Mind over malady
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Mind over malady

An author learns to embrace mindfulness and shares his insights in a new book

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
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Ponn Virulrak.
Ponn Virulrak.

Ponn Virulrak, a successful architect, academic, and chairman of Light Up Total Solution, discovered his love for running in his 40s and embarked on this path of passion with full determination. This passion, however, diverged from what he refers to as "a source of joy" to a spiritually transformative experience after an excruciating knee injury. Through the turbulence, turmoil and trauma of going from being active to being home-confined by his inability to walk well, he began exploring mindfulness as a way to cope with his new reality. After years of using mindfulness techniques to pull him from his "downward spiral", he wrote How To Be Sick Mindfully, a book illustrating his journey and 21 actionable tools to get through a chronic illness without anxiety, depression, or trauma.

Tell us about the journey of coping with your illness?

I fell in love with running at the age of 46 and it quickly became a significant part of my life. I ran regularly -- every weekend and three to four times on weekdays -- and thoroughly enjoyed it. My ultimate goal was to participate in the Berlin Marathon and I began gradually building my running capacity to prepare for it. However, balancing the demands of my career and training proved challenging and I didn't prepare as thoroughly as I should have.

Despite this, I decided to join the marathon. At that time, my maximum running distance was 18km, but I pushed myself to complete the full 42km. Crossing the finish line brought immense happiness and I returned to Thailand feeling accomplished. However, soon after, my knees began to feel strange. Within two months, I couldn't climb stairs and by the third month, I could barely walk. I found myself confined to my home for four months.

During this time, I tried everything -- physical therapy, plasma injections -- but nothing worked. I consulted seven doctors, each offering different advice. In April, I decided to get surgery and thankfully, it was successful.

The entire journey spanned about six months of turbulence. It was not just a physical ordeal but an emotional one as well. I fell into a deep depression, isolating myself and even contemplating suicide. At the time, it felt like there was no way out, and I believed my life would never be the same.

What inspired you to explore mindfulness?

During my painful journey, I faced not only physical challenges but also immense work stress. Even as my knees constantly hurt, I continued to remotely manage complex and demanding projects. This combination of physical pain and work pressure pushed me to the edge and I realised I needed to regain my sanity before everything spiralled out of control.

I turned to Buddhism, meditation and Dhamma teachings for solace, particularly daily YouTube videos by Master Paisal Visalo. His teachings were simple, practical and deeply relevant to modern life. I found his narratives on coping with illness and pain especially helpful. By immersing myself in his teachings, I began to change my perspective. Although the physical pain in my knees remained, my mind grew stronger and I achieved a sense of peace and acceptance.

How did you start writing this book and how did your personal experience with illness shape the narrative?

I started by recording key teachings from Master Paisal. The process of consolidating these insights was accelerated by the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which helped me synthesise ideas and create a structure. This enabled me to transform his teachings into a simple and practical framework that I believed would resonate with a Western audience.

The result was the creation of the 21 actionable tools covered in this book. They are sentences you can speak to yourself when navigating a chronic illness. Writing this book in English became my way of sharing these insights with the world, offering guidance to those facing even more severe or prolonged challenges than I did. The process of writing has been deeply fulfilling, as it allowed me to turn my personal struggle into a contribution that might help others.

Ponn Virulrak

Ponn Virulrak

How would you define mindfulness?

Personally, I think mindfulness is not a state of mind, but a skill to be able to dictate your mind to focus on things you wish, which is a very difficult in this days and age. We have an enormous amount of distraction and when we try to focus on one thing for like a minute, the mind starts to wander and we lose control. Being mindful, especially when you are sick, means to accept the uncertainty of things that aren't happening yet. We live in the age of getting things done with a click and we need to change that mental habit. Our body and our sickness are not digital and it will take time. We just need to accept it and live with it.

What are some responses you have had from readers?

The overall response has been very positive. Many readers have shared that they find the book practical and appreciate its actionable nature. It has received a good rating on Amazon, with readers highlighting how the tools have helped them cope with their illnesses in a more positive way.

Hearing that my work is making a meaningful difference in people's lives has been fulfilling. Additionally, I've received numerous inquiries about whether a Thai-language version will be available, which I'm pleased to say is in the works and will be released soon.

What has writing this book taught you?

Writing this book has taught me valuable lessons, such as the power of focus. I've always been someone who gets easily distracted, but writing this book allowed me to enter deep work mode and focus for extended periods. It showed me the value of concentration and the satisfaction that comes with it. It also gave me a profound sense of purpose. Sharing ideas with the world and helping people improve their lives has been fulfilling. I feel fortunate to have found this aspect of self-actualisation, a level that Maslow's theory describes as the pinnacle of human experience -- a rare and meaningful discovery in anyone's life.

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