06/06/2026
🌿 3S Mini Spiritual Retreat for Teenage Girls
Searching the Self - Serving Society - Saving the Environment
Theme: Mindful Daily Routine
The monthly 3S Mini Spiritual Retreat brought together a group of teenage girls of Sarvodaya Suwasetha Ma Sevana Child Development Centre for a meaningful exploration of mindfulness and wellbeing under the theme "Mindful Daily Routine."
The programme commenced with a reflective exercise where the participants reviewed the past two weeks of their lives and completed a wellbeing index. Through an interactive brainstorming session, the girls explored the deeper meaning of three important words: Happiness, Smile, and Mindfulness, discovering how these qualities can enrich everyday life.
The participants were then invited to carefully reflect on their daily routines—from the moment they wake up until they go to bed. Using emojis and personal reflections, they examined the emotions associated with their daily chores and activities, identifying experiences that felt pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Each girl completed a written exercise by dividing her day into six time slots and mapping out her activities and the emotions connected with them. This helped them develop greater awareness of how their daily habits influence their thoughts, feelings, and overall wellbeing.
A particularly engaging activity involved observing a Tibetan singing bowl filled with water. As pressure was exerted from the outside, the water inside the bowl began to move and vibrate. This simple yet powerful demonstration helped the girls understand how the human body, which is composed of nearly 70% water, responds to external stresses and tensions. The exercise encouraged them to become more mindful of their pleasant and unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and to recognise how these inner responses influence their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Before lunch, the girls participated in a guided food contemplation. They reflected with gratitude on the interconnected web of life that made their meal possible—the sun, earth, water, and other natural resources, as well as the many people, young and old, whose efforts directly and indirectly brought the food to their plates. Following this reflection, they shared a balanced and nutritious meal with greater awareness and appreciation.
In the afternoon, the girls participated in an informative session on "Staying Safe in the Digital World," conducted by Ms. Gayani Wickramaratne and Ms. Sarangi Aththanayake, Lecturers at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa. The session provided valuable insights into responsible digital engagement and online safety.
The retreat concluded with a collaborative exercise where the participants designed a common mindful daily routine that could be practised by all. Through discussion and reflection, they recognised how a mindful daily routine can contribute to better mental health, emotional balance, and a more purposeful way of living.
The day served as a gentle reminder that mindfulness is not something separate from everyday life. It is the art of bringing awareness, gratitude, and compassion to each moment, transforming ordinary daily routines into opportunities for growth, healing, and inner peace.
The Tibetan singing bowl and food contemplation add a rich psychospiritual dimension to the programme and help convey the depth of the retreat experience.
The programme was co-facilitated by Vishva Niketan Meditation Teacher Mr. Jagath Gunawardane and Dr. Charika Marasinghe.
🌱 Searching the Self | Serving Society | Saving the Environment
