Nhat Anh/Nguoi Viet
Wrightwood , California (NV) – If you’re looking to escape the busy rat race of life for a moment, the ‘Viet Wake Up’ retreat is happening April 7-10 and offers those who attend a chance to slow down, unwind and reflect. The retreat, also known as Camp Awakening, follows the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. This retreat is a division of the ‘Viet Wake Up’ North American tour and will take place in Wrightwood, Calif. This year’s theme is “The Way Out is In.”
Participants of last year’s “Viet Wake Up!” retreat pose for a group picture. (Photo: Courtesy Viet Wake Up!)
Following the success of previous years, the ‘Viet Wake Up’ retreat is organized for young adults between the ages of 17-38 with Vietnamese heritage. Cathy Hang Ngo, a participant and active member of the group, said the practice of meditation helps young people shake off stress, fatigue and gives people time to focus on themselves to nurse their soul.
“The practice of mindfulness and meditation helps us to cope with the pressures of our busy lives daily,” Ngo said.
This year, the camp will be run by nuns and monks of Plum Village monastery. One of them is Sister Dang Nghiem, who authored the books, “Mindfulness as Medicine” and “Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun”.
Duyen Tran, 27, is one of 60 people who participated in last year’s camp, and said she herself received a lot of positive revelations following three days of practice.
Members sit in a circle and participate in teachings at the retreat. (Photo: Courtesy Viet Wake Up!)
“What makes ‘Viet Wake Up’ so special to me is that everyone is of Vietnamese origin,” Tran said. “I came to camp because of my curiosity and wanting to learn more about meditation. than I can imagine. I learned to forget the sorrow and let the small things go. Too often we are surrounded by the pressures of every day life and technology. But after three days of practice, I had the opportunity to learn to breathe slowly, eat slowly, and not be dependent on technology.
As for Peterson Pham, 24, who is an expert on mental health and is studying at California State University, Fullerton, said the retreat helped him put his life in perspective.
“All the pressures of life made me tired,” Pham said. “Before coming to the camp, I was depressed and felt powerless. After the retreat, I had time to reflect, meditate and accepted myself.”
The ‘Viet Wake Up’ movement comes from Plum Village monastery in France by Thich Nhat Hanh. After 8 years, the movement has spread across the country and is also held in Texas, Washington, Florida and Canada.
To find out more, go to www.vietwakeup.org
