I have been on the waiting list of 10 day course from Dec. 18 to 29 in New Ulm, Texas for around a week. I wrote to them and called to ask about my position in the waiting list, but no reply either way. Any comments about the possibility of getting a spot and if so maybe when?

Also there is a 10-day course from Dec. 18 to 29 in MA which is much closer to me, but "Course Full". Any possibility they will open up "waiting list" if there are cancellations and they do not fill the spots on the waiting list?

Thank you so much!!

I listen to the instructions sometime when practicing but it's mostly without it.

What's the view on playing some gentle music at the background. Do you think it is good/not so good? Would love to hear your opinions on this.

With Metta. 🙏

Hey everyone!

I'm going on my first ever ten day meditation retreat. I was wondering if anyone has any advice or things they wish they knew before going?

Been trying to prepare best as I can by meditating an hour everyday (I usually only do 20 minutes), and I've feel way more present now and general mental health has improved dramatically, so I'm eager to see how 10 hours a day will feel!

I am worried about the sleeping situation though, if I'll be able to fall asleep or if I'll be sleep deprived (I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine), and most of all I'm worried that I might get disregulated from lack of sleep and pushing myself physically (especially sitting with my back straight) will make me feel even disregulated and might push myself to a panic attack. And beyond that, I've never been away for 10 days with total disconnection, I've been chronically online for years and I'm anxious to see what will reveal itself and if I'll freak out.

However I've pretty much decided that I will push through no matter what.

Been trying to prepare as much as I can towels, new pillows, etc. Not sure if I'm missing anything.

What do you guys think?

The short of it is that I its taken me over a year to finally get my metabolism at a place where I feel like I have enough energy to live my life. I was thinking of bringing some protein and fruit bars with me to my first retreat so that I could help keep my protein intake and calorie intake higher.

I would stick with the eating time window and not eat when I should be fasting.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Hello, I’ve been meditating for 7 years in the S.N. Goenka tradition and I’m interested in sitting a 20 day course but feel a little intimidated by the prerequisites. I think I can handle 2 hours a day for 2 years but it seems like you can’t miss a single sit. Also I was told if you start a new relationship in those two years or even self pleasure then you lose your status for long term course eligibility. Is this legit, and if so I’m curious to ask a meditator who has gone through this process, was it beneficial in the long term.

Just wanted to get some personal experiences with this process since some of these questions feel awkward to ask a teacher.

Hi all,

I did anapana today after a while, I always feel this tightness, like an anxiety knot in my chest. I do anapana as I feel I get lost in thought with vipassana, but the pain in my chest constantly grabs my attention.

I visited a 10 day retreat in summer, and I noticed this pain on day 1 during meditation, but as the days progressed the feeling became much more potent, later in the week on a strong determination sitting, around 45 mins in, the pain was no longer there, but it was replaced by this vibration, like a drum that was beating, and yet it felt so incredibly blissful, anyway, the vibration / pressure in my chest invoked fear in me and I ended up putting my hand on my chest as I thought I was having some sort of attack... I spoke with the TA later on and he said that sometimes in intense meditation impurities arise, but I didn't know what that meant at the time, I still don't know....

I would love some guidance, I feel like I would be well served to develop another practice like TWIM alongside vipassana, which I view as more soothing.

I have applied for a course while travelling in Asia, but am told the rules require locally based next of kin emergency contact details. The area is a well known tourist region and the course is in English.

Unfortunately I don’t know anyone locally to do this.

Has anyone else encountered this problem and found a way to navigate it successfully?

Thank you

Hi all!

I’m not a vipassana practitioner specifically but I do often meditate. Recently I’ve been feeling very strong vibrations in my legs and body when I lay down in bed. It’s keeping me from sleeping and makes me concerned. (It brings stress so when I do fall asleep I have nightmares).

A friend told me he had a phase like this when diving into vipassana, so I thought I’d ask here:

Does anyone have tips on how to manage this or pass through it? Or do you maybe have some reading tips that can help me understand this experience?

Thanks for any insight

Hello all, much Metta to you

I'm due to sit my third course in a little over a month and I'm really torn about whether or not to request a chair.

