Hello, after so many months of living with the pandemic, has your outlook on life changed? Have you become more pessimistic, or have you discovered amazing things that you’ve never noticed before? Are there new challenges in your life, or have new opportunities appeared? Whichever the case, we whole-heartedly invite you to participate in this journey. Perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised!

Welcome to ‘Jockey Club Pop-up Art Park’, curated by Hong Kong Arts Centre, with the support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as Major Funder, Lee Hysan Foundation as Strategic Partner and the guidance of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health. The project introduces to the public a virtual art park (exhibition) which brings together works of art by both Hong Kong and overseas artists with elements of light and technology. The virtual art park allows you to experience the joyous atmosphere of park/playground at home any time. Through the means of art and play, you are encouraged to rediscover themselves and be more aware of your mental wellness.

A park or playground is a kaleidoscope of childhood memories for many people. This time around, it may also bring forth a new experience for you. We can start with a simple activity. Do you usually pay attention to your breathing? Let’s do a breathing exercise with the instructor.

First of all, stand up comfortably, relax your body and focus on your breathing. Put both of your hands on your belly. When you inhale, notice that your belly swells up like a balloon. When you exhale, your belly will sink in. You don’t need to adjust your rate of breathing, just pay attention to each inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…feel the rise of your belly as you breathe in, feel it sink in as you breathe out. Pay attention for ten breaths, if your attention drifts, just put your attention back to the breathing.

Your mind is a little bit like a monkey. It likes to jump around, here and there. As you pay attention to your breath, it is like giving the monkey a banana, encouraging your attention to stay in one place.

Okay! After the breathing exercise, let’s play four mindfulness games with the instructor. Focus on the present moment through these games, and learn how to be present with yourself.