“ Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.”
Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemichave shown that change is the only constant. With the ever-changing status of schools and many parents working from home , it’s hard not to start spiralling. Responsibilities seem endless, the situation dire , and it seems like giving time to yourself has become a thing of the past. All of us would agree upon the fact that these are trying times, but incorporating mindful practices into our daily routine could help calm anxiety and even build healthy coping skills.
“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality,” said Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh.The Covid-19 pandemic has brought us to our knees forcing us to look in the directions which always existed much like water or air..Summer Fields School, Kailash Colony introduced a mindfulness and meditation practice during this pandemic, as it has the potential to complement treatment and is a beneficial method of providing support with anxiety for all.
The meditation sessions were conducted from 3 May till 7 May 2021 for forty minutes via Zoom app for the students, parents & teachers of the school and will continue in the following weeks too. The meditation sessions aimed at instilling in the students, parents & the teachers the ability of better focus, less reactivity when things aren’t going as wished and more empathy, just to name a few. The sessions did aid everyone to decompress, destress, unplug and appreciate the present moment.
The students, parents as well as the teachers realised that meditation and mindfulness were useful skills that could help us to sit with our fears and our circumstances and to observe that like our thoughts, this period in our lives too shall pass.They enjoyed the sessions thoroughly and felt optimistic and fresh throughout the day, after the session, each day.
The meditation sessions were extremely successful. The credit for the smooth functioning of the sessions could only be given to the head of the institution, Dr Neeru Suman, who constantly strives to help the students, parents and the teachers achieve the equilibrium between the physical, social and emotional well being.
Here are the glimpses of the meditation sessions :-