I'm on the heavier side and also have hyper mobile joints so sitting cross legged causes a lot of knee pain. I also get pretty intense numbness and/or pins and needles which makes me worry that I'm doing some damage to my nerves.

Despite this I've sat on the ground for both of my previous courses, however I'm really struggling to figure out if the pain and discomfort I feel are something that I should be able to meditate through OR an important pain signal I shouldn't be ignoring, and this back and forth is distracting to my practice.

I guess this is part of a greater problem of having such a big disconnect between mind and body that I'm not so in touch with what my body is trying to tell me, either way I've spent a lot of time agonising over this. There is also some ego/shame involved as I wonder what judgements others might have seeing me using a chair as a larger person.

Any advice or input welcome 💚

Hello, I will go to a 10-day course in winter at Dhamma Dvara. Any tips specific to this center are appreciated. Is it particularly cold there? Any other tips? Thank you!

Is Vipassana against any planning in life, as it is primarily focus on present moment?

I have tons of books to read, study a lot and work on getting a disciplined life. If Vipassana is against any future planning, none of those would be done, right? That is worrying me. Any suggestion?

Can anyone suggest me or share some content on how to sit properly for long meditation? I am leaving for my first Vipassana next week. Hope I am not late to ask this question.

I asked to avoid any back or hip pains. Any stretching allowed? And what would you recommend and consider a MUST?

Would proper cushion be provided or I need to carry something for sitting like a couple of yoga blocks ?

And therefore does it have to end?

Hey all hope you're doing well.

After more than a year not being able to sit in a course finally I got the doors open.

In this year unfortunately I've relapsed with Marijuana, masturbation, internet and nicotine use.

I'm very concerned about withdrawal symptoms that could manifest during the course.

I know i could stop a month earlier like I've done last year but I'm a different situation than the previous one so I won't be able for that long because of stress.

Is there anybody who can relate to it?

Thanks.

Hi,

I am a 23 year old CS Student who got diagnosed with ADHD last week. There is talks about prescribing ADHD meds for me. I am hesitant to start due to potential sideeffects, being dependent on meds and no research on long-term use.

A lot of people suggest "just try it, it is not addictive", yes and so is social media, video games and tiktok. If I feel the sensation of everything being easy after taking meds, I can easily imagine feeling dependent on them to get trough every day life. And every dependency/addiction starts with "just trying it". And my meditation will fall short, when the easy way out is just taking meds. Am I not realistic/rational?

Is there any success stories of ADHD people without meds, but functioning as well as ppl with meds, just because of meditation?

I try to do 2 hours of meditation/day and have already been to a 10-Vipassana Silent Meditation retreat in september, planning to do my second one in january. I feel a lot of progress, but I still struggle a lot. Do you follow SILA 100%?

TL;DR: Success stories of ADHD people doing meditation instead of meds, please tell!

Hey all,

I just finished my first non-Goenka 10 day course in a Buddhist temple called Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I thought I would share a comparison as I believe this post could interest the community. In bold are objective differences, to contrast from my opinion in regular font. I tried structuring the points a bit, but there's so much to say and it's all connected, so sorry if it's a little chaotic. Honestly, apart from following the 8 precepts, meal times, noble silence and observing sensations, almost everything else was different ! For context, I've sat 3 courses and served 1 course in Goenka centers & non-centers, all 10 day new student courses.

Courses are offered over 4, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days. You decide how long you want to stay, which I think is a plus considering that many people get turned off by 10 days of silence, or don't have the flexibility to drop all their life responsibilities for so long. That being said, I do think 10 days is the perfect duration to go in depth, I usually have tremendous progress / insights / developments happen on days 8-9-10.

Course starts whenever you arrive. Day 1 is not the same for everyone, every day new people arrive and others leave - on any given day, people are at different points of their journey.

