In a bid to address the growing prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and other lifestyle-related health concerns while making the most of the winter holidays, the Jangsa Animal Saving Trust hosted a week-long Mindfulness Winter Camp in Gelephu. The transformative camp provided an immersive experience of holistic health, featuring yoga, meditation, nutrition, and mindful living as its core activities.
The camp was conducted at Pelrithang Pema Yoedling Monastery in Gelephu. Primarily aimed at engaging youth, it also welcomed participants from all walks of life, creating a vibrant and inclusive learning environment.
Tulku Zhenphen Longdrol Rinpoche said, “The objective of the Jangsa Mindfulness Winter Camp is mainly to educate people, primarily young adults on living a mindful life through the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni, of course. But here in this camp, we express mindfulness in unique ways by embracing art, poetry, film-making and many other activities.”
He added that this educational campaign aims to transform participants’ lives who didn’t have a clear understanding of how to live a spiritual life or particularly a mindful life.
For many, the camp was a first step into spirituality, dharma, and practising mindfulness through meditation.
Dechen Namjur, a participant said, “Most people connect it with yoga. But here, we got to know how to connect it to dharma, and I feel that it is exceedingly informative to the youths here. So, they will get in touch with dharma, realise how important dharma is and how to apply it in our daily lives.”
“I felt happy and experienced many changes in skills. Whatever we do, we should be happy and we should always be joyful,” said Lekden Kuenchap, a participant.
A 100 per cent plant-based nutritional diet programme was one of the primary activities that the participants found helpful.
“I am a vegetarian but I was unable to identify proper nutrition, like which food to consume. I couldn’t feed myself proper nutrition, which is why I used to fall sick and people used to criticise me for being a vegetarian. So, I feel bad for that. But now I know what is the protein-based diet I have to eat,” said Tashi Wangmo, a participant.
The camp featured five key areas for the holistic well-being of body, speech, mind, lifestyle, and art.
Participants engaged in activities like yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, chanting mantras, and art presentations and performances.
“The primary objective of Mindfulness Winter Camp was envisioned by Lama Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche and Tulku Zhenphen Longdrol Rinpoche to invite the lay population into a setting whereby adults and children and people from all walks of life can interact with experts in all fields of mindfulness in support or in honour of the vision of His Majesty who has laid down a grand national vision of the Gelephu Mindfulness City,” said Phuntshok Rabten, the Executive Director of Jangsa Animal Saving Trust.
He added that the timing for the camp could not have been better as it aligns with the commencement of His Majesty’s visionary Gelephu Mindfulness City project.
As the camp concluded on Sunday, organisers expressed hopes to make it an annual event, transforming it into an engaging programme for learning and awareness during winter vacations.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Phub Gyem
