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Anapana Courses for Children
Over the past 15 years, hundreds of Anapana courses have been conducted exclusively for children around the world. These courses have yielded substantial benefits for the thousands of children who have attended them. Many of them have experienced a positive change in their outlook, behaviour and attitude. Many have found their ability to concentrate has improved and that their memory has strengthened. And above all,these children have acquired a tool that is of immense value to them for the rest of their lives.
	Children are, by nature, active and enthusiastic, with an eagerness to leam and explore. For this reason, it is appropriate to offer them an opportunity to explore themselves and their mind with all its hidden faculties, latent abilities and subtle complexities. Learning Ananpana plants a wholesome interest in self-in-trospection and meditation, which may open an entirely new dimension of life for them later on.

Anapana courses for children have been conducted since 1986. These courses have been offered to children of various ages and socio-economic and cultural groups. They have been conducted in Vipassana meditation centres as well as at schools and other institutions, and have been both residential and nonresidential.

Whether a children's Anapana course is held at a school or at a Vipassana meditation centre, it is essential that the student be given an opportunity to continue to practice Anapana for a short period each day after the course to yield the true benefit of
the practice.

Eligibility

Students from the age of eight to sixteen years are eligible to attend the courses. Separate courses should be organized for the two different age groupings, one for younger children: ages eight to twelve; and one for the elder ones: ages thirteen to sixteen. These are ideal groupings but slightly different groupings are also sometime considered. Student less than eight years of age and more than sixteen years may not be admitted to a Children’s Anapana course.
The recommended number of children per course should not be exceed fifty. For courses larger than fifty children, additional children's course Teachers may be required to conduct the
course.

Timetable

Various schedules have been developed and successfully implemented in schools over the years. One-day or two-day non residential courses can easily be conducted during the school
hours. In residential schools, three-day residential courses may be held. The timetable is determined by the length of the course and whether it is residential or not. The timetable should be modified to avoid the times when other students who are not participating in the course could interact with the children taking the course. Enough time should be scheduled for meditation periods, counselling (when the CCT meets with small groups/ for children to reinforce the practice), discourses and stories, lunch, rest, play, etc. the total duration of a one-day course is about six hours.
The timetable will be decided by the teacher conducting the course in consultation with the organisers and school administrator.

Pre-requisites for Institutions

To begin the process of having a children's Anapana course held in a school, administrator or the head of the school should send a formal request to either the Regional Co-ordinator of children's courses, a Children's Course.
Teacher or a local Viapassana meditation centre. At least one person from the teaching staffer administration should have completed a ten days Vipassana course in this tradition. Apart from this, there should be a firm commitment by the school or institution to provide an opportunity for the children to continue their practice of meditation for a few minutes every day. The school management may decide the time to implement this programme within their daily routine, with the minimum of about ten minutes a day for practice.
The limit on the number of students participating in a course should be carefully determined. A very large group may be difficult to manage and a very small group may have difficulty in creating cohesive and inspirational atmosphere. Generally, courses with between twenty-five to fifty participants work well. However, depending on the infrastructure, facility and circumstances, the number may vary. Ideally, a course should be organised for all of the students from the participating classes. All the teachers of the participating classes should also participate in the course. The teachers of the participating classes may sit as observers.
Besides organising courses during the regular school week, courses may also be organised to take place at the school on a weekend or during vacation periods.

Guidelines for Courses in Institutions


1.	For a residential Anapana course, separate and adequate sleeping accommodation, showers, and toilets should be available for boys and girls. A dining facility where boys and girls can sit separately is also required.

2.	The course should be organised in a way that no other students or staff are present in the area where the course is being conducted or where the attending children will be residing. Organising on weekends or during holidays can be helpful in ensuring these separation.

3.	A large enough room or hall should be available for seating all the meditators on the floor on cushions or comfortable mats.

4.	A suitable sound system, a VCR and TV should be available for playing instructions tapes and discourses.

5.	The place for meditation and the accommodation should be at a sufficient distance from main roads and traffic in order to have the quiet, peaceful atmosphere required for meditation.

6.	A few course servers, who are experienced Vipassana meditators, may be required to help in running and managing the course.

7.	If there are children who are old students and have been doing courses regularly, they may serve on the course, having minor responsibilities. (They should never be put in a counsellor role.)

Requisition Form


( From school administrators and heads of institutions, for conducting Anapana courses in their institutions )

1.	Name and address of the sponsoring authority

2.	Name and address of the school / institution participating

3.	Name/s of the person/s in the institution who has / have done a ten-day course previously and their position in the school (i.e. head/principle/trustee/teacher)

4.	Dates of his/her first and last course

Pune Vipassana Samiti

Dadawadi, opp. Nehru Stadium, Near Anand Mangal Karyalaya
Pune 411 002, Maharashtra, India

Ph: (+91) 20-24468903

Fax: (+91) 20-24464243

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.punna.dhamma.org

City Office Timing: 9.30 am to 1.00 pm & 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm Friday closed