Schedule is different:

• 05:00 - wake up
• 05:30 - dhamma talk
• 07:00 - breakfast
• 08:00 - meditation
• 11:00 - lunch
• 11:30 - report with monk
• 12:00 - meditation
• 18:00 - chanting
• 19:00 - meditation
• 21:00 - bedtime

Schedule is very flexible. Every day you report to the monk, that's the only required meeting. Other than that, you're expected to show up for dhamma talk and chanting, but nobody will lift a finger or even raise an eyebrow if you're absent. Also, you're allowed to meditate in your room or in the main hall, there are never any forced group sittings. The meditation hall is open 24h.

So pretty much there's 5min a day where the monk speaks to you individually, the rest of the 23h55m is yours to play with. This trust was very liberating for an old student like me - I didn't have to worry about being places at exact times every other hour like is expected in a Goenka center. I often feel watched in a Goenka center, staff is always running after those who aren't in the hall for group sittings or who dare walk around or shower at the wrong time. I think that contributes to some paranoia people display in Goenka retreats. Here the ability to meditate anywhere, roam around the temple complex, take naps & breaks, do laundry, shower etc anytime allowed me to work my own schedule without stress, I'm really grateful for this trust. I was jet-lagged and sometimes need to nap during the day, and I would meditate at night instead - so I'm doing the work, but at my own pace.

There is no tea time with fruit. Tea machine is available 24/7, sugar is removed after 12pm (noon) so we are all, new and old students, fasting from 11:30am to 7am.

There is a store with snacks at the reception. I bought Oreos for my birthday, it was so nice :-3 They have kitkats and milk and chips and chocolate too ahaha. Make sure you eat before 12:01pm.

Individual bedrooms for all. Not having to worry about noisy roommates, and each having our own private bubble are real luxuries !

Sexes aren't segregated. There are 4 dorm buildings next to eachother, 2 for women and 2 for men. Everywhere else is gender agnostic: the dining hall, the meditation hall, the chanting hall, the walking areas, some bathrooms.

This is a hot topic in Goenka centers, for many reasons including how LBGTQ+ and non-binary folks fit in the equation. Also, it's pretty common psychology that we desire what we cannot have. From my experiences, people are pretty horny by the end of a 10 day Goenka retreat: the other sex was always behind a wall, on the other side of the room or far away in the gardens. This distance creates a lot of envy and curiosity. It shows on day 9 (or 10?) when people are allowed to speak to each other. I personally get super horny from this distance, and I've connected with a women after every retreat I've attended, so I know the hormones are also stirring up "on the other side".

Some would argue "well, if everybody is horny then it's even more important to segregate!". Guess what, after this mixed experience I can confirm that the separation feeds the fantasy more than proximity does. Sitting, chanting, eating, meditating, walking and peeing right next to women for 10 days has allowed me to observe them from close and develop lot's of compassion for them - I can see them struggling and crying and being brave and fighting the demons etc. Absolutely no difference between "us" and "them", we're all human and here to purify our minds. These down to earth feelings don't fuel my sexual fantasy like the forbidden fruit would - from a distance I can only see a woman's physical shape.

Although we kept noble silence, many would glance at each other - it wasn't uncommon to have exchanged a dozen smiles or nods in one day. If you didn't want to interact it was pretty easy to communicate that non-verbally. At first I was like "no no, no nodding" - because Goenka rules. But then I realized there's no harm there, and it actually contributed to this common solidarity and compassion towards one another, sometimes even a trace of support to help someone with their tough day :-)

5 Vipassana techniques are taught: walking, standing, sitting, metta and laying. The laying is 5min in bed before going to sleep. The standing happens while walking, it's just a pause to be aware of your whole body standing. The "real deal" is the walking + sitting + metta combo.

Anapana is always on your stomach. We didn't use the nose area once. Also, there was no body scanning like Goenka at all.

Verbalization is encouraged. "Rising, falling" is something you're encouraged to tell yourself to follow the breathing cycle in your stomach. I remember Goenka discouraging verbalization, so I didn't know what to do here. Eventually I would try to be as non-verbal as possible, but when I would get too distracted by my thoughts I would verbalize a bit and that would really help me come back to sensations.

