“Sati – Sati Pasala” Mindfulness Programme at Viyathmaga

Date: 19 August 2018
Location: Viyathmaga

On 19 August 2018, I had the opportunity to participate in the “Sati – Sati Pasala” Mindfulness Programme held at Viyathmaga. The programme explored mindfulness and meditation alongside modern scientific perspectives, making it a different and interesting learning experience for me.

The presentations included a session titled “The Neuroscience of Mindfulness,” examining scientific research related to meditation and mindfulness. The material presented included studies involving areas of the brain such as the insula and hippocampus, together with references to brain-imaging techniques including MRI, PET and SPECT.

What made the programme particularly interesting to me was the opportunity to consider mindfulness (“Sati”), a concept commonly encountered through meditation and Buddhist practice, alongside research into the human brain and behaviour.

Participating in this programme with people from different backgrounds remains one of the memorable learning and personal-development experiences from my activities in 2018.