10 DAYS OF COMPLETE SILENCE
Imagine this. You’ve just arrived at a retreat center over 6 hours away from your home, and as soon as you walk in, you’re reminded that you’re about to embark on 10 days of noble silence. No talking, no cell phones, no tv, no music, no books, no journals, no strenuous exercise - nothing but you and your thoughts. You have 10 days of complete silence and nearly 100 hours of meditating ahead of you. Would you do it?
Vipassana: A 10-day Silent Meditation Retreat
I just did this exact thing for 10 days, and it was definitely up there with one of the wildest things I’ve ever done. If you haven’t heard of it before, this experience is called Vipassana, an ancient practice of mindful meditation that emerged during the time of Buddha in India. Its purpose is designed to get you closer to enlightenment by transforming your self-concept through observation - simply observing your thoughts and emotions as they are and letting them be without reacting to them.
Some of you might still be wondering, “why the hell is it 10 days though?” Living like a monk for a week and a half (which is kinda the best way to describe the experience) makes sense once you do it. It’s enough time to really get the practice down and to have some eye-opening realizations. Not to mention, it’s super humbling. Unless you have diet restrictions due to any health related issue, you’re eating the simple vegetarian meals that are provided. You’re wearing casual, comfy clothes with no need for makeup, jewelry, or extra accessories. You don’t have access to any books, journals, games, or anything outside of yourself and nature to distract you. Though you may go on walks outside to get some fresh air, you’re essentially meditating for 90% of your waking hours, and if you’re strategic enough, 100% of them.
People take part in this retreat, or course, for a variety of reasons, but mine was fairly simple. Meditating has had a profound impact on my life and massively contributed to eliminating my anxiety over the years, so I knew it was a powerful healing tool for me already.
What is Vipassana & What Was the Experience Like?
Vipassana is an ancient meditation technique focused on your natural breath and eventually builds into creating heightened awareness of the body's sensations. After consistent practice, some people may even begin to feel the subtlest of sensations on the body (aka your energetic vibrations). I’m still in awe from this because I felt and still am able to feel the energetic frequency surrounding my body. This was one of the most jarring, magical parts of the experience.
The practice is designed to teach you how to be less reactive in life which means not letting the little and big stuff get to you as easily. Allowing every sensation to come and go on your body without moving or reacting as you meditate translates to you being less reactive in life to things that are almost always out of your control. And, in group meditation sits, you end up hearing a lot of bodily sounds (i.e. belly grumbles, burps, farts, loud swallows, hiccups, coughs, sneezes, etc.), so not even giggling or rolling your eyes to those is a part of the process.
It's liberating not overthinking and simply being present with what’s in your current reality. Though I tried to spend the majority of my time not thinking, I had many realizations and reflections during non-meditating hours. Here are the biggest ones.
Stop making assumptions, ask questions instead. Oftentimes we assume how others may be feeling about us or certain situations, when in actuality we are incorrect in our assumptions and merely projecting what we might be feeling about ourselves. Learning to stop assuming and asking questions instead is the best way to not let the overthinking take over.
Treat others how you would like to be treated. Okay, so most of you reading this probably know the saying, but if you think really hard about it, do you actually uphold it in all facets of your life? I realized I personally was not, especially in terms of romantic relationships. For example, when I started to feel anxious in a new relationship, my past pattern was to pull back and distance myself. However, if the roles were reversed and I knew someone I was dating was feeling anxious, I would want them to be open and express that to me. So, really take a moment to think about if you’re treating others how you would like to be treated in all aspects.
Challenge yourself to find peace in all situations. This one is hard. Believe me, I know. That’s why I say “challenge.” Being able to find peace in all situations is key to pure happiness. In very difficult experiences, for example, that can look like lessons learned, newfound empathy for others who have gone through similar experiences, and so on. But choosing to find peace is a complete game changer.
You cannot control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you perceive what happens to you. Again, easier said than done. And, it’s a practice that takes time and consistency. It won’t magically happen overnight, but it’s a fact of life. There is so much that is outside of your control, so instead of giving all your attention to the outside, direct your attention inward. You can decide to perceive a situation as a learning experience or a step closer to success vs. rejection or a failure.
Everything is always changing all the time. Learning to be detached from too many outcomes or expectations will truly set you free. Friends, family, lovers, jobs, pets, etc. - they will come and go and the cultural conditions with which we live in are always changing. So, once you let go and embrace the change vs. resist it, you’ll find much more ease and balance in your life.
In addition to these realizations and as I began to look forward, I thought about things I absolutely must direct my energy towards. What came up for me was ultimately making a positive impact in the lives of others through writing, speaking, and inspiring. I’ve always loved to write and public speaking is something I’ve been improving over the years. But these were things I constantly thought of like whispers from the universe, assuring me that I am on the right path.
My Overall Takeaways
Before this retreat, I felt myself ever so slightly falling back into survival mode - something I have experienced multiple times before, but definitely did not anticipate feeling again. As the new year began to approach much quicker than I was ready for, I didn’t have a solid plan. Though I always have a vision I’m working towards, the steps to get there were blurry. And, here I was a month ago - starting to feel stress creep in, frustrated with myself, and unsure of how everything I desired would come together.
Needless to say, this opportunity came at the perfect time in my life, requiring me to find balance in my mind once again.
Progress doesn’t stop just because you step away for 10 days. In fact, not only did my time away help me progress in personal and professional endeavors, it also gave me a fresh perspective on how I want to make decisions and move forward - something I needed to move into this next chapter.
Vipassana was a physically challenging, yet mentally peaceful experience. However, there were times of loneliness, intensity in many forms, and my return home was extremely over stimulating.
Though this is not something I would recommend to everyone, I do believe anyone interested in taking part would learn a great deal about themselves and the universe. All will have a different experience, but mine was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace that I had never felt before.
If you read this far and still have questions about my time at Vipassana, follow and DM me on Instagram or send me an email here. I’d be happy to chat!