Vipassana technique evolves throughout the course. Everyday during the "report to monk" time, he gives you new instructions for your meditation. So on day 1 you'd walk 15min, then sit and do anapana on your stomach for 15min. You always walk and sit the same amount of time. They evolve by an increase in duration and complexity. You're supposed to end every cycle with 1min metta.

Walking becomes more complex in the sense that as you lift your foot and bring it forth, more and more break points get added: first lift and drop. Then lift, hold, drop. Then heel up, lift, hold, drop etc.

Sitting is first just anapana. Then rising, falling, sitting (this means just being aware of the fact that you're sitting). Then rising, falling, sitting, point 1 (focus size of a coin on right hip). Then rising, falling, sitting, point 2 (left hip). And every new day 2 more points: R-F-S-P1, R-F-S-P2, R-F-S-P3, R-F-S-P4 ... R-F-S-P1, R-F-S-P2 etc. By day 10 I was walking 30m (4 break points), sitting 30m (10 points along the hips and legs), and doing 1min metta.

I actually really enjoyed the walking meditation, somehow it generated so much metta and insight, I felt like it really activated my parasympathetic nervous system and opened my heart. When I was angry / frustrated / in pain from sitting, walking would just ease it all with layers of forgiveness and compassion. The monk mentioned something about how the feet are connected to the brain and it's good, lol I don't know what he meant but I surely felt it. And obviously the sitting was great too, I released a lot of tension and enjoyed this short repetitive cycle of rising-falling-sitting-pointX, it was a completely different approach that allowed me to connect to my sensations in a whole new way, but still with the Vipassana quality.

Temple is open to public. Wat Doi Suthep is a Buddhist temple complex on the mountain 30m West of Chiang Mai, it has gorgeous statues and temples that attract a lot of visitors every day. The "Vipassana center" is a bit on the side, but still visitors pass by every day and come in the meditation hall and sit with us for some time. It's very interesting to have outsiders next to you while you're neck deep in your traumas ahaha.

To be honest, along with the sexual build up from the sex segregation, and the fear around the rigid schedule, another pain point from my Goenka experiences has been the feeling of alienation / social exclusion. I appreciate how deep it allows me to go, but then coming back to the "outer world" is always a big shock, and I've started fearing that transition almost. Here, seeing outsiders everyday and mingling with all genders has definitely eased the return to "regular life" as I felt like I was never isolated in the first place. And it also helped me to go deep while being around others.

You are free to roam anywhere. The mountain is lush with huge trees, tropical plants, a super cute long green snake that I saw on day 6, many birds, statues and temples. It also boasts an amazing viewpoint over Chiang Mai. I ended up there some nights to watch the city lights and fireworks and sunset and full moon rise. It was weird and nice to have this freedom. Walking through the temples alongside outsiders was definitely a bit shocking, the difference in our vibrational state was palpable to me but as I just wrote, it helped a lot in transitioning back and learning to be aware, anywhere.

Dress code is white. All meditators are to only wear white, covering knees and shoulders. I love some Vipassana swag, I think we looked fucking good B-)

Buddha night. Every full/new/half moon (so every Wednesday) is Buddha night - we all gather at the main temple and do a little ceremony, involving walking with flowers and having a bunch of tourists take pictures of us. It was really sweet to have an activity, we all kept noble silence but it still felt like a social event :-)

It is a Buddhist temple. Statues of Buddha everywhere, a Buddhist monk talking about Buddha and Buddhism, an invitation to chant, pray and bow to Buddha. If prostrating makes you uncomfortable, you're not forced to do anything of course, but almost everybody played along, at least as a sign of respect for being in a Buddhist temple. As a spiritual person with no religion, bowing is not something I usually do, but it wasn't so big of a deal that I couldn't bend out of integrity, and I learned to thank Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in the process :-)

The Dhamma talk is shared by a person who's alive. I appreciate the Goenka recordings a lot, I think his stories and insights were very helpful especially in my first 2 courses. Looking at a TV screen, hearing insights from the 80s/90s, and having the same recordings from a person who passed away in every single new student course does get old for me. I was happy to listen to a lively monk sharing insights adapted to modern age living (social media, phones, video games, traveling etc), including latest scientific findings. However, as sweet as the monk seemed to be, his English was sometimes undecipherable, maybe I understood 70% of his stories. Also, and I might sound a little mean here, but the poor guy has been repeating the saaaaame stuff every single day for decades ... I feel like that would leave brain damage on anybody :-/ he definitely sounded like an answering machine more than a lively human, but that's just my opinion. Since day 1 is not the same for anyone, his stories are either about Buddha or Buddhism, which are insightful and heartwarming at best. But Goenka does a way better job at guiding you through the inner journey, providing a lot more context to the Vipassana technique as discovered by Buddha and as experienced by yourself on that day, it feels a lot more supportive.

