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crazycatsiren · 2 years

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Chakras - What they really are

(I managed to salvage this post written by @rue-cimon from an old deactivated account. I copied it down here because this was too good a post to lose.)

Chakra literally means "wheel" or "circle" in Sanskrit. The concept of chakras originates from Hinduism in ancient India. These are focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation or yoga practices. These practices are collectively called "tantra".

Although the concept is frequently found in early traditions of Hinduism and are often mentioned in the Vedas, beliefs around chakras differ between various Indian religions. Buddhist texts consistently mention 5 chakras, whereas Hindu texts and sources speak of 6 or 7 chakras.

Early Sanskrit texts speak of them both as meditative visualizations combining flowers and mantras and as physical entities in the body. Within kundalini yoga, various breath exercises, visualizations, mudras, kriyas, and mantras are focused on manipulating the flow of subtle energy through chakras.

Chakras are also present in Ayurvedic traditions.

The belief behind chakras is that human life simultaneously exists in two parallel dimensions, one is the physical body and the other is psychological, emotional, mind, non physical (the subtle body).

The aforementioned subtle body is energy, while the physical body is mass. The psyche or mind plane corresponds to and interacts with the body plane, and the belief holds that the body and the mind mutually affect each other. The subtle body consists of energy channels connected by nodes of psychic energy called chakras.

The chakras - in Hindu and Buddhist texts - are said to be arranged in a column along the spinal cord, from its base to the top of the head, connected by vertical channels. Tantric traditions strive to awaken, master, and energize these chakras through yoga and often with the help of a teacher.

The esoteric traditions in Buddhism generally teach four chakras. In some early Buddhist sources, these chakras are termed as manipura (navel), anahata (heart), vishuddha (throat), and ushnisha kamala (crown). However, a system of five chakras is common among classes of tantra in Tibetan Buddhism. These five chakras are basal, abdominal, heart, throat, and crown, and each chakra corresponds with an element, a Buddha, and a bija mantra.

The more common and most studied chakra system incorporates six major chakras along with a seventh center generally not regarded as a chakra.

The chakras are traditionally considered meditation aids. The yogi starts from lower chakras and progresses to the highest chakra located in the crown of the head, in the journey of spiritual ascent.

In the Hindu kundalini and Buddhist candali traditions, the chakras are pierced by a dormant energy residing near or in the lowest chakra. in Hindu texts she is known as Kundalini, while in Buddhist texts she is called Candali or Tummo.

Some terms and definitions:

Tantra: Esoteric traditions in Hinduism and Buddhism that developed in India mainly during the middle of the 1st millennium CE. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique, or practice. A key feature of these traditions is the use of mantras.

Kundalini yoga: A type of yoga focused on channeling energy through the chakras.

Mudra: A symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Mudras have meaning in many forms of Indian dance and yoga. In hatha yoga, mudras are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while in a seated posture, to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana and is associated with consciousness in the body. Mudras are also used in tantric practices.

Kriya: Practice within a yoga discipline meant to achieve a specific result. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali defines three types of kriya, namely asceticism, study, and devotion. Such yoga is called kriya yoga. Kriya is a Sanskrit word that literally means "to do" or "to work".

Mantra: A sacred utterance, a sound, a syllable, word, or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali, and other languages. They hold spiritual and religious significance. At its simplest, the word "om" serves as a mantra. It is believed to be the first sound which was originated on earth. It creates a reverberation in the body which helps the body and mind to be calm. In more sophisticated forms, mantras are melodic phrases with spiritual interpretations such as a human longing for truth, reality, light, immortality, peace, love, knowledge, and action. Not all mantras have literal meanings but rather are simply uplifting.

Ayurveda: An alternative medicine system with historical roots in ancient India.

