Vipassana: Would You Survive a 10 Day Meditation Retreat?
Silence as soul food
Vipassana (as taught by S.N. Goenka) is “one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques” and means “to see things as they really are”. The code of discipline defines Vipassana as a process of “mental purification”, a technique to “eradicate suffering”, to be practised as an “art of living”.
Vipassana is for everyone; it is not a religious doctrine and it welcomes all people from of all walks of life.
As a Yoga Teacher and Clinical Psychologist, I’ve dabbled with meditation and mindfulness for over 4 years. I had remained curious about Vipassana but had perhaps been too fearful of a silent meditation course. My apprehensions and anxieties about the course led me to question not whether I could stay silent for the duration, but worry about what might arise in 10 days of sitting with myself and how I might survive in a world more suited for Hare Krishnas. It was this fear, uncertainty, self-curiosity and mental challenge that led me to give it a go.
Joining a Vipassana meditation course
Upon arrival to the stunning Hertfordshire countryside I was welcomed by warm and friendly Vipassana volunteers, and 150 other meditators. I was among good company – the room was a beautiful array of human diversity that resembled more Glastonbury-goers than mindful monks, which was a huge relief! The silence started that evening: no phones; no reading; no writing; no talking. Purely, eat, sleep, meditate. I very quickly learnt that this was hard work, and not a holiday in silence nor the idyllic city escape!
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