Sati Pasala Bundoora held it monthly session at Nick Ascenzo Community Centre, 2 Boronia Avenue, Thomastown, 3074 VIC, Australia on Sunday the 8th March from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
Altogether children participated in the session and the majority of them were 12 years and under.
- Understanding Mindfulness (S1): The topic of the session was ‘The Nature of the Untrained Mind’. The emphasis was to brainstorm on the behavior of the untrained mind (monkey mind); how to train it by applying the right effort and the benefits of a trained mind. To assist with the understanding of the session content two video clips were shown.
- Guided Practice (S2): To help with mindful walking and sitting, children were asked questions on what to follow when practicing mindful walking and sitting. A child volunteered to demonstrate on how to practice mindful walking. A slide with different sitting postures were brought up in the discussion and children were actively involved in the discussion mainly asking questions. Following the initial discussion, mindful walking was practiced outside and mindful sitting was practiced indoors.
- Mindful game (S3): Mindful activity ‘Making a Mind Jar’ was introduce where children were given the opportunity to make their own ‘Mind Jar’. They were provided with required material (jar, warm water, glitter glue, glitter, and food coloring, stirring sticks) and step by step instructions on how to make their own ‘Mind Jar’. Children thoroughly enjoyed the activity. After that the principle of a mind jar was introduced. Children used their own ‘Mind Jar’ to experience the status of an untrained mind and a trained mind.
- Reporting experiences (S4): Children’s experience on mindful walking, mindful sitting and mindful activity was brought up in the group discussion. Children were instructed on to keep maintaining their mindful journal and bring it to the following Sati Pasala session.