Vipassana Meditation course FAQs

And I'm done! I just completed a 10-day meditation course at Dhamma Pattana (near Mumbai) along with about ninety other students. It was an interesting and rewarding yet challenging experience. 

This is a quick summary based on questions I had prior to going in and things my colleagues asked. The longer version is my next blog post 10-Day Vipassana course: my experience.

1. Why did I do this? 

I wanted to know how it feels to live a clean, disciplined, monk-like life for a while. I craved a genuine spiritual experience and it worked, at least to some extent. It made me feel lighter and more present, which carried over in my daily life. I enjoyed being away from all the screens and daily noise.

2. Is it difficult to stay silent for 10 days? 

Not at all. I loved being alone with my thoughts and not having to engage in small talk, worry about other people, or manage everything and everyone back home and at work. Once we were allowed to talk again I even hid in my room for a while to absorb the shock! 

3. How many hours a day can I manage to sit still? 

Sitting still for ten hours per day was hard. Sitting cross-legged is fairly comfortable for me, but 45 minutes is the maximum amount of time before my legs start hurting. It's also hard on your back. Sitting still is only part of meditation though. Controlling the mind is even harder!

4. Will it be super relaxing? 

Dhamma Pattana has good amenities so I was comfortable and the experience felt like a warm bath. But meditating for 10 hours daily is hard work and eating only two meals a day, with no freedom to choose your food, doesn't exactly feel like a luxury retreat. So instead of "relaxing" I'd describe it more as "calming." The other issue is that thoughts about the past and the future constantly flooded my mind, which was annoying because it felt like I was failing. Still, most of the time I felt grateful, healthy, and peaceful.

5. Or will it feel a bit like prison?

It does a little! In fact, the word prison is mentioned (somewhat jokingly) a few times during the course. And some elements are truly prisonlike. You eat from metal plates and mediate (part of the time) in actual cells! 

6. Is it emotional?

Yes. Though some days went by in a flash, or in a daze, a few times I experienced strong emotions. Day 5 was the most extreme, to the point that I thought I was achieving some kind of breakthrough, which was a little scary but in a good way. I think many women cried at various times, for various reasons. Some got sick and some had to leave early. It's all about maintaining equanimity though, so generally it's not an emotional journey. But you can't help having feelings, of course, and because you're working on releasing yourself from misery and pain there is pain involved, and there are emotional highs and lows.

7. How is it to be phone-free for 10 days?

Wonderful! I didn't miss my phone at all. My eyes needed a vacation for sure. I was happy to get my phone back at the end though because I wanted to know what happened in the world and write down some stuff. Still, I think I enjoy looking at things in the real world more now.

8. Does location matter?

They say that it shouldn't matter, because you meditate inside anyway, but I think it matters. It could be quaint to stay at a basic center where you have to wash your own clothes in the little time off you have, and meditate without AC, but it was nice to have my own room, eat good food, and be surrounded by well-behaved students so I could focus on meditation. But since I've only done one course, I have nothing to compare it to of course.

9. Are some days harder than others? Am I going to want to get out of there after a few days? 

I had to talk myself into staying for the first four days. I never really considered leaving though because I really wanted the full experience, even if it would be hard. Over time it got easier to accept the routine and enjoy the teachings. Halfway through was the best part, because I felt the most absorbed in the material. Towards the end it felt a bit repetitive and I got impatient.

10. Will I feel lonely, or bored?

I found it a little boring and lonely for sure. The first few days, in particular, were weird. I missed my family and couldn't imagine not having anything to do besides meditating for ten days. But once it became apparent that it's entirely possible, and the building and the people around me became familiar, and I realized time was still passing, I didn't think like that anymore. I wanted to use the valuable time I had left to get the most out of it. Admittedly, I brought a pen and some paper to write down a few thoughts related to my upcoming move that I just wouldn't get out of my mind otherwise.

11. How will I feel about the regimented daily schedule? 

It definitely takes away the stress of keeping up with a changing schedule. I also noticed my body really liked the routine of knowing exactly when to sleep and eat, so I was never tired or hungry. I always dreaded the four-hour meditation period between lunch and tea, but every time I did it, it felt like a small victory, and it strengthened my belief that I can do hard things and that they're not asking you to do anything impossible.

12. Will I understand and appreciate the teachings?

Yes and no. I liked the Goenka videos (“discourse” at 7PM) and slowly started to appreciate the chants as well. It gave me confidence that Vipassana students all over the world do and hear the exact same thing. On the other hand, there is so little emphasis on the intellectual or philosophical part of it, for my taste anyway, that it felt hard to accept sometimes. Also, the mediation technique itself is so easy that it's hard. And even when you feel like maybe you're doing it right and you're started to "feel the sensations on your body" there's no way of knowing if that's what they mean, or how long it's supposed to last, or how it's supposed to feel. I definitely had a certain amount of frustration and I know I wasn't the only one. It was too bad we couldn't share those things in the moment, but also a saving grace. Otherwise we would have just chatted endlessly about who is doing what, feeling what, when, etc. And I don't think that's the point. I think it's more about being present and dealing with whatever comes your way (by maintaining equanimity), which is a little different for each person at any given moment.

13. Am I finally gonna become a fan of meditation?

TBD! They advised us to practice for two hours per day, which they say is the bare minimum. There's no way I'm going to be doing that right now with everything that's going on in my life. But I'm not dismissing the idea outright. I think calming down your mind and meditating every day is an excellent idea, and it makes sense to take some time each day. I'm always trying to get up early to have a peaceful start of the day and I go to bed early so I can spend some time reading or just relaxing--not quite meditation, but there's a similar idea behind it. I'm not trying to race down the path of enlightenment because I'm not a non, but gradually becoming more enlightened has always been my goal.

--------------------------------------------------------