Self and the City: New York is Horny Again. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, Nils! I sold many of my personal belongings and moved to Egypt for six months. Breakfast break was an hour long. In the beginning, it was all about sharing ones experiences and struggles before the topics changed to real life matters such as entrepreneurship, politics, spirituality, and so on. His charismatic and funny nature really loosened things up quite a bit. It might be helpful to look at some classic postures before the retreat. We were assigned our meditation spot and got our first instructions from our teacher, S N Goenka, through an audiotape. Oh, and of course, close to 11 hours of meditating a day. From helping you find the perfect retreat to taking care of you when things go wrong, we treat you like family. Thank you for sharing, and best of luck on your next retreat Im going on a 3-day retreat in a couple of weeks. Whats the point of it? He quit university at the age of 21 after successfully making the leap to entrepreneurship. When we accept and embrace impermanence, we reduce our suffering. Some of my fellow meditators used this time to shower or for general hygiene while others just continued to sleep. sound like boosting ones ego instead of dissolving it. You can journal. I had no trouble following the rules, though I did do some pushups and other bodyweight exercises from time to time. Wow, thats beautifully written, Julie. And by track record I mean the science-backed benefits of meditation. Im pretty sure you can use it. Around ten hours of meditation. Asian American therapist specializing in healing codependency, trauma (ancestral, sexual, racial), AAPI thriving, & decolonizing mental health. Super appreciate it. I have one question to you since you seem to have done a lot of reading / research on the topic have you found a direct link of the technique to the original scriptures? The upside is, of course, that youre becoming interested in things like Vipassana to ail your miseries. I used certain references for my write-up here: https://parentingincovid.com/vipassana-meditation/. This site offers your choice of meditation center from all over the world that host vipassana retreats. You can do gratitude exercises. I would simply say that these are all different experiences at home meditation, 1-2 day retreat, or 10-day retreats. Its well worth checking it out if you want to find a course near you. This retreat offers free cancellation up to 1 days before the retreat start date. Would I do it again? The schedule at Vipassana is intense, meditating for about 10 hours daily, with breaks for meals and the like. When we resist change, we suffer. At dinner, I met even more people and continued to be impressed at how successful, down-to-earth, open, and non-woo-woo most of them were. A light dinner is served. The retreat will definitely help you in the type of skill you described. After the discourse, there was a short break followed by approximately thirty more minutes of meditation in the hall. At 33 I find myself questioning everything in my life: Why did I choose to become a therapist andspecialize in eating disorders? My 10-Day Vipassana Experience (Silent Meditation Retreat). (You find many of his discourses on YouTube.). At least thats how Ive experienced it. It was a constant battle. They did NOT go through my bags or anyone elses bags as far as I know. It's a transformational experience that is deep-rooted in the path to self-discovery. Hope that makes sense and clears things up! Let alone 2x per day for an hour each. No need to question everything. Not only did his first 10-day silent meditation alleviate his headaches, but he also felt happier, more loving, and more peaceful. And so he began teaching Vipassana, sharing the meditation technique that changed his life. For changing.yourself.. Its very very nice course .one think is..i was very angrybut now slightly I control me. I handed over my mobile phone laptop, camera and everything to the staff of the centre. I never stayed and instead went straight to bed. From the holy city of Rishikesh to the beaches of Goa and all the way to the rice fields in Kerala, you won't regret doing a Vipassana here. What kind of cushion/support did you use I assume you can bring your own. This must be a mistake.. The more equanimous I stayed, the weaker the pain became. After six or seven days of meditating 10 hours daily, my motivation really took a hit and never recovered until the end. These were normal people just like me. Your advice on adjusting the circadian rhythm, resting between sessions, experimenting with postures was extremely helpful. No matter what, I just kept bringing my attention back to the meditation, while staying as equanimous, accepting, and non-reactive as possible. (PS: I loved your stop procrastinating book!! Thanks to reading books by Eckhart Tolle, Osho, and other meditation-related people, I knew exactly how to handle such distressing thoughts. Heya Shikha, Im sorry to hear about your struggles. Personally, I feel like it has been a life changing experience I hope the time would prove it to be too. That said, you can still do lots of useful work on yourself at home. ), Thank you for sharing your experience with us, TK. It definitely doesnt need to be a ten-day retreat. | Privacy Policy. Hey Nills thank you for the very in-depth article, I enjoyed reading it very much. By Day 6, I have had enough. I completed the program and it gave me an insight into myself and guidance to understand the reality of the nature. At least that was the case for me. I have never meditated