#chakras #hinduism #buddhism #witches of color #asian religions #eastern spirituality #ancient india #asian witches #buddhist witches

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santmat · 6 months

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Kabir The Great Mystic: Spiritual and Ethical Teachings - Spiritual Awakening Radio - Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts

Kabir, the "Rumi" of India, one of the greatest Saints, Poets, and Spiritual Masters in the history of the world! Selections: Says Kabir: "Kal (time, ego, limited mental perception) has entangled people in illusions to such an extent that they have totally forgotten their Real Home." "Meditation will remove all your burdens; meditation upon Ram's [God's] name will become your support." "One after another, many births I took; many paths I followed to escape this relentless cycle. Only when I made my mind still did I obtain the state of lasting repose." "Just as the lotus blooms after getting the light of the sun, in the same way the sufferings of the souls from ages and ages are finished after having darshan [vision] of Sat Purush [True Eternal Being, God]." The Bijak is a key scripture of the Kabir tradition: "Just as a coded document shows the way to a Hidden Treasure, just so this bijak shows the way to realize the soul; it teaches such words to the soul but there is seldom anyone to understand them." "Death enshrouds the whole world, including all the superstitious wise-men. Only those will be freed who find the Path of Love." (Satguru Kabir)

Kabir The Great Mystic: Spiritual and Ethical Teachings - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast - Play or Download MP3 @

https://traffic.libsyn.com/spiritualawakeningradio/Kabir_The_Great_Mystic.mp3

@ the Podcast Website - Also With Buttons That Take You To the Popular Podcast APPS - Wherever You Follow Podcasts:

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@ Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kabir-the-great-mystic-spiritual-and-ethical-teachings/id1477577384?i=1000650456574

Collection of Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts @ Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-awakening-radio/id1477577384

@ Spotify Podcasts:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5caAH1lezyUAD0TwoYySvz

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https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca7918b0-4005-4724-a2e5-b27f51ecdba6/spiritual-awakening-radio

& @ Wherever You Subscribe and Follow Podcasts - At Your Favorite Podcast APP Just Do a Search for "Spiritual Awakening Radio" - (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, Audible, PodBean, Pandora, Overcast, Jio Saavan, iHeart Radio, CastBox, etc...):

https://linktr.ee/SpiritualAwakeningRadio

References, Subjects, and Sources Include: Songs of Kabir culled by Rabindranath Tagore; Sakhis of Kabir (1008 Kabir Vani); The Bijak; Kabir in the Adi Granth; Kabir Parachai; The Story of Ants in a Burning Log -- The mysterious figure of Kabir made his entry into the life of Dharam Das; The Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat -- Ahimsa Values -- The Five Precepts -- Moral Requirements to Qualify For Initiation; Seven Key Practices of Sant Mat Mysticism; Selections from the mystic poetry of Kabir from several sources; Readings from the Anurag Sagar and Baba Kehar Singh's commentary on the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love), a spiritual classic of the Sant tradition of India: God is Just Behind Our Eyes at the Third Eye Center; Initiation Into Inner Light and Sound Meditation (Surat Shabd Yoga) and Protection from Above Following the Path of Sants; A Book of Sant Mat Ethics: "1008 Kabir Vani" -- One of the Most Important Books of Kabir, a review of the book followed by selections: the Guru Verification Process; the Kal Niranjan (Negative Power): "This mind is like an intoxicated elephant;" The Repetition of God's Name; Meditation, Prayers of Guru Kabir; and, closing thoughts. (Kabir's name in Arabic means "Great", "Powerful, "Magnificent".)

In Divine Love (Bhakti), Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters, Radhasoami,

James Bean

Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts

Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts

Sant Mat Radhasoami

A Satsang Without Walls

Spiritual Awakening Radio Website:

https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

#GuruKabir #SantKabir #Kabir #SpiritualAwakeningPodcasts #SpiritualAwakeningRadio #Podcasts #Spiritual #Spirituality #SpiritualPodcast #SpiritualityPodcast #SpiritualProtection #meditate #mindfulness #God #ScienceOfTheSoul #ScienceOfSpirituality #SpiritualGuidance #SpiritualPath #MysticalExperiences #Gnostic #Gnosticism #SpiritualLife #SpiritualExperience #Santmat #Sant_Mat #Radhaswami #Radhasoamiji #Radhasoami #Satsang #satsang_sewa_simran

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eatmangoesnekkid · 1 year

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The (Abrahamic narrative) Christianity/Islam/Judaism) centered around a Hebrew patriarch "Abraham" controls most things in the Western world— labeling every other spiritual practice as "bad,""evil," or"wrong" and keeping female bodied people in conflict with our natural sensuality and sexuality. These narratives conditioned our minds from birth on what was "right/good" or "wrong/bad." Having other ways to access God/divine/truth, whether through art, nature, Congolese dance, Mediterrean belly dance, yoga, sacred bathing, fasting, heart-connected sex, meditation, transcendental playfulness, African traditional practices, etc. has always been true since the beginning of time. We are just hearing more about them now because people get to publicly talk and share far more and not risk being stoned, hung, or stabbed and never heard from again. Back in the day, only Abrahamic religions were given a voice, an asé. -India Ame'ye, Author

