Recharge with a templestay

Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism to run templestay programs at 56 temples in July and August

People surf at Naksan Beach, a popular spot for surfing located near Naksansa Temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province. (Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism)

Need a break from the daily grind?

The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism will run a templestay program throughout July and August at 56 temples across the country, offering a respite for the summer season.

Dubbed the "Summer Special Templestay," the programs, open to the public, come in five different types.

Special experience temple stays include unique cultural and temple-related activities, such as taking a vow of silence for a day and a digital detox to intentionally reduce the amount of time people spend on their devices. The list includes surfing at Naksan Beach, a popular surfing spot near Naksansa, a temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province.

Designed specifically for kids, children's camp templestays offer a mix of fun, cultural, spiritual and creative experiences tailored for children during the school summer vacation. Young visitors can take part in water activities near a temple, enjoy a campfire, try their hands at farming and paint traditional temple patterns called "dancheong."

As the name suggests, family experience templestays are designed to bring families closer together. Activities include learning about the "Sutra on the Deep Kindness of Parents," sharing heartfelt conversations over tea, and going on a treasure hunt.

Intensive meditation templestays, which focus on the practice of deep meditation, include "seon" meditation, which involves repeatedly questioning one's inner self and surroundings.

Aimed at helping young people slow down and recharge, youth healing templestays include sessions such as performing the ritual 108 bows, writing letters to themselves and walking through a cypress forest.

Reservations can be made on the templestay program's official website (http://www.templestay.com), which offers detailed information about the schedule and the specific programs offered at each temple.