before. Thanks for the kind words, Isabelle! One guy was reading a book in my dorm. This means no God, spirits or otherworldly power. The happy times fade, the painful times fade. I did this by waking up at 4am for five days leading up to the retreat. I often used a position they call Seiza, sometimes with lots of pillows and other times with only one or two pillows. Youll just have to ask. And when did I start settling, personally and professionally? I was able to fall asleep fairly quickly and sleep through most of the night. Im doing the course next week and like you, Ive started preparing only the week before. Goenka. So while the silent meditation retreat may not be exclusive to Vipassana meditation, it certainly provides the perfect space for students to dive into their sitting meditation practice undisturbed by time or the nuances of daily life. Trigger Warning: The following, Self and the City is a column intended to increase visibility and dialogue surrounding mental health, relationships, harmful stereotypes, and the necessity for self-care and vulnerability. Lunch break (+ rest and interviews with teachers). I didnt consume any calories during this break for two reasons: First, Im convinced that high fat, low carb nutrition optimizes health, energy, and brain power. This is impossible! Those were the major changes I experienced. We aren't just a business, we are family. In this article, Ill share my detailed experiences with you. Here is a link you may find helpful: Vipassana Introspective Insight https://becoming-buddha.com/vipassana-introspective-insight/ Here is a link to the mediation method the Buddha taught: Right Meditation Samadhi Jhanas https://becoming-buddha.com/right-meditation-samadhi-jhana/ Here is a link for retreats that are based sole on what the Buddha actually taught: https://becoming-buddha.com/becoming-buddha-retreat/ Peace. As far as I remember, I switched between back-supported meditating and non-supported meditating prior to the retreat. They provide instruction for Vipassana meditation according to the Buddha's teachings. Instead of resisting and struggling with painful situations, equanimity teaches us to stay calm and realize, this, too, will pass. No matter how hopeless or miserable life seems at any one moment, things will get better again. And thats it. Be happy! The timetable and rules make a lot of sense in the aftermath they create a calm and peaceful atmosphere very supportive of meditation. No sex. I am still grieving and dealing with all sort of emotions However, reading about your experience is very helpful. Hi Nils, thanks for your feedback thats so interesting! No lying. You can do Jordan Petersons Self Authoring. Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions. I am convinced that at least at this point in my life meditation is one of the best uses of my time. Im convinced that the intermittent movement and napping did help me by mitigating the pain a little bit and boosting my energy levels. And Ive loved reading their books, and I still do. I would certainly encourage you to serve and reap the benefits. You are going through this torture as a training to deal with painful and difficult situations in life where you cant do anything, but have to face it. I feel agitated, restless, and annoyed. I also want to go for 10 day Vipassana meditation course..nd then this post help me like a syllabus.., Hah, glad you found it useful. One thing I definitely noticed directly after the retreat was that my concentration was way sharper. The talks were fun, interesting, and inspiring. I dont have a cushion yet, but have always had an issue with sitting cross legged inherited problem. I had to keep changing my posture every couple of minutes because I couldnt handle the discomfort and restlessness of my mind. I think in our life atlist one time attntend this course. With that being said, there was one thing that was bothering me on the last days of my retreat: boredom. I also enjoyed many other aspects of the retreat. No stealing. No music. Instead of beating myself up or drowning myself in shame or guilt, I chose to treat myself with warmth, understanding, and compassion. During lunch break, there was also the possibility to schedule interviews with the meditation teachers. We choose which thoughts we want to think about, and for how long we want to think about them. Not to mention that I had been meditating on a regular basis for over a year. For me, the main reason was the proven scientific track record of meditation. To answer your question, I dont think you can do it at home. I wasnt feeling euphoric, ecstatic, or like a changed person. Youll just have to ask again, very friendly and kind people there, so youll be in good hands. Hi Nils, Im just back from my first 10-day retreat and want to say thank you! Let us slide into your inbox with things that'll make you feel good. However, in general, meditation is one of the best things you can do to overcome procrastination in the long run. While things improved compared to day 1, except for that one bright session, days 2-4 were still incredibly nerve-wrecking, hard, and challenging. Thank you so much for sharing this.. I certainly intend to serve on a course in the future your recommendation adds to a pile of others Ive heard thus far. How is your after life with meditation? Vipassana retreats have become a real 'thing' amongst yogis, soul-seekers, and spiritualists. Thank you for sharing your experience. It is a way to separate ourselves enough that we are not tainted by prejudice, weakness, or ignorance.
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