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panchkarmatherapy1 · 8 days

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Ayurvedic Hospital in Delhi India

Sri Vaidya Ayurveda Panchkarma Naturopathy Care

Sri Vaidya Ayurveda and Naturopathy: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness

Ayurveda and Naturopathy are two of the world’s oldest and most comprehensive systems of natural healing. Both focus on the balance of the body, mind, and spirit to achieve overall well-being. Sri Vaidya Ayurveda and Naturopathy, with its dedication to holistic healing, brings together the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and the healing principles of Naturopathy to offer a unique, integrative approach to health and wellness.

Understanding Ayurveda and Naturopathy

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, which translates to “the science of life,” is a 5,000-year-old healing system that originated in India. Rooted in the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between mind, body, and spirit, Ayurveda emphasizes prevention and promotes a balance between these elements. The system operates on the belief that the universe is made up of five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and ether. These elements combine in the human body to form three primary life forces or energies, known as doshas: Vata (air and ether), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (water and earth).

Ayurvedic Hospital in Delhi India Each person’s dosha is unique, and Ayurveda teaches that maintaining harmony between them is the key to health. When one or more of these doshas become imbalanced due to diet, lifestyle, or environmental factors, it results in disease or illness. Ayurvedic treatments, such as herbal medicine, dietary changes, yoga, and meditation, are aimed at restoring this balance and promoting self-healing.

What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy is a system of healing that focuses on natural remedies to help the body heal itself. It promotes lifestyle changes and the use of natural therapies like diet, exercise, and herbal medicine to address health issues. The philosophy of Naturopathy is based on the body’s ability to heal itself, given the right conditions. Rather than simply treating the symptoms of an illness, Naturopathy seeks to address the root cause of health problems by considering the physical, emotional, and environmental factors that may be affecting a person’s well-being.

Ayurvedic Hospital in Delhi India

Naturopathy encourages a healthy lifestyle, stress management, detoxification, and a balanced diet as essential components of health. Therapies such as hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and herbal treatments are often incorporated into naturopathic care to support the body’s natural healing processes.

Sri Vaidya Ayurveda and Naturopathy: The Integration of Two Healing Sciences

Sri Vaidya Ayurveda and Naturopathy aims to combine the best of both Ayurvedic and Naturopathic practices to offer holistic healthcare. This center focuses on treating the individual as a whole, recognizing the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit. By blending Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom with Naturopathy’s modern principles of natural healing, Sri Vaidya offers an effective path to wellness.

#Panchkarma for women health #Panchkarma One stop solution to beauty #karma kala yoga basti #Panchkarma Therapy provided by Sri Vaidya Ayurveda #Nasya Therapy for Health

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school56df · 1 month

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Beginner yoga poses for flexibility and strength Embracing Ethical Principles and Inner Peace

Beginner Yoga, Poses For Flexibility And Strength a practice rooted in historical traditions, has advanced into a globally recognized discipline that encompasses physical, mental, and religious dimensions. Its origins trace lower back to historical India, in which it become developed as a comprehensive system for achieving balance, self-recognition, and holistic well-being. Today, yoga is practiced global, transcending cultural and geographical limitations. It offers a path to personal boom, fitness, and internal peace, integrating bodily postures, breath control, meditation, and ethical principles.

The Origins and Evolution of Yoga

The records of Yoga For Seniors dates returned lots of years, with its earliest mentions observed within the Vedic texts of historic India. The term “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj,” that means “to yoke” or “to unite,” signifying the union of the character self with the general attention. The historical practice become first of all a religious and philosophical pursuit geared toward accomplishing enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of delivery and rebirth.

Over the centuries, yoga for teens evolved thru numerous colleges of notion, which includes the classical Yoga of Patanjali, which is distinctive in the "Yoga Sutras." Patanjali’s machine emphasised the 8 limbs of yoga, which encompass moral hints (Yamas and Niyamas), physical postures (Asanas), breath manage (Pranayama), sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara), attention (Dharana), meditation (Dhyana), and ultimate absorption (Samadhi). This complete framework aimed to manual practitioners towards religious awakening and self-cognizance.

