 2006-2007, when she turned to it to help slow down and find peace during a challenging period in her life.

The discussion transitions to how Maryem’s mindfulness practice evolved through yoga and meditation. She offers an explanation of mindfulness meditation, describing it as a process of preparing the body, focusing on the present moment, and gently redirecting the mind when distractions arise. Maryem shares that focusing on her breath has been the easiest way for her to stay present, emphasizing how the act of noticing the breath connects us to the here and now.

Maryem also highlights how mindfulness can be integrated into everyday activities. Acknowledging the challenge of what she calls the monkey mind, she explains that mindfulness can help maintain balance in situations like waiting in line or delivering a speech. These small moments of awareness can help ground us amidst life’s distractions.

Yoga, she notes, has been particularly beneficial in her life. In her intellectually demanding job, which involves extensive research and writing, yoga serves as a way to reconnect with her body and break free from the mental overload. Through yoga, she learns to slow down, prioritize tasks, and let go of unnecessary mental tabs. She also explains that yoga helps her maintain balance in strength and flexibility, which is vital for her as she ages.

In addition to its physical benefits, yoga helped Maryem recognize that her identity is not solely defined by her job. This realization led her to pursue certification as a yoga and mindfulness teacher, and she further explored her interest in spirituality by studying different religions. This allowed her to gain a deeper understanding of the human mind and spirituality.

The conversation then shifts to the importance of community. Maryem emphasizes that no one is an island, and that we are all interconnected and interdependent. Community, she believes, helps us navigate life, reminds us of our core values, and provides a network of support. She reflects on the heightened significance of community in the wake of the shelter-in-place phase of the pandemic, when many of us were reminded of how essential human connection is.

As the conversation progresses, Maryem shares some personal insights. While her friends may know everything about her, she reveals two interesting things: she has taken up coloring as a way to practice mindfulness, and after years of studying, she finally graduated and became certified as an inter-religious, interfaith spiritual companion.

In the final segment, Maryem explains the role of a spiritual companion. A spiritual companion i

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