Pune, July 7, 2024: Prestige Junior College recently organised a Mental Health Awareness Programme (MHAP) workshop aimed at educating students and staff on mental health, emotional wellbeing and the benefits of meditation. The event was part of the school’s ongoing efforts to promote holistic education and featured a range of activities aimed at engaging and informing participants.
The session began with an introduction from the school, followed by an engaging discussion moderated by Vijay Talreja as part of the “Brewing Happiness” podcast. The Principal of Prestige Junior College and a meditation instructor shared their thoughts on the importance of maintaining mental and emotional wellbeing.
Meditation instructor Sujeet Patalkar expressed satisfaction with the interaction: “It was a pleasure to meet the students of Prestige Junior College and share some concepts with them on the importance of mental hygiene, emotional wellbeing and meditation. The response of the students and staff was interesting as they too felt that awareness about mental hygiene needs to be instilled from a young age for a better and peaceful life in the future. For mental health too, prevention is more important than cure,” he said.
The workshop also included guided meditation activities and was well received by both students and staff. Ms. Kiran Ekbote, Principal, Prestige Public School and Junior College, praised the session: “The session was conducted by the MHAP team and participated by my staff and Grade 12 students. Students at this age are under a lot of stress due to studies, parental and societal pressure, and self-proofing. But thanks to the meditation techniques and activities conducted by Sujeet, students were able to relax and get guidelines on how to focus on the present moment. I personally liked the session as it was more interactive and helpful for everyone. I would like to express my gratitude and wish the MHAP team all the best.”
Guest speaker Anil Chand, Director, Bombardier Aerotech Solutions, emphasised the need for daily meditation in modern life. “Events like this are the need of the hour. Everyone must practice meditation every day nowadays. People need to understand that meditation is not a religious practice but like a fuel for a happy and healthy life,” he said.
The workshops emphasised the importance of mental and emotional wellbeing and provided practical techniques to help manage stress.