The Physical Practice: Asanas

One of the maximum recognizable elements of yoga in modern practice is Asanas, or bodily postures. These poses are designed to decorate physical flexibility, electricity, and stability while promoting standard fitness and well-being. The exercise of Asanas additionally facilitates to boom body recognition, coordination, and alignment.

The sort of yoga postures levels from simple stretches to complicated poses that require substantial energy and versatility. Common poses encompass the downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), warrior poses (Virabhadrasana), and tree pose (Vrksasana). Each posture has precise benefits and may be modified to deal with distinct ability stages and physical situations.

Beyond their bodily blessings, Asanas also are used to prepare the body and thoughts for deeper practices which include meditation. The subject of retaining those postures enhances mental attention and fosters a sense of inner calm.

Breath Control: Pranayama

Breath manipulate, or Pranayama, is any other necessary component of yoga. The time period "Pranayama" combines “Prana,” which means life pressure or breath, and “Yama,” meaning control. Pranayama includes diverse strategies for regulating and harnessing the breath to decorate power drift, enhance mental readability, and guide bodily fitness.

Techniques along with Ujjayi (victorious breath), Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath), and Nadi Shodhana (exchange nose respiration) each serve wonderful functions. Ujjayi breath, characterized with the aid of a mild constriction in the back of the throat, enables to calm the thoughts and preserve attention in the course of practice. Kapalabhati includes rapid, forceful exhalations accompanied by passive inhalations, which invigorates the thoughts and cleanses the breathing machine. Nadi Shodhana balances the left and proper hemispheres of the mind, promoting emotional stability and mental equilibrium.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation, or Dhyana, is a valuable aspect of yoga that entails cultivating intellectual stillness and attention. The exercise of meditation facilitates to quiet the thoughts, lessen stress, and foster a deeper connection with one’s inner self. Through centered attention and mindfulness, practitioners learn how to observe their thoughts and feelings without attachment or judgment.

Various meditation strategies are employed in yoga, which include awareness on a mantra, visualization, or guided imagery. The intention of meditation is to reap a country of internal peace and clarity, transcending the distractions and conflicts of daily existence. Regular meditation exercise can result in improved emotional resilience, extended self-cognizance, and a greater sense of purpose and achievement.

The Ethical Dimensions: Yamas and Niyamas

Yoga isn't always entirely approximately physical postures and breath manage; it also encompasses moral hints that form a practitioner’s conduct and interactions with others. These hints are referred to as the Yamas and Niyamas, forming the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eightfold course.

The Yamas are ethical standards that deal with one’s relationship with the outside international. They include:

Ahimsa (Non-violence): Advocating kindness and compassion toward oneself and others.

Satya (Truthfulness): Encouraging honesty and integrity in thought, speech, and action.

Asteya (Non-stealing): Promoting respect for others’ possessions and thoughts.

Brahmacharya (Moderation): Encouraging stability and strength of mind, specially in relation to dreams and strength.

Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness): Fostering non-attachment and contentment with what one has.

The Niyamas are non-public observances that manual one’s internal behavior. They include:

Saucha (Purity):

Emphasizing cleanliness of frame and thoughts.

Santosha (Contentment):

Cultivating gratitude and attractiveness.

Tapas (Discipline):

Encouraging strength of will and perseverance.

Svadhyaya (Self-examine)

Promoting self-mirrored image and gaining knowledge of.

Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to a better energy)

Encouraging devotion and trust in a extra force or time-honored precept.

The Holistic Approach to Well-being

Yoga’s routines for improving posture and alignment holistic method encompasses now not simplest the bodily and mental elements however also the spiritual dimension. It fosters a experience of unity and harmony inside oneself and with the broader world. The practice of yoga encourages people to discover their internal selves, cultivate mindfulness, and increase a deeper connection with their environment.

Incorporating yoga into each day existence can result in advanced physical fitness, reduced strain, and a extra sense of inner peace. It gives gear for coping with life’s demanding situations, fostering resilience, and improving ordinary great of existence. Whether practiced in a studio, at domestic, or in nature, yoga gives a sanctuary for self-discovery and private boom.

