In the two months from November-December 2021, despite the pandemic, monks and staff from Wat Phra Dhammakaya London have cooperated with Cygnet NHS Hospital Woking to provide meditation and mindfulness training for providers and users of the mental health services.
On alternating Fridays, monks from the temple provide 30 minutes of meditation training for the doctors, nurses, administrators and assistants. For the intervening Fridays, specially trained laywomen from the temple provide meditation and mindfulness training for the mental health service users, many of whom are (almost fully) recovered from conditions such as self-harm, schizophrenia and intoxicant-related addiction.
The cooperation has been very well received and has trained 76 staff and 38 patients. The activity is planned to continue in the New Year and be expanded to other local hospitals.