Chanting. The first day definitely had me swearing internally "WTF am I doing here". In the most boring tone possible (Buddhist chants in Thailand definitely lack juiciness, or anything fun for the matter), you're expected to read and sing along a songbook in Pali/Sanskrit for ~50min. It quickly grew on me though. Using my voice 1h a day felt good. Chanting was also very therapeutic, most of my tensions are in my trunk so it was a nice break to use my diaphragm to produce pleasant vibrations, after countless hours of painfully focusing on the surrounding knots. And again, it felt like a daily social activity, and chanting does soothe the soul, I really enjoyed it in the end :-)

There is no one to police you. The rules are the same as in the Goenka centers: precepts, noble silence, no reading / writing / listening to music etc. However, you are allowed to use your phone as a timer for your meditation. Half of us had watches / clocks, the other half had their smartphones. Some people were taking notes during the dhamma talks. So the phones and pens and paper are out already ... what's stopping you from using them ? Only yourself. There's actually no staff anywhere throughout the day, the monk only comes for the talk / individual sessions / chanting and then disappears. So we're really left to ourselves. As always with trust, it can go both ways and it's up to you to stay disciplined. I saw a guy on his laptop one night, OK. I saw another guy sleeping all day, OK. But I know a core of us, probably already walking on the Dharma path, were very serious and enjoyed this freedom to meditate loads all while listening to our body needs.

There is no set meditation hour. You can meditate for 5min or 5h in a row. There is none of that idle "waiting for everybody to get in the Dhamma hall so we can begin". There is none of that idle "waiting for Goenka to finish chanting / listing every single body part or existing sensation so I can have silence". There are none of those interruptions where Goenka chants to close the hour and then everybody gets up and its a huge ruckus even though you finally got to a deep level of awareness after 50min but now you have to start over. There is non of that idle waiting for the Assistant Teachers to call people before you. There are practically no distractions / interrupts / idle times, and in that way I feel like I went deeper.

In the end, I really enjoyed my time in Wat Doi Suthep. I love Vipassana, and approaching it from a different perspective felt very refreshing. Also, experiencing a 10 day silent retreat with completely different vibes was also a treat. For many of the reasons listed above, the Goenka experience feels more like "mental surgery" as he puts it, whereas this could be more like "mental homeopathy": potentially as deep, significantly less "disrupting / taxing". I would like to explore more Buddhist temples around the world, and I would also like to try different Goenka courses (like the 10day for old students, and Satipatthana) - let's see where life brings me !

I hope this post was interesting for you. Be happy and keep up the daily practice <3

Edit 1: remembered 3 new points

There are no assigned seats in the meditation hall. Actually, instead of the usual grid of cushions there are a dozen long narrow carpets, maybe 10m long, for the walking mediation. Each person would grab a carpet for their mediation session. When doing the meditative walk, it would take me over 10 min to get from one end to another ... so peacefully slow ! :-3

You do not face a raised human during meditation. I mention this because I remember someone commenting on their dislike for the raised teachers in the Goenka centers. Maybe that could bother people with authority issues, I don't know. In any case, the meditation hall only boasts Buddha statues, pictures of the king and queen (as per Thai custom), and candles. Also, the carpets aren't all aligned in the same direction so you can very well face a window if a raised statue is bothersome for you.

