How will the Thai cave boys stay sane underground? Their coach – a meditation master – may hold the key
As the 12 boys and their coach face the possibility of months underground waiting for floodwaters to recede, ensuring they remain mentally healthy has become a major focus
More than 288 hours have passed since 12 young Thai boys and their soccer coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, became trapped in an underground cave by monsoon rains – and with the promise of rescue perhaps months away, the focus is now on maintaining their mental health.
But at a gilded temple in Thailand’s mountainous north, Chanthawong honed a skill that will serve him well as he sits with the boys in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave: meditation.
Before the 25-year-old was a coach to the young boys on the Wild Boars soccer team he spent a decade as a saffron-robed Buddhist monk. He still stays at the temple from time to time and will meditate with the monks there each day.
“He could meditate up to an hour,” said his aunt, Tham Chanthawong. “It has definitely helped him and probably helps the boys to stay calm.”
The group, which vanished while exploring on June 23, was discovered July 2 after 10 days totally cut off from the outside world. And while they are for the most physically healthy, experts say the ordeal has is likely to have taken a mental toll that could worsen the longer the situation lasts.
[The boys have likely] experienced various degrees of anxiety, fear, confusion, vulnerability and dependency, and perhaps hopelessness