I did a 10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat

I completed a 10 day VIPASSANA MEDITATION RETREAT... Here's what I learned. Don't do a Vipassana retreat without watching this...

The Vipassana meditation is a method that involves scanning your body. Starting from the crown of your head, and recognizing different sensations throughout your body. Realizing that everything rises, and everything passes away. We know this intellectually, but the goal of the meditation is to understand this through experience. Anger will fade. Sadness will fade. Happiness will fade. Everything is constantly transforming.

When you take a 10 day Vipassanā meditation retreat, you are taking a vow of noble silence. You will not be allowed to kill, steal, or lie. You cannot have any sexual misconduct. With the goal being to maintain our Sila, or morality.

This video I dive into what goes into a 10 day meditation retreat, what you're going to learn, and how the Vipassana technique has helped me. I hope that you enjoy my story of all that I learned doing a 10-day VIPASSANA Meditation Retreat

[samratkorupolu]

I did 10 day retreat in Hyderabad- India, I was a total smoker and alcoholic before then, and without even trying to quit I did Quit everything from that day, it's been an year and no withdrawal symptoms no craving even all my friends are drinking/smoking

[elliotlee]

You want the best experience of Vipassana? Don't watch this video, read anything, or hear anything about it. Go in with completely zero expectations.

[EricaAnneOfficial]

What I learned from my Vipassana was that I'm actually really mean to myself in my head. I kept having thoughts putting myself down like 'you're the only one struggling with this' and 'no one else is having difficulty what's wrong with you' and just observing these thoughts was very telling of my self worth issues and self bullying. I found out at the end when we were able to talk again that in fact people had left the retreat and others had gone to the leaders and tried to and I was giving myself such a hard time thinking I was the only one finding it hard and having thoughts of wanting to leave. I've since been able to silence these thoughts realizing they are not in fact true. Now I cut them off straight away whenever I hear them starting as I've examined from where in my childhood they first originated.

[kpeterson]

I've attended about seven ten day sits and served about that many as well. When I look back to my first course I think I felt a lot like the description in this video, but I did have better focus and some ideas for things I wanted to do when I returned home, which I implemented. Over a year of pretty intense involvement in Vipassana I was freed from some very persistent habit patterns, attained a state of bliss (bangha) a few times and remember it clearly, have certainly become braver in my actions and my compassion due to the understanding of Annica (everything changes). I still sit for an hour a day, sometimes doing full body scans, sometimes just doing Ananpana, but regardless, I believe learning Vipassana and having my local center (Dhamma Karuna) to go to has saved my life in this incarnation. It has certainly made it more joyous.

[seanfarrar]

The Vipassana technique is just about observing very closely whatever comes up - good, bad or indifferent. But trying, over and over, to do this calmly and patiently and without expectation, without craving pleasant and wonderful life changing experiences and without reacting with aversion to what we see as more unpleasant experiences. In truth, it's not about identifying them as good or bad at all - just trying to bear witness to sensation and change, calmly and without judgement or attachment. That is all it is.

So if you go on your first course, expecting it to be an ecstatic magic pill that will be a re-set button for your life, this is unlikely to happen in the dramatic way you expect. Ironically, this hope and expectation is merely an example of the very clinging and addiction that we observe, coming and going, while we sit on the mat, and which this course helps us to see for what it is.

If you are contemplating going for the first time, please don't let what I write put you off. Very much to the contrary. For, the facility, opportunity, guidance and, most fundamentally, the technique that this course offers is a gem, an absolute gem. But the gem is in you - and with the help of the technique, it is you who will polish it from the raw. But it takes a lot of work on your part - a lot! Many of us come back course after course and try to cultivate our own sitting practice at home - often all because of a few arresting glimpses, encounters with new tools and new ways of encountering our own minds that left an impression on that very first course.

Your first ten day course is likely only a very small step on what is a very long road. Should you choose to take it. Don't go there craving a hit, or a buzz or a panacea or a life-changing experience. Just go with a strong determination to sit and listen and to work hard. And YOU might change your life, step by step.

It is hard work. But do-able. Fare well. Namaste

[nicolette]

Thank you for this beautiful reminder! I went on my 1st 10 day course this February right before COVID hit. Like you, I didn't experience all those things they said because I didn't fully surrender. It was the hardest training I've ever done despite countless yoga teacher trainings, and nothing really prepares you for it. What I did learn from it were 2 things: (1) That everything does come and go. The excruciating aches and pains from sitting 8-10 hours every day, to the point where my mind did not want to cooperate scanning the body. I felt every minute was going by so slow and I just wanted to go home and see friends. All the things you are 'addicted' to suddenly became tools of torture. But as I slowly learned to let go knowing that nothing is permanent, that's when my sittings became enjoyable, if not, bearable. (2) I remember on the 4th day when the pain from my lower back and legs were unbearable, there was a moment of clarity where the pain subsided. I was caught unaware and I actually cried after meditation. It was a direct experience of the 1st teaching. Then another thing arose, as I looked around the empty dhamma hall, I realized I have been too focused on my own suffering and seeing how other meditators can easily sit still for hours at a time, that everyone was suffering. No one was exempted. And so I felt the initial feeling of interconnectedness. I'm grateful for that experience as it def prepared me for this version of vipassana in the current circumstance we are in. That whatever feelings that arise are acknowledged, honored, and given a seat at the table to be recognized and then they gently leave. And also knowing that everyone is suffering in their own way, compassion comes naturally that even if I am inconvenienced by the situation, I can be more understanding and kinder to the outbursts of other people as their way of dealing with their own suffering. Keep safe and well.

