Virtually everyone has been affected in some way by the Covid 19 pandemic. Many people are
confined to home, officially or voluntarily. Many have lost their jobs, have very limited income
or are in isolation.
Over the next few months, you can find on this website, articles, videos (working on that one)
talks and suggested activities to make positive use of your restricted circumstances.
The articles and activities posted here are free and are offered to give you options
to help you find greater peace of mind.
They reflect attitudes and understandings that over the past 2,500+ years
have helped countless people find inner peace.
If you wish to go deeper into the practice, you can join a session at the House of Dhamma
in Jatujak district in Bangkok or contact a Buddhist centre or group near you.
Small group sessions at the House of Dhamma are expected to restart in January 2021.
Confined to home
Being in isolation may make people feel bored, lonely and anxious.
Although the activities that will be posted here are not intended to be 'therapy',
they can often facilitate greater interest in your immediate environment and promote
a more positive attitude in those who practice them.
The aim is not to opt out of your experience but to get to know it more clearly, to learn from it,
and to learn about yourself through it. That process can lead to greater confidence and calmness.
Mindfulness activities and games for kids of all ages
The activities and games shared here were developed over about 50 years of Insight meditation teaching, mostly in the English language, to groups of people who had limited knowledge of Buddhist culture or metaphysics.
The activities are suitable for older children and the young at heart.
In addition, a greater range of activities, to be held at the House of Dhamma, is planned to
begin at the end of November 2020.
Meditation does not have to be formal and serious
Insight meditation is also referred to as 'Buddhist Mindfulness' practice or 'Vipassana'. Wonderful
and inspiring teachers have shared this practice with monks and lay Buddhists alike.
This method of teaching is the one originally taught by Ven. Mahasri Sayadaw of Myanmar (Burma).
His teaching, in turn, was based upon the instructions found in the Mahasatipattana Sutta
(the Great Mindfulness discourse). It is usually taught by Buddhist monks in monastic situations.
In general, formal Insight meditation pracice is more appropriate for adults.
Playful activities to help you tune into magic moments.
The playful activities posted here may help you tune in to something magical.
In addition to those activities, you will find inspirational quotes from traditional Zen masters
and contemporary Western meditation masters plus stories and inspiring images.
You can also click on detailed instructions for practice.
Most of the activities and games in this series are very simple but they facilitate the
arising of new understandings and attitudes through first-hand experience.
The understandings brought to you through each activity enliven the words to be found
in the ancient texts and clarify instructions for meditation too.
Feedback and enhancing communication
After each activity, if you can share or discuss what you discovered with another person
(or people), understanding will improve naturally and almost without effort.
If you are currently in quarantine or doing social distancing, this might not be possible.
If that is the case, make short notes immediately after you have completed the activity.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling, just make quick notes of everything you remember.
You can go over your notes later and add details.
When the health crisis is over, you can use these notes to share feedback with others
practising in similar ways or to give feedback to your meditation teacher.
Enjoy!
About Acharn Helen Jandamit
Since the mid 1970s, Acharn Helen has held classes, courses, lecture series and intensive retreats in Thailand, Austria, Australia and the USA. In 2002, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Acharn Helen was honoured as the Foremost Western Woman Meditation Master in South-east Asia.
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