Vassilis Xypolias: Bulgaria surprised me with how green and peaceful it is

Originally from Athens, Greece, Vassilis Xypolias has called Bulgaria home for the better part of the past 25 years. A marketing graduate with an MBA from the University of Bridgeport in the United States, he worked in marketing communications until 2013 and ran his own company abroad.

During that period, he gained a broad understanding of how the human mind works and how our beliefs, thoughts and emotions shape the way we perceive, act and experience life. After going through a difficult period in 2009 and having the opportunity to meet and work with Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme, he decided to devote himself to mindfulness, which he describes today as "a way of connecting with other people and with yourself."

Asked what struck him most when he first arrived in Bulgaria, Xypolias says he was surprised by how green and peaceful the country felt compared with Athens.

"What first struck me when I came to Bulgaria, and what really surprised me, was how green it is compared with Athens. Athens has beautiful beaches and the sea, but not much greenery. Personally, all that green around me calms and inspires me and helps me find balance. In general, when people are looking for peace and quiet, it helps to go to the mountains. And as for Sofia, I find it a much calmer place than Athens. I mean, Sofia is better organised and easier to navigate. You can get around in many different ways and manage your time better, which gives you the chance to enjoy more of what you do and spend time with the people you want to be with."

Today, Xypolias is a psychotherapist, an instructor in the internationally recognised Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme and the creator of his own methodology designed to help people integrate mindfulness into their personal, social and professional lives.

"Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we observe something through our senses. I hear, I feel what is happening in my body, I breathe, I smell or I taste, and then I notice what I think and what I feel. The difference is that thoughts and emotions themselves become objects of observation. We observe them without judging or analysing them – that is mindfulness. As for whether Bulgarians are open to such practices, I think they are. In general, Bulgarians are very open and, in a certain sense, deeply spiritual as people and as a culture," he says. "In Bulgaria, I feel calm, inspired and safe," says the Greek-born therapist, who encourages people to bring their full awareness to each moment and to appreciate the good moments in everyday life.

His favourite place for meditation in Bulgaria, however, is somewhat unexpected.

"You may be surprised, but my favourite place to meditate is the car park of the National History Museum in Sofia's Boyana district. I go there, park my car and look at Vitosha Mountain whenever I want to recharge quickly and easily. I can say that this is my ritual and my special place for grounding here in Sofia," he says.

After nearly a quarter of a century in Bulgaria, does he feel integrated?

"I do, because I feel like myself," Xypolias says. "That's how I think people should see it. It doesn't matter what passport you hold. To me, integration means being yourself and becoming the best version of yourself. That's how I feel in Bulgaria.

"I keep discovering myself, because we change many times throughout our lives without even realising it. And I want to become more and more aware. There is always room for growth. It's something we practise throughout our lives.

"Now we also have artificial intelligence, and we need to rethink what it means to be human. I want to be part of that process of rediscovering our role: what we are to ourselves and what we should be to others."

For Xypolias, the essence of mindfulness is embodied in the ancient Pali word sati, often translated as "awareness" or "remembering". In his understanding, it means remembering that life happens only in the present moment — the only moment we truly have to experience, to learn from and to love.

Edited by E. Karkalanova