I recently decided to do a vipassana meditation course. It is a 10 day course where you learn a style of meditation known as vipassana. It is an ancient technique that has its roots in Buddhism but is non-secular. This is taught at vipassana schools and rented venues all over the world with over 60,000 people per year attending.
I’ve known about this practice for years because it is popular among the yoga scene, but thought, “No way, I could never do this.” Why? Because the entire course is in silence. No speaking for 10 days, in fact it’s so holistically introspective you don’t even make eye contact with the other participants. No speaking, reading, writing, radios, t.v., telephones…….just you and your thoughts.
We take a vow of “noble silence” and off we go to sit on our arsses to practice this ancient technique 10 hours a day. Why would one put themselves through this you ask? Because the purpose of the technique is to release old habit patterns, maintain equanimous awareness (to be less reactionary) and to view the world in reality-the way it is-not the way you wished it to be. So you can see how making those shifts could be profound and life altering. It is not meant to be a holy smack to the forehead & suddenly “YOU ARE HEALED”. It’s a practice that must continuously be maintained to receive the positive changes and benefits.
Our daily schedule looked like this:
4am (yes, ungodly early) Wake-up gong
4:30-6:30am Meditate in the hall or your own room
6:30-7:30am Breakfast (oatmeal everyday..was yummy from day 1-4 then 5-10 I never wanted it again!)
7:30-8:30am break
8:30-9:30am Mandatory group meditation in the hall
9:30-11am Meditate in the hall or your own room (come on-we all know if you go back to your room you’re not meditating…yes, you could hear ppl snoring)
11-12pm Lunch (the food was awesome! Clean and delicious, all vegetarian, I ate close to vegan for 10 days straight)
12-1pm Break
1-2:30pm Meditate in your room or hall
2:30-3:30pm Mandatory group meditation in the hall
3:30-5pm Meditate in your room or hall
5pm Tea (that’s right NO dinner…booooooo…Only tea and fruit-papaya everyday, I still cant eat it)
6-7pm Mandatory group meditation in the hall
7-8:30pm Video discourse by the teacher (S.N. Goenka, giving depth to the lineage & teachings, they were funny, encouraging and very helpful)
8:30-9pm Meditation
9-9:30pm Shower
9:30-10pm Lights out
The course is ALL donation based…..whatever you can give. Of course they ask you for a donation AFTER the course is over and you’re all blessed out & in love with love & feel like giving everything you have away :)
There were about 15 women and 7 men. Ranging in age from early 20’s –early 60’s. Australian, Indian, Fijian, Burmese, American, Canadian…….everyone wants bliss apparently.
Meditating is tough, we know this. Try it in the sweltering cauldron that is Fiji in the summer-for 3 hours at a time. Good luck not moving through the stinging, prickling of sweat as your body heat rises…..and mosquitoes. Everybody’s experience is unique because our own baggage is unique, so for me
Day 1 was the longest most boring day of my life.
Day 2 I was in so much pain from sitting I almost started crying. I remember the teacher saying take a 5 minute break & come back for further instructions. I was thinking, what does that mean....please let her say something like "Now, you may go play volleyball or take a swim".........when we came back & she said "you may meditate in the hall or in your own room", that's when I realized "you wont be doing ANYTHING but meditating"..ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
Day 3 went against the wall, relief! No speaking not a problem, mind is slowing down and I can concentrate and not move for a longer period of time. However, my blood sugar was so low from no dinner I almost had a blood sugar induced meditation…it’s called passing out.
Day 4 Had a deep trippy healing meditation, walked out of the hall in a zone barefoot into the grass. (there is no possible way to describe how you feel when you go through this)
By day 7 I’m ready to blow the joint. If I have to sit on my arss for 1 more day it will be callused like a baboon bum.……..Day 8, 9, 10, the trip continues…
I did it with my closest friend in Fiji, another volunteer named Zoe. On the day we could finally speak I ran out into the grassy field & did a running leaping splits in the air and then ran to her and gave her a huge hug as we giggled like crazy people and tears of joy, bliss and relief rolled down my cheeks.
Really glad I did it & I would strongly recommend it to anyone, however can’t say I will be doing it again…not the full 10 days anyway, for old students there is a 4 day course I think I could handle.
My toosh has since healed.
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