It’s been several months since the end of my Vipassana course. Prior to the start of it, I referred to it as a retreat but now I know better. It’s a course not a “retreat”. It was a retreat only in the sense that I was able to withdraw from the busyness of routine living, without worrying about mundane needs like housing, obtaining food, or working for a living. In reality, it was an experiential course in mind training with a rigorous schedule that started with waking to the gong at 4 am. It challenged me – mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Vipassana.

First of all, what does Vipassana mean? Vipassana means insight meditation. Meaning if you practice this meditation you will gain insight and begin to understand reality as it is, not what you wish it to be. This meditation is perfect for me since my strong tendency is to get lost in thought, or maybe mired is a more apt word.

Vipassana brings wisdom through the living of actual experience, beyond understanding it simply from the intellectual point of view. Again, another weakness of mine. Trying to learn everything from books is only to know the superficial layer. You must go out in the world and dare to do what may cause us hurt in order to truly gain wisdom, wisdom that can be tapped through our intuition.

I’ve been asked what I gained from the experience, would I recommend it, and why. Some people have asked me with bated breath as though I’m about to reveal something incredible, something transcendant. They peer at me as though they expect to see something different in my face, my energy, and appear slightly disappointed when they don’t.

I can only speak from my own experience but I think that anyone and everyone can benefit from 10 days of silence and meditation. To be fed and feel nurtured and protected while we delve into ourselves and really take care of ourselves. What’s not to like? From my 10 days, I learned a few powerful lessons. Lessons that came as flashes of insight during my sitting meditation, from my lucid dreams that started from day 3, and during my walks through the beautiful woods on the property. Some lessons were new and others were ones I’ve long known intellectually but only now understood by living them during my meditation course. I started with the intention of asking for clarity in my life so that decisions would be clearer and easier to make. I ended with the realization that it’s not that simple. The ten days were just the beginning to a long journey that is my lifetime.