Jump to content

Vipassana Retreat Preparation


Tine

Recommended Posts

  • Moderator
Posted

Tomorrow next week I'll start my first 10 days Vipassana retreat.
Does anyone have tips on what to bring (not that you are allowed to bring much...) how to prepare?

So far I only have warm, loose, neutral clothing on my list.

  • Members
Posted

Hi @Tine I did the 10 day Vipassana retreat twice. My best advice would be to wear a hoodie to stay focussed like a middle age monk wore. You´ll eat against the wall to avoid looking at someones eyes. Besides this you could also take Aspirin or anything just in case but the organisers are very well prepared. But my best advice is not to have any expectations. ?Enjoy

  • Moderator
Posted

Thank you @Enriqueto

I did two silent retreats of 1 week each before, but the Vipassana seems to be more of a challenge. So that's my expectation: huuuuge challenge. So your advice is great - the best advice for all of life really ?

  • 2 months later...
  • Moderator
Posted

Update: I not only survived the Vipassana retreat; it was intense and refreshing. I had thought - before and during the retreat - that I'd suffer more.

I found an article on Medium "How to Survive (& Thrive in) a 10-Day Vipassana Course" by Renee Chen. It has 14 valuable tips ranging from "Do your research" and "You will have two, at least two, rough days" to "Move during your break periods".

What I'd like to add are three things:

  • Bring warm clothes so you can layer up. I did the course in Spain in November, and we had sunny warm days and rainy, cold days. But either way, it better to have many extra layers you can wear in the mornings especially as you do not move during the meditation sessions.
  • Be in the moment if you can or at least do not look too far ahead. One day at a time. One meditation session at a time. One chanting at a time. 
  • You'll create your suffering. You'll have everything you need, but your mind will be your worst enemy telling you all kinds of stories why you need to contact the outside world, why you can't sit like this any longer, why this is a waste of time. Use the time to investigate the stories we tell ourselves and the enourmous power we grant them. I suffered the most because of the chanting - to me the sound was "unbearable" (others enjoyed it). Weather it was good or bad it was no threat to me, and still, I managed to suffer a great deal because of it... ?
  • 3 weeks later...
  • Moderator
Posted

I just came across this article about the 10 days vipassana meditation and thought it could be interesting sharing here.
Her most powerful lesson for the entrepreneurs was: Whenever faced with a problem, it is imperative to dig a little deeper to understand the root cause."
https://medium.com/@sowmya_42600/what-a-10-day-vipassana-course-taught-me-about-entrepreneurship-99d0e2244b94

×
×
  • Create New...