The monk only gives the 5min laying meditation as homework. I remember after my first Goenka retreat, being given the homework of "1h in the morning, 1h in the evening" ahaha and I was like "nope, that's not what I signed up for!". I've been keeping my daily practice since my 2nd Goenka retreat as it then became a conscious choice, I knew what to expect. And to my surprise again, the monk only tells us to do the 5min laying meditation in bed as homework ... I was shocked it's so little ! Hands on belly "Rising - Falling - Laying" and then feeling every point of contact between the body and the bed, and repeat for 5min.

So i just recently returned from my first 10 day course. I was strong willed and determined about finishing the course even before i landed there. But i feel nothing prepares you for the roller coaster of emotions that you go through when you are there. I am just sharing my experience here, not particularly looking for any feedback.

Day 1: First day was pure and full of bliss. I was able to focus. Although the actual technique was not taught yet but I just focused on being present and it worked to a good extent. By the end of the day I had an amazing sensation, it felt like an amazing buzz of vibrations all over my body, very similar to what you would feel when you are high, minus the anxiety. It was joy and awe and everything good.

Day 2 and 3: Now i am looking for that same feeling again. I am focusing, but its not coming. After i multiple failures i started getting agitated and distracted. My hands would sweat. Even minute sounds agitated me. In the day 3 discourse i learnt from Goenka ji that I am not supposed to crave for a feeling. But it was still theoretical knowledge. I am yet to internalise this knowledge.

Day 4, 5 and 6: It starts getting physically painful. I am not physically strong and the hours of sitting was making me feverish. I could feel the lack of strength in my body and resolved to work on my physical health when I get back. Different physical symptoms showed up, my stomach got upset. The introspection helped; i had never been a mindful eater. I experienced how the micro decisions i take though out the day affect my mood and gut health. I pushed through and it got better.

Day 7,8 and 9: I learnt acceptance in these days. I was okay with not having the good sensation. It came for a few fleeting seconds on day 9. Passing of the sensation did not agitate me. I was more peaceful and truly equanimous by day 9.

Day 10 and afterwards: So my overall experience was great and I am waiting to go back again. But i realised the routine and peace i experienced during those 10 days, i was not able to carry it to my real life. I am still procrastinating, still distracted. I would love to learn about stories from you all where you were able to bring about a major positive change in your real life due to vipassana practice. I am still the same person, i am more aware about my thoughts, but they are not getting translated to action.

I'm having trouble distinguishing a line. When is making a choice being proactive vs when is it craving? Or when is a choice acceptance vs when is it avoidance?

I'll make a simple scenario up. A husband and a wife. The wife shows so much love yet the husband shows less. When is it proactive and self-respectful for her to ask for what wants or is it always craving? Should she do nothing? Just accept the situation for what it is? Or is that just her avoiding?

I think this example can be used for any experience in life. I appreciate your insight. Equanimity is new to me and im trying to understand it further.

When negative thoughts and emotions arise throughout the day and throughout my meditations I try my best to remain aware and remembering equanimity and impermance. I noticed there's always a feeling deep within that feels like the opposite of what I am telling myself. For example if sadness comes up, I am aware of it. Then I remind myself that it will pass and its just part of this moment. I can always feel that something in me doesn't believe it or something in me is against it.

I think I am ignorant in someway or missing something here. I was hoping for some insight.

I’m going to give this my best effort but I guess I could just use a little encouragement. I’ve been meditating about 30-60 minutes a day for the last month which is a lot more than I’m use to. To be honest I’ve actually felt even more anxious and uneasy since starting it although also more aware. I know not to have expectations for the course but I’m just anxious. Any goodwill sent my way appreciated. Thanks all

My mother had a GBM tumor last year , post that we had tumor scoped out during surgery , later radiation and chemotherapy.

Results : my mothers mris for past 3 has shown no growth of tumor , even the recent most (done 1 week back)

The only concern is she has to take her anti seizure tablets daily twice , (i.e Morning BF, night AF). If she doesn't then it can lead to seizures.

I want to ensure that my mother takes tablets everyday , I can't stay with my mother as it's ladies only block for 10 day course . Could I request vipassana sevaks to help ensure my mother takes tablets everyday.

Also wanted to know if any post cancer people have visited vipassana as I want my mother to complete the course and she's also very inclined to doing this.