[wbest]

It's great that you say you didn't get any wisdom from it and then list A BUNCH of wisdom you gained from it.

[kellyruby]

We may not always get what we WANT in life. But we will definitely get what is RELEVANT to our life. Learning No expectations n it will lead us to even deeper n greater aspects of life. Experiencing "nothing happens "is also just what we need in life.Expectations works on ego mind . No expectations works on a greater altitude of Higher Self .Meditation is about practicing intense Presence, expectations practice projection into future. Nice video .Thanks

[PortableProfessional]

SO refreshing to hear an honest breakdown of the experience beyond "it was life-changing". Taking a 10 day break from tech, work, friends ... life... is a big commitment. I'm intimidated to do it based on the pressure of wanting to have that defining life-altering moment of clarity. It's great to hear you were able to pull out tangible takeaways despite not having one monumental epiphany moment.

[peterstrom]

Someone recommended eventually sitting enough courses, and serving one course, so that you can sit a Sattipatthana course which is something that I highly recommend. Not only because of the content of the Sattipatthana course, in which Goenka goes into detail on each line of the Sattipatthana Sutra and the technique of Vipassana in greater detail than a 10 day course, but also for the simple fact that only old students who have sat at least 4 ten day courses can sit a Sattipatthana course, so there is a calmness that permeates the center that is much more conducive to deep meditation and the insights that come with that kind of stillness. From my experience, the 10 day courses, because they usually contain a fair number of new students, have an energy of restlessness and sometimes confusion that can permeate the center from time to time which makes it harder to concentrate. Also, if you ever feel so inspired to sit a long course, they are amazing! Imagine spending 10 days just on Anapana and then 10 or 20 days doing Vipassana - it’s incredible and has the potential for some truly transformational insights. Best of luck to you on your journey. 🙏

[vicky]

Im suppose to go for my second sitting this month, it got cancelled because of covid 19 in my country, accepted it without any attachment 😙

[crazysuperman]

Good job complete your meditation. The key is to continue the daily practice to de-conditioning all our past programming and become the master of our emotion.

[guidinghandreadings]

Nice video! From my 10 day course, I realised that all the wrongs in my life were never intentional and that helped me learn to forgive people - something I really needed!! I'm glad you also got something out of it :)

[cherylhorta]

I also completed a 10 day retreat and enjoyed hearing your expectations and final analysis of what you actually took away. I didn't have expectations therefore I wasn't disappointed. Practice does reinforce the teachings and honestly, 10 days to reach enlightenment is I'm not sure a realistic expectation- but who am I -. I would really love the chance to go back to India and give it a second go- I do practice at least an hour each day and try to find group vipassana here at least once a week. Practice does make progress. Best of luck on your journey. With metta, Cheryl, Maui, Hawaii.

[kasidechteekapunyapattana]

I​ learned this​ same of​ technique​ 7​ years​ ago in​ Thailand​ and​ this​ ​Vipassana​ becomes more​ popular.​ I​ observed million​ reactions​ from​ my​ whole​ body​ starting from​ outside to​ inside.​ Thanks for​ this​ video.

[joeyblow]

I did it 2 years ago. Go do it. And when you realize what you’ve done after the middle of day 1 while looking at the schedule.. relax and enjoy the ride, and on day 6 when you freak out for a couple hours and think about wanting to leave, remember it’s going to be over and you need to maximize the experience. LIFE CHANGING

[LustingLooks]

Thank you for this!! ♥️ I didn’t have the huge realizations either and that made me feel a lil confused about the whole experience, but indeed experiencing how eeeeverything is temporary has been such an important lesson and I’m very grateful for it!✨

[elfintom]

Nonjudgmental is what vippasana is trying to teach us ... I learn a bit of that but I still need more work. It was soooo good for me!

[victorcastaneda]

Beautiful video !! Thanks for sharing. Be happy !
I started Vipassana in 2009 and every year I take a course.
I feel how I achieve practicing meditation day after day more balance in my life.
I recomend to every body to invest ten day to learn how to work correctly with the silence. How to work with you reality as It is. Understand our conditioning in a natural way without repressing ourselves without dogmas without punishing us, learning to observe and know each other

[UmeshBx]

I'm doing vipassana next month in India! Good timing brah