My personal experience of 10 day Vipassana meditation course - Day Zero

For 12 hours a day for ten and a half days straight, I sat meditating (or attempting to at least hahaha). The pain in my legs and back was excruciating; my mind was constantly racing; and every time I thought I had finally reached a state of calm, the instructor would strike a bell, signifying the end of the session, and jolt me back into reality.

But despite the challenges, I found the experience to be profoundly transformative. For the first time in my life, I was able to focus my attention on one thing for extended periods of time, and as a result, my mind became quieter and more peaceful. The experience has given me a greater sense of control over my thoughts and emotions, and has helped me to better deal with overthinking and anger. 

Why Did I do this Course?

I was a very over-thinker person. I tend to make bad decisions in life, like dropping out of college while I was doing BBA and quitting my job etc. So I started visiting the Help Club to deal with my migraine issue, and because of the confusion I had in life, There I met my super coach Dr. Ravi Desai who forced me to join Vipassana.

I, my Jiju and a very talkative aunty “Sonal” from the club registered for the course that was starting on the 24th of November 2021. While we were on our way there, all sorts of thoughts began running through my mind - I won't be able to use my phone, contact my family members, fear of staying alone at night etc etc etc. But finally, we reached the centre at 4pm and all those thoughts vanished instantly just when I stepped in. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the centre - the nature, the weather. It was such a peaceful place that I immediately felt at ease. (The image below is of the centre I visited Dhamma Ambika)

But for those who don’t know what Vipassana is, let me give you a brief idea of it. Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion.

The text above and the schedule below was all I knew about the practice before. 

4:00 am Morning wake-up bell  

4:30-6:30 am Meditation

6:30-8:00 am Breakfast break  

8:00-9:00 am Group meditation

9:00-11:00 am Meditation

11:00-12:00 pm Lunch break  

12:00-2:30pm Rest or interview with teacher 

2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation

3:30-5:00 pm Meditation

5:00-6:00 pm Fruit and tea break  

6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation

7:00-8:15 pm Teacher’s Discourse

8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation

9:00-9:30 pm Question time

9:30pm Retire to your room–lights out

Daily Break-down of my Vipassana Experience:

Day Zero: 

I arrived at the meditation centre in the afternoon on Day Zero. I've been on the road for 2 hours, driving from Surat to Navsari. I was tired and doubting whether I really want to do this? - ten full days of meditation, sitting in shut-eyed silence?. But it's too late to back out now, so I gathered my things and headed in. 

After signing in I dropped my things at reception, including my phone, jewellery, cash, Swaminarayan Mala that I was wearing and every extra things i had in my bag including snacks( pata nai kaise reheti bina snacks ke) and then I was given my room assignment and laundry coupons. After then I took a tour of the grounds, greeting the aunty friends I made along the way. One of them was a 6 month pregnant lady named Kinjal and the other one was from the USA. (The image below is of the registration desk where we submitted our belongings and the rooms were assigned)

The property is elegant and well-kept, with lush grass, covered walkways, a fountain in the middle of the garden, lots of different trees, and Buddhist statues abound. It was clear that a diverse group of people were staying here, representing a range of ages, races, and religions. I went to my room and unpacked my things. (The below image is of the room of dhamma ambika, 2 beds but only 1 person was allowed to stay in the room, it had a bathroom attached too)

We were all called to the meditation hall for our first nightly lecture (I was very excited). We watched the recorded lecture from a cheerful, old man by the name of S.N. Goenka. He reminded us that we are not allowed because to communicate through words, eye contact, or even gestures for the next ten days(This was sad for someone who is so extrovert like me). However, we are allowed to ask questions ot an assistant teacher or course manager if needed. 

After the lecture, we walked back to our bunk rooms and went straight to bed at 9:00PM.

There's more to come on the experience of day 1. 

Read the experience of day 1 here

https://worthywellbeing.blogspot.com/2022/11/my-personal-experience-of-10-day.html