I’m an Indian working in SF, and for the first time am not going home this winter. The courses in California and booked up, so thinking I can do a 10-day self-isolation at home.

I’ve done a 10day course in 2022 and a 3day in 2023, so i have the experience. I live alone, so it’ll be easy (thinking i might order food every day / schedule it to be delivered no contact). Can go for walks in the nearby area once a day.

Anyone done this before / any tips / challenges to think of? Will turn all phones and devices off (except the one that plays the recordings)

That’s the only big thing i’m searching for — the app only has a limited number one hour recordings. The ideal would be each of the 10 day recordings that play at the actual venue, but from my research within this sub, those are not publicly available. What would you suggest?

Thanks for your time~

Hello everyone. I’ve been practicing Vipassana for the past 6 months, by reading all the available relevant books I could find on the matter and doing some guided meditations in a Buddhist centre. I currently do 40min of meditation every day and I’m planning to take part in a 10 days retreat next year. So far, I think I’ve fairly understood the technique and I could say that it starts showing its effects. One thing tho is still not clear to me. Sometimes when I enter the “deep” phase and the mind starts showing me past “traumatic” events that were kinda “forgotten by me” or secluded in the depts of my subconscious, I wonder how should I face these memories. What attitude should I have towards them in order to liberate myself from the suffering associated? What I’ve been doing so far, without any guidance is:

• accepting and realising that the memory/ past event I’m faced with has caused me some degree of suffering or trauma
• trying to understand what emotions are attached to it and how these emotions are influencing my currents behaviours
• observing without judgement and without becoming that emotion

I wonder if this is a correct approach that will help me, over time, to get rid of these past sufferings and improve my current behaviour.

Thank you 🙏🏻

Easy question I think :). I'm near Toronto and already finished a 10-day course where I was lucky enough to get one of the single occupancy rooms. I'm pretty sure I don't want to share my space during vow of silence, private meditation etc. Easier to stay in the mode when I have a place to retreat to where nobody else is around.

Hello, can anyone describe to me the process for reviewing health questionnaires? It seems to me that my information is being reviewed by a number of people, perhaps a chain of decision making, but it's not clear to me. Are there committees? How does it work?

It's been four months since I completed my 10-day Vipassana course, and I feel like I'm stuck. Despite my efforts, I struggle to build discipline and stick to the things I want to do in life. Negative thoughts and overthinking have become overwhelming, and social anxiety has also been on the rise.

I reached out to the assistant teacher who suggested I ignore these feelings and develop a strong will, but I’m unsure how to go about doing that.

How did you keep up your practice after the course? How do you stay consistent despite challenges like overthinking and self-doubt? Any advice or guidance would be deeply appreciated.

I would like to do the 10 day retreat but that’s just not possible for me for at least the next year.

Are there good app courses or anything? I want to do this the right way. Don’t mind the discipline or commitment aspect. I just cannot spare 10 days entirely cut off from the world for right now.

I have taken three 10-day Vipassana courses, but in the last two courses, I caught a cold around the 4th day, which made it difficult to focus and practice properly. I feel like this has hindered my progress.

these are some questions I have regarding my Vipassana practice

1. I feel sensations clearly, even in my daily life, but I don’t see how it’s helping me. How is this supposed to benefit my day-to-day life?

2. I understand intellectually that everything is impermanent (anicca), but I’m having a hard time experiencing it or believing it on a deeper level. How can I truly experience impermanence in my practice?

3. Despite following the instructions, I struggle to notice subtle sensations or observe changes in sensations clearly. How can I refine my awareness and better perceive impermanence during my sittings?

4. I find it difficult to remain equanimous with unpleasant sensations or emotions in my daily life. What practical steps can I take to handle these situations better?

5. Sometimes I feel like my desire to experience impermanence or progress in my practice blocks me. How can I let go of this craving and just observe?

6. I feel stuck in my Vipassana practice. I understand the concepts intellectually, but I don’t feel like I’m progressing. What can I do to move forward?

7. Is it normal to feel doubt or frustration during the practice? How do I overcome these feelings and stay motivated?