Session: Sati Pasala – Melbourne at the Dhamma Sarana Vihara (Melbourne, Australia) held another Sati Pasala session on 23 March 2019.
Participation: Over 50 children participated. About one-quarter of the children were in the age group ‘12years and over’ (12 & Over), and the rest were in the age group ‘11years and under’ (11 & under).
Session plan: The session included the four segments (S1, S2, S3 & S4) described below. Except for S4 Part1 (Groups discussions), all segments were conducted commonly for both age groups.
- Understanding Mindfulness (S1): Fight or Flight Vs Wise Response
The presentation elaborated how we experience ‘flight or fight’ or stress response in our day-to-day life even when there is no real danger and how it adversely impacts our physical and mental well-being. The interactive discussion and the video clips used highlighted how the practice of mindfulness could help us to deal with day-to-day challenges wisely, in a much healthier manner. Click here to access the full S1 segment as part of the Session Note.
- Mindful Walking and Sitting (S2)
Both 11 & under and 12&Over groups practised mindful walking over 15 minutes. The younger children (8 years and under) and newcomers practised indoors with guidance while the rest of the children practised outdoors under the supervision of the facilitators. Next, both groups practiced mindful sitting for 15 min. Click here to access the guidance used.
- Mindful Activity (S3) – Water Trail
The objective of the days’ mindful game ‘Water Trail’ was to practice paying attention to a task at hand and to do that well. Click here to access the description and implementation of the game and the relevant video clip.
- Reporting Experiences (S4)
The 11 & under group was divided into subgroups for this discussion and facilitators were assigned to each group. The 12&Over group participated in a discussion with a panel of facilitators. The children reported their experiences in mindful walking, sitting and during other activities. Facilitators assigned to each group provided clarifications and further guidance to help children to continue their practice. The session concluded with a Q&A opportunity common to all children to receive any further clarifications and summarising the learnings based on the days’ activities.
The session in motion:
