GERMANY
Mindfulness in Thailand
Program Overview
12
Days
9
Engagements
16
Students on program
Loyola University Maryland graduate students traveled to Chaing Mai, Thailand for a fully immersive program focused on mental health and wellness from a Buddhist lens. “We were looking for a location that would allow us to learn more about Buddhism and the ways in which Buddhist philosophy could inform our own understanding of, and practice of, mindfulness and mindfulness-based therapeutic services,” said Emalee Quickel, Director of Clinical Professional Counseling and Associate Professor at Loyola University Maryland. Through company visits and mindfulness sessions, students gained both professional and personal experience in Thailand.
Beginning the program with a meditation course, the students learned about the history and culture of meditation in Thailand and practiced their meditation in Wat Suan Dok, the “flower garden temple.” In addition to the meditation course, the group participated in a yoga experience and a unique two-day silent retreat in rural Chiang Rai. “Students learned more about themselves through this mindful self-reflection and observation,” Emalee added.
“The team did a great job of listening to what we wanted, taking our feedback into consideration, and designing a trip that met all of our goals!”
Emalee Quickel, Loyola University Maryland
The group attended two company visits while in Chiang Mai. During the company visit with The Well International, students were introduced to mental health professionals including psychologists, councilors, and therapists. The Well provides care and support to individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, and more.
The group also visited Jintara Rehabilitation Center, which has a capacity of 10 clients at a time for highly personalized care treating substance abuse and underlying mental health issues. Students met with CEO, Darren Lockie, who spoke about the challenges and opportunities of corporate wellness services and his path to founding Jintara.
A unanimous program highlight was the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary where students learned about the rescued elephants, toured the park to view various herds, and fed them fruits and vegetables from a viewing platform. Emalee added that, “the Elephant Sanctuary was ethical, informative, and just such a cool experience!”
On one of the group’s last visits, they attended a monk chat at a 14th century temple. The monk-chat initiative brings foreigners to the temple to speak with monks about Buddhism in an open forum. “I think learning more about Buddhism during our monk chats with Prah KK really helped everyone deepen their perspectives on mindfulness and how compatible it can be with a day-to-day way of life vs. always thinking about it as formal meditation,” said Emalee. “The team did a great job of listening to what we wanted, taking our feedback into consideration, and designing a trip that met all of our goals!”
A look inside the program
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