The above program was held on Tuesday, 19th September 2017, from 8.30 am to 11.00 am for approximately 80 students from year 11, 25 prefects, and about 35 teachers. It was extremely encouraging to see the Principal of the school, Mr. S. Wijesundara actively participating in the program & remaining for its entire duration. Not only did he ensure that all facilities were provided but he also motivated both the facilitators & students with words of encouragement. The facilitators also greatly appreciated the support given by the teachers & prefects.
The activities conducted during the program and the time spent is as follows;
(1) Introduction to Mindfulness 8.30 am to 9.15 am
(2) ‘Toffee eating’ – a Sati game 9.15 am to 9.30 am
(3) ‘Body scanning’ –a Sati game 9.30 am to 9.45 am
(3) Introduction to mindful walking (in the school grounds) 9.45 am to 10.15 am
(4) Introduction to mindful sitting (in the main hall) 10.15 am to 10.45 am
(5) Mindfulness in day-to-day work, feedback & conclusion 10.45 am to 11.00 am
The facilitators were encouraged as there was a very good response from both students and teachers. They were especially happy about the new experience felt by the students during the ‘toffee eating’ session. The Principal was pleased to share with us his experience in having felt a deep sense of relaxation during the body scanning session. All the students expressed positive comments on mindful walking saying they felt a strong sense of freedom soon after this session. The fact that the students were able to feel a multitude of subtle sensations in their bodies during the mindful sitting was a clear indication that they had successfully applied mindfulness.
On completion of the training session the Principal stated that they hoped to commence lessons from the ‘Sati-Pasala’ book with immediate effect. They also invited the facilitators to re visit the school to conduct a similar session for year 8 students.