4:00 a.m. ————————- Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 a.m. —————- Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 a.m. —————- Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 a.m. —————- Group meditation in Dharma Hall
9:00-11:00 a.m. ————— Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room according to teacher’s instruction
11:00 -12 noon —————- Lunch break
12 noon – 1:00 p.m. ——— Rest, private Q&A session with teacher
1:00-2:30 p.m. —————– Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 p.m. —————– Group meditation in Dharma Hall
3:30-5:00 p.m. —————– Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room according to teacher’s instruction
5:00-6:00 p.m. —————– Tea break
6:00-7:00 p.m. —————– Group meditation in Dharma Hall
7:00-8:15 p.m. ——————Teacher’s Discourse in Dharma Hall
8:15-9:00 p.m. —————— Group meditation in Dharma Hall
9:00-9:30 p.m. —————– Open Q&A session in Dharma Hall
10:00 p.m. ———————— Light out
4:30-6:30 a.m. —————- Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 a.m. —————- Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 a.m. —————- Group meditation in Dharma Hall
9:00-11:00 a.m. ————— Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room according to teacher’s instruction
11:00 -12 noon —————- Lunch break
12 noon – 1:00 p.m. ——— Rest, private Q&A session with teacher
1:00-2:30 p.m. —————– Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 p.m. —————– Group meditation in Dharma Hall
3:30-5:00 p.m. —————– Meditate in Dharma Hall or in your room according to teacher’s instruction
5:00-6:00 p.m. —————– Tea break
6:00-7:00 p.m. —————– Group meditation in Dharma Hall
7:00-8:15 p.m. ——————Teacher’s Discourse in Dharma Hall
8:15-9:00 p.m. —————— Group meditation in Dharma Hall
9:00-9:30 p.m. —————– Open Q&A session in Dharma Hall
10:00 p.m. ———————— Light out
The schedule one must keep while attending a Vipassana meditation course. When you arrive you are checked in and given a room number and a meditation seat number. Your seat at the mess hall and your metal cup, plate, spoon and three bowls are under this number as well. You are surrounded by brick walls that have razor wire and glass shards poking out the top. Your room is basic with a small bed frame and a hard mat to lay upon. You have what is referred to as a "Russian shower." (Two spigots to fill a bucket and a pitcher to douse yourself with water. This bucket also doubles as your laundry washing container. You simply move with the schedule and the sound of gongs and raining bells calling you to the 12 hours of meditation you have each day.
All of this may sound be extreme, however this is the daily life of a monk. There are Vipassana centers all over the world and they all operate the same. There is no charge to go to this course, it is donation based only. They do not accept donations until the end so during the ten days all participants are treated the same. They actually tell you that instead of money they would prefer you come back and donate your time as service for others attending the course.
The premise of Vipassana meditation is to basically retrain your brain to accept life as it is. We all know life has it's ups and downs... sometime we dance and sometimes we cry. This meditations goal is for you to be present and no matter what life brings you are balanced. In life nothing is permanent with the ebb and flow always changing. During the course of your life you create misery for yourself with wanting /not wanting. Vipassana claims to release built up emotional blockages you have accumulated from this wanting/not wanting.
The following is my experience:
You are encouraged to try and remain absolutely still for an entire hour during the three group sittings a day. Due to my stubbornness or over achieving, I was able to do all three within a day. You have so much pain that comes up from not moving but the premises is that just like life it is not permanent so you are to sit with it until it passes by.
During one such sitting I had quite an amazing experience of "release." Twenty minutes in I felt something move up my spine. It almost felt like a bubble and as it reached my neck I had the sensation that it broke and tears began to run down my face. I allowed them to flow and then realized that I was beginning to shake and that there would be a verbalization of emotion coming.
I quickly left the meditation hall and found a bench to sit on. As soon as I sat the emotion, tears and sobbing started, it would ebb and then begin again all over just as strong as it started. This went on for around 10 minutes and was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had such a good feeling of lightness and peace.
All of this may sound be extreme, however this is the daily life of a monk. There are Vipassana centers all over the world and they all operate the same. There is no charge to go to this course, it is donation based only. They do not accept donations until the end so during the ten days all participants are treated the same. They actually tell you that instead of money they would prefer you come back and donate your time as service for others attending the course.
The premise of Vipassana meditation is to basically retrain your brain to accept life as it is. We all know life has it's ups and downs... sometime we dance and sometimes we cry. This meditations goal is for you to be present and no matter what life brings you are balanced. In life nothing is permanent with the ebb and flow always changing. During the course of your life you create misery for yourself with wanting /not wanting. Vipassana claims to release built up emotional blockages you have accumulated from this wanting/not wanting.
The following is my experience:
You are encouraged to try and remain absolutely still for an entire hour during the three group sittings a day. Due to my stubbornness or over achieving, I was able to do all three within a day. You have so much pain that comes up from not moving but the premises is that just like life it is not permanent so you are to sit with it until it passes by.
During one such sitting I had quite an amazing experience of "release." Twenty minutes in I felt something move up my spine. It almost felt like a bubble and as it reached my neck I had the sensation that it broke and tears began to run down my face. I allowed them to flow and then realized that I was beginning to shake and that there would be a verbalization of emotion coming.
I quickly left the meditation hall and found a bench to sit on. As soon as I sat the emotion, tears and sobbing started, it would ebb and then begin again all over just as strong as it started. This went on for around 10 minutes and was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had such a good feeling of lightness and peace.
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