Ann Ibañez

Biography

I am a curious person who loves science, research, and travel. I love people, discovering different ways of life, and I enjoy challenges, creating projects, and being in contact with people who inspire me. I like to flow between my different facets. This applies to both my personal and professional life; I am the same in both.

- Tell us, what has your path been like leading up to your work in neuroscience? I am a Chemical Engineer, a former high-performance swimmer, and a helicopter pilot. My life has always revolved around environments related to self-improvement and the joy of doing new things. I have always liked neuroscience, and throughout my career, I have read and researched applied neuroscience a great deal, until one day I decided I wanted to dedicate myself to it fully. I have always led work teams, and I decided I wanted to contribute to the growth of teams and individuals from this more scientific place of mental development.

- What draws your attention most to this field and why did you decide to dedicate yourself to it?

I am passionate about everything in this field. Our brain decides whether we see the world as a place full of threats or a place full of opportunities. What makes the difference is which neural pathways it chooses, and this is something that can already be trained today. Just as we train our body in the gym, we can train our mind. That is what I do: train the mind using neuroscience systems. It is fascinating, and it improves our quality of life in a surprisingly fast way.

My goal is to bring these treatments and benefits, which until recently were only available at NASA or in elite sports and professions, to children and adults alike.

“Our brain decides whether we see the world as a place full of threats or a place full of opportunities”

- What is Mindstudio and when did you start this project?

Mindstudio emerged 16 years ago as a research project, searching for the best systems to train our minds. I trained in the United States, England, Germany, and Switzerland with great freedom to test different technology, train our brain, and select and discard techniques.

Based on that, I trained work teams and pilots within the research field, which gave me a lot of information and experience to create my own method: the Mindstudio mental training method.

I have created everything very organically, feeling very comfortable and satisfied with my training protocols. Mindstudio is the result of years of research and doing things slowly and well. These years have brought me much joy.

- What objectives are pursued at the Mindstudio centers?

The main objective is to improve the quality of life of people, both children and adults, in their daily lives.

Improving their sleep quality, mood, ability to concentrate, vital energy, mental agility, creative thinking, optimism, and much more.

The magic of neuroscience is that we can improve any of our mental functions. We have what is called neuroplasticity, which is simply our brain's capacity for change, allowing us to perform better at the things we already do or to do something new that we didn't know we could do.

In that sense, one of the main benefits we achieve with our training is living with less anxiety and worry, even if the environment is stressful. Our brain has the capacity to keep us calm and mentally agile, even if there is a "storm" outside. When we manage to function mentally this way, you clearly notice how life becomes kinder, you feel better, you feel more brilliant, more connected, and at the same time, you possess a great internal calm.

This is why we also train many athletes and elite professionals. This way of functioning mentally makes a huge difference in high-performance settings.

“At Mindstudio, our main objective is to improve the daily quality of life of people, both children and adults”

- What is your opinion on happiness? Can it be worked on?

Yes, of course! Happiness has a fundamental component of making us feel at ease with ourselves, in line with our life's purpose. Internally, we all have yearnings and desires to fulfill in this life. We need to identify ourselves with actions, emotions, and relationships in our daily lives that are consistent with our purposes.

When our brain functions harmoniously (with stable brain frequency patterns), it is much easier for us to achieve that coherence between what we do and what we want. And conversely, when we feel good about what we do, we cause our brain to function well. It is a back-and-forth process.


Many people come to Mindstudio looking to feel good, to feel happy, and we achieve this by harmonizing their brain frequencies. Because, as I told you at the beginning, our brain is the one that chooses whether to show us the world as a place of opportunities or a place of threats. When your view becomes more optimistic toward yourself and the world, the changes in your happiness are extraordinary.

- What tips would you give to a person who wants to find calm and learn to manage their peace of mind?

In a very quick, yet I believe very useful answer, I would advise them to mentally go back to the first situation that comes to mind where they felt calm and at peace.

And to identify what variables were present at that moment. Identify what was happening at that moment that made you feel at peace and start to incorporate more of that into your daily life. We have many answers in situations we have already lived through. And, secondly, I would advise them to try sessions at Mindstudio because it will create neural patterns that will lead them to that calm.

- What satisfies you most about your work?

Without a doubt, seeing the evolution of the people who train. Seeing the positive changes that occur in their lives and how these changes affect those around them. I am fascinated by the ability to help not only specific individuals but to create something more expansive that benefits their environments.

- In the long term, what do you expect from this project?

I don't think I can even imagine yet where this project will go because I know it will continue to give me many opportunities in different areas.

We are a team dedicated heart and soul to research and our method. Right now, we are working with large organizations to train executives as well as sports teams, in addition to continuing to advance our centers. But always within my goal of continuing to research and bringing the best of mental training to everyone. We are going to open more Mindstudio centers; we have just opened in Barcelona, and others will follow.

- What is beauty to you, and how do you experience it in your routine?

For me, beauty is everything that awakens a sensation of deep connection, harmony, pleasant surprise, and emotion. I find beauty in many places, even the most unexpected. It is what touches and moves me.

In my routine, I strongly protect the beauty of moments. No matter what I am doing, I always try to design it in a way that generates peace and harmony for me. I do it with music, with the simplicity of color, with scents, with words, with a good conversation. For me, beauty is closely related to simplicity, elegance, and emotion.

- What or who inspires you in your day-to-day life?

I am inspired by people who have passion, a zest for life, who enjoy what they do, and above all, who they are.

I am deeply inspired by my daughters Chloé and Olivia, aged 16 and 14; I love their drive and their courage to want to change the world for the better.

- Who are your beauty icons?

Any woman who likes herself and transmits good energy. My icons are women who have a sparkle in their eyes. I can name Neri Oxman and Amelia Earhart. Both women were pioneers, strong, brave, and feminine.

- What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

That after having an idea, I should let it rest and return to it later to take it to a more extreme, less obvious place.

- What is your skincare routine?

Very simple: clean and protect the skin with good products, lately with many oils. I get facials from time to time, but above all, I protect myself from the sun and eat a healthy diet without obsessing over it. The same goes for physical exercise; lately, I prioritize strength and flexibility exercises over aerobic ones.

- How do you care for your beauty from the inside out?

I try to surround myself with people who transmit good energy and bring out the best in me. And I take care of my rhythm. I force myself to have a good balance between my work, my leisure, and my personal life; that keeps me energized, motivated, and enjoying the day-to-day.

- Unfinished business (as far as beauty is concerned)

I think I could use an anti-dark spot treatment, but that will have to wait for winter!

ANTI-DARK SPOT TREATMENTS:

• DERMAPEN TREATMENT

• GREEN PEEL TREATMENT

• OSMOLIGHT DEPIGMENTING TREATMENT