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ow am I going to live in this center only eating two meals per day?

How am I goi
ng to meditate for 12+ hours a day when I haven t sat cross-legged since I was fou
r? How can I last 10 full days without uttering a single word?
I thought about turning around and grabbing a beer and some mo-mos (a delicious
Indian snack) at the nearest town, but my feet continued forward.
When I reached the center, there was a group of reluctant individuals standing o
ut front chatting away. I joined them and was comforted by their concerns.
About thirty minutes later, we were greeted by a volunteer staff that registered
us gave us a brief run down.
The rest of the day I meandered the grounds, found my basic accommodations, atte
nded the orientation where volunteer staff reviews the code of discipline and at
tended my first meditation course.
The Next 10-Days of Hell and Peace
The next 10-days were the most physically, mentally and emotionally challenging
days of my life.
The meditation techniques were explained daily by Mr. Goenka (the Vipassana guru a
s I like to call him) in hour-long videos at the end of each day. He addressed m
y concerns, hesitations and questions all without me even needing to ask in a li
ghthearted manner which put me even more at ease.
Each day, I became more comfortable with the silence and just being; however the
physical pain was almost more than I could stand. Who would have thought that s
itting in a simple cross-legged position could inflict so much pain?
But I learned that pain is part of the process.
that pain is part of the process.
Vipassana teaches you to avoid cravings (such as gosh I could go for a leather re
cliner instead of this hard floor ) or aversions (such as gosh I dislike sitting fo
r 12 hours a day ) and to simply be content with your current situation whatever i
t may be.
No talking or eye contact was also part of the journey which is yours and yours
alone. And while I was initially intimated by this code of discipline, shortly a
fter the first day, I realized how necessary it is. If you chat with someone abo
ut their journey or yours, it removes you from focusing solely on yourself and t
hat s the whole point, right?
There were times that I wanted to cry, talk, and quit but that would just be giv
ing into more cravings and aversions.
By the end of the tenth day, I felt like I d conquered the world or better yet, mys
elf.
So What?
meditation retreat, India, meaningful adventure travel
Tibetan prayer flags hang proudly over looking McLeod Ganj located a quick 15 mi
nute walk from the Vipassana Center. Photo courtesy Darcie Connell.
If you want to challenge yourself on a physical, mental and emotional level Vipa
ssana might be just what you ve been searching for.
dn t stop me
I first heard about Vipassana through a friend who d visited India and taken the t
en-day course in Vipassana meditation. He raved about the results stating, I m a ch
anged man!
Ten full days of complete and utter silence.
Do you think it is worth inner peace? I thought so.
However, no talking is just one code of discipline for Vipassana
However, no talking is just one code of discipline for Vipassana a form of medit
ation that s been practiced in India for
Yes, but my fear didn t stop me
I first heard about Vipassana through a friend who d visited India and taken the t
en-day course in Vipassana meditation. He raved about the results stating, I m a ch
anged man!
Ten full days of complete and utter silence.
Do you think it is worth inner peace? I thought so.
However, no talking is just one code of discipline for Vipassana a form of medit
ation that s been practiced in India for thousands of years.
In order to learn Vipassana, I took a 10 day meditation course in Dharamsala in,
India.
Was I scared?
Yes, but my fear didn t stop me
I first heard about Vipassana through a friend who d visited India and taken the t
en-day course in Vipassana meditation. He raved about the results stating, I m a ch
anged man!
Fast forward two years and I found myself traveling through India without any pl
ans. After answering a few questions on the Vipassana website, I d successfully re
gistered for the course. It was easy enough, but that was just the beginning
meditation retreat, India, meaningful adventure travel
Rustic accommodations at the Vipassana Meditation Center. Just glad I had walls
my husband was in a tent! Photo courtesy Darcie Connell.
Walking to the meditation center on that cold rainy day, I began to have doubts.
How am I going to live in this center only eating two meals per day? How am I go
ing to meditate for 12+ hours a day when I haven t sat cross-legged since I was fo
ur? How can I last 10 full days without uttering a single word?
I thought about turning around and grabbing a beer and some mo-mos (a delicious
Indian snack) at the nearest town, but my feet continued forward.
When I reached the center, there was a group of reluctant individuals standing o
ut front chatting away. I joined them and was comforted by their concerns.
About thirty minutes later, we were greeted by a volunteer staff that registered
us gave us a brief run down.
The rest of the day I meandered the grounds, found my basic accommodations, atte
nded the orientation where volunteer staff reviews the code of discipline and at
tended my first meditation course.
The Next 10-Days of Hell and Peace
The next 10-days were the most physically, mentally and emotionally challenging
days of my life.
The meditation techniques were explained daily by Mr. Goenka (the Vipassana guru a
s I like to call him) in hour-long videos at the end of each day. He addressed m
y concerns, hesitations and questions all without me even needing to ask in a li
ghthearted manner which put me even more at ease.
Each day, I became more comfortable with the silence and just being; however the
physical pain was almost more than I could stand. Who would have thought that s
itting in a simple cross-legged position could inflict so much pain?
But I learned that pain is part of the process.
Vipassana teaches you to avoid cravings (such as gosh I could go for a leather re
cliner instead of this hard floor ) or aversions (such as gosh I dislike sitting fo
r 12 hours a day ) and to simply be content with your current situation whatever i
t may be.
No talking or eye contact was also part of the journey which is yours and yours
alone. And while I was initially intimated by this code of discipline, shortly a
fter the first day, I realized how necessary it is. If you chat with someone abo
ut their journey or yours, it removes you from focusing solely on yourself and t
hat s the whole point, right?
There were times that I wanted to cry, talk, and quit but that would just be giv
ing into more cravings and aversions.
By the end of the tenth day, I felt like I d conquered the world or better yet, mys
elf.
So What?
meditation retreat, India, meaningful adventure travel
Tibetan prayer flags hang proudly over looking McLeod Ganj located a quick 15 mi
nute walk from the Vipassana Center. Photo courtesy Darcie Connell.
If you want to challenge yourself on a physical, mental and emotional level Vipa
ssana might be just what you ve been searching for.
There are Vipassana Centers all around the world. You can read more about it and
register at http://www.dhamma.org/. Be sure to give yourself 12 days for the co
urse; one day for orientation, 10 days for meditation, and one day for wrap up.
The Vipassana Centers are completely free and include accommodations, meals, and
training on the meditation techniques. They also accept volunteers and donation
s if you feel like giving back.

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