SEE HOW THE VWEC SUPPORTS VIRTUAL WELLNESS FOR EDUCATORS
Virtual Worlds Education Consortium (VWEC) provides several outlets for promoting wellness in the Metaverse, both in Second Life and their area in Kitely (which is also accessible to anyone who is using OpenSim), to inform other educators about wellness while providing the chance to take time for themselves.
wellness offerings in SECOND LIFE
The Second Life Meditation Area provides a quiet place for educators of all kinds to stop and catch a breath. To learn more about the process of guided meditation, live and in-world instruction is provided once a month in this location.
Watch in-world announcements or the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium e-mails for live meditation sessions as times are subject to change. These meditation sessions have been held in Second Life for the past three years.
In-world meditation sessions are led in Second Life by Ewan Bonham, a retired educator who previously taught in Second Life and now volunteers his services in partnership with Whole Brain Health (a Virtual Worlds Education Consortium member organization that co-sponsors the activity). Ewan has presented on communication, mindfulness and cultural appreciation in and out of Second Life since 2010.
wellness offerings in KITELY for use by the opensim
While the Kitely meditation area does not yet have regular in-world programming, educators from across the OpenSim are encouraged to come spend a moment in this quiet section of VWEC Island of Cookie II, the area provided by Metaverse Libraries for the Virtual World Education Consortium. It includes a wooded area with a raised platform for an instructor to work with students.
Also available is a gazebo with chaise lounge chairs. The intent is to be able to provide a location for discussion or instruction on wellness topics in a relaxed and casual environment.
While not officially part of the wellness area, there is also a serene mountaintop meeting space on VWEC Island that is above the wellness center area, for which the seating around a fountain may lead to a calm area for discussion.
VWEC supports virtual wellness for educators – and those that they teach – and hopes that these wellness areas being provided will be a benefit to all.