Lessons Learned from 200 Hours of Silent Meditation
Next Live Yin Yoga Class: July 2nd 9 AM CEST
In 2019, I joined a 10-day silent meditation course (Vipassana) in the lush jungles of South India with a simple intention in mind. Curiosity. I was curious to explore, feel, and experience my own inner world.
Vipassana, meaning "to see things as they really are," is an ancient technique practiced by the Buddha himself for enlightenment.
Its aim is to reduce dwelling on the past and future, promoting present-moment awareness and mental tranquility.
Vipassana requires rigorous effort, with three training steps: moral conduct, focusing on the breath's natural flow, and observing sensations with equanimity.
The wake-up bell rang at 4:30 AM, this was followed by meditation, breakfast, more meditation, lunch, additional meditation, a snack, and yet more meditation. In essence, we engaged in approximately 10 hours of active meditation each day.
The course imposed two crucial rules: first, strictly adhere to the schedule, and second, observe complete silence and refrain from any form of communication with fellow students. Breaking these rules resulted in expulsion.
Vipassana meditation is not taught for commercial gain; rather, it is made available free of charge, supported solely by the generous donations of individuals who have experienced its transformative benefits.
Lessons learned
1. Cravings and aversions are bad.
I learned that I was filled with cravings and aversions.
Craving and aversion are two fundamental mental states that contribute to the cycle of suffering (i.e. mental unrest).
Craving refers to our strong desires, attachments, and grasping for pleasurable experiences, objects, or outcomes. It is the insatiable longing for things to be a certain way or for the fulfilment of our desires.
Aversion, on the other hand, is the avoidance of unpleasant experiences, objects, or outcomes. It is the resistance, hatred, or hostility towards that which we find undesirable or unpleasant.
When we encounter pleasant sensations, such as the taste of ice cream, craving arises, compelling us to seek more of it. On the other hand, when faced with unpleasant sensations like shame, aversion arises, driving us to suppress or avoid it.
This constant craving and aversion cycle arises due to ignorance or the lack of understanding of the true nature of existence. Unless we interrupt this pattern of behaviour, the cycle of craving and aversion will persist, leading to continued suffering.
Suffering arises not from the sensations themselves, but from our reactions to them. When we react impulsively to sensations, we invite suffering into our lives.
However, if we learn to observe these sensations without immediate reactivity, we can break free from suffering. No matter how unpleasant a sensation may be, by cultivating equanimity and refraining from reacting with aversion, we can maintain a peaceful state of mind.
By developing wisdom through mindfulness and insight meditation we can see things as they truly are. By cultivating awareness and understanding, we can gradually weaken and eventually uproot craving and aversion, leading to liberation from suffering.
2. Pain is good.
I learned that my pain served as the vehicle on the road to liberation.
By liberation, I refer to that state or feeling we all strive for—happiness, contentment, stress-free existence, and to feel like our best selves.
During the course, I experienced extreme pain, primarily physical. Sitting on the floor with my legs crossed for hours created a significant amount of stress on my body.
My hips and legs felt like they were on fire. My feet went numb to the point where I completely lost all sensations in them and had to shake them loose for minutes before I could regain movement.
Initially, I hated it, but throughout the course, I began to understand its purpose. I witnessed my mind growing stronger and being able to sit still and maintain focus despite intense pain.
It's the best method I've found to cultivate genuine mental resilience.
Paradoxically, we must first experience pain to become free from it. Pain itself acts as the vehicle.
We have to ride the vehicle of pain to reach liberation. Through the simple yet arduous act of sitting with pain—both physical and mental—you are honing the ability to find contentment and happiness, not in spite of pain, but because of it.
Pain is inevitable; suffering is a choice.
3. Stop believing in all thoughts.
I learned that I was sleepwalking through life.
When all distractions were stripped away, and we find ourselves alone with our thoughts, it becomes evident that the brain constantly spin stories, projecting a movie onto the walls of the mind.
Every day, these movies would play out in my mind—surfing, lounging on picturesque beaches, enjoying meals, meeting intriguing individuals, engaging in captivating conversations, working, and planning. Always the mind is somewhere else.
In the profound stillness, I observed these vivid scenes flickering across the screen of my mind, completely detached from the unfolding reality of the silent shed nestled amidst the enchanting South Indian jungles.
By consistently making deliberate efforts to anchor ourselves in the raw reality of the present moment, rather than succumbing to the narratives concocted by our minds, we unveil the key to unlocking a life brimming with genuine happiness and lasting contentment.
4. Physics can be therapy.
Learning the principles of physics has been the most therapeutic practice I've encountered.
During meditation, I learned to observe my body and mind, recognising the impermanent nature of emotions and physical sensations.
We are all made up my particles and matter. These particles arise and disappear in a constant stream, forever changing. Our cells are constantly dying and renewing. It's a simple law of nature, physics. Understanding on an experiential level that all sensations arise and disappear is a relieving feeling.
Through the practice, I discovered that by not reacting to unpleasant sensations on the body, they inevitably dissipate. Nothing will ever stay the same. Bad sensations, good sensations — they all too shall pass.
At the mental level, thoughts and emotions surge in a constant steam like a river of water. Following the technique of Vipassana, I learned to neither expressed nor suppressed this flow of mental content—anger, passion, fear, sadness—but instead observed and bore witness to them, choosing not to actively participate.
I find this “law of nature” to be extremely helpful when I struggle mentally. It brings me back to the body and reminds me that; nothing will ever stay the same, bad emotions, good emotions, they all too shall pass.
A heartfelt tribute to the 25 courageous women who sat alongside me in silence for those 200 transformative hours.
Each one of us carried our own unique struggles and battles to overcome. The experience was a deeply personal journey for each individual.
However, when the silence was finally broken, the strangers who entered the course together had evolved into friendships, despite never exchanging a single word.
Those hours forever altered our lives, and looking back, I wouldn't change a single moment of it.
.
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Namaste,
Ida
Live Yin Yoga classes (35 min) on Sundays over Zoom, 9 AM CEST.
Yin yoga is a slow-paced and gentle style of yoga that targets the deep connective tissues, such as ligaments, joints, and fascia, in the body.
Unlike other forms of yoga that focus on muscular strength and flexibility, yin yoga primarily aims to improve the flexibility and health of the connective tissues.
Dates: July 2nd, 23th, and 30th.
Time: 09:00 AM (CET)
Sign-up link: Yoginify Yin Yoga Live 35 min (Zoom Link)
Preparations: Find a quiet place at home or outside, bring a mat and a block if you have one.
Cost: These classes will be free of charge to attend. But you can Buy me a cup of tea through our donation link if you want. Pay what feels good 😌.