#Yoga’s routines for improving posture and alignment #Yoga For Seniors #yoga for teens #Poses For Flexibility And Strength

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thc2024 · 1 month

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Importance of rehabilitation centre for mental health and best rehabilitation centre in India

Rehabilitation centers for mental health are essential for addressing and managing various mental health conditions effectively. The best rehabilitation centers in India provide comprehensive care, combining advanced medical treatments with holistic therapies to ensure the overall well-being of patients. One of the primary reasons these centers are crucial is their multidisciplinary approach. The best rehabilitation centers in India employ a team of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and therapists. This diverse team works collaboratively to create individualized treatment plans tailored to the specific needs of each patient. This personalized care ensures that all aspects of a patient's mental health are addressed, leading to more effective and sustainable recovery outcomes. A safe and structured environment is another significant advantage offered by rehabilitation centers. For individuals dealing with severe mental health issues, the everyday environment can often exacerbate their symptoms. In a rehabilitation center, patients are removed from potential triggers and stressors, allowing them to focus solely on their recovery. The structured routine provided by these centers helps instill discipline and stability, which are crucial for individuals in the recovery process. The best rehabilitation centers in India also emphasize the importance of holistic treatment approaches. These centers recognize that mental health is interconnected with physical, emotional, and social well-being. Therefore, they offer a range of therapeutic activities and programs that address these various aspects. Activities such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, and music therapy are commonly integrated into treatment plans. These activities not only help in managing symptoms but also in building resilience and coping strategies for the future. Another critical component of mental health rehabilitation is the focus on life skills and vocational training. The best rehabilitation centers inIndia provide programs that help patients develop essential life skills, such as effective communication, problem-solving, and time management. Vocational training programs are also offered to assist patients in gaining or regaining employment, which is an important aspect of their reintegration into society. By equipping patients with these skills, rehabilitation centers play a vital role in their long-term recovery and independence. Family involvement is a key element in the rehabilitation process. The best centers in Delhi NCR understand the importance of a supportive home environment for sustained recovery. They offer family therapy sessions and educational programs to help family members understand the patient’s condition and how to support their recovery. This holistic approach ensures that the patient receives continuous support, both within the center and at home. Additionally, the best rehabilitation centers in Delhi NCR provide aftercare and follow-up services. Recovery from mental health issues is a long-term process that extends beyond the initial treatment period. These centers offer ongoing support through regular follow-up sessions, support groups, and counseling to ensure that patients continue to make progress in their recovery journey. This ongoing support helps in preventing relapse and provides a safety net for patients as they transition back into their everyday lives. In conclusion, the best rehabilitation centers in India are vital for the effective treatment and recovery of individuals with mental health conditions. They offer a multidisciplinary approach, a safe and structured environment, holistic treatment options, life skills and vocational training, family involvement, and aftercare services. By addressing all aspects of a patient’s mental health and providing continuous support, these centers play a crucial role in promoting long-term recovery and enhancing the quality of life for individuals struggling with mental health issues.

#healthcare #rehabilitation centers #psychiatrist

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sanctumwellness0 · 7 months

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#rehab near me #rehabilitation #mental heath support #rehab center in india #drug detox #drug rehab #alcohol rehab #physical therapy #best deaddiction center in india #best rehab in delhi #cognitive behavioral therapy #body medicine specialist #meditation #yoga #best rehab in india #best rehab center in india

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lifeisperefct · 8 months

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#BEST AYURVEDA & YOGA WELLNESS RETREATS IN INDIA #Meditation Teacher Training in India #Yoga centers in Rishikesh and Uttarakhand #Yoga retreat in Uttarakhand #yoga teacher training Rishikesh #yoga and meditation courses Rishikesh #yoga and meditation schools in Rishikesh #yoga retreats Rishikesh #Yoga training classes in Uttarakhand

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manikutyoga · 1 year

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Benefits of Yoga - best yoga and meditation centre in rishikesh- Meditation Center Rishikesh India- Manikut Yoga

Experience the incredible benefits of yoga and meditation at Manikut Yoga, the premier center in Rishikesh, India. Find inner peace, strengthen your body, and enhance your well-being. Join us on this transformative journey. Visit our meditation center today!

#Benefits of Yoga #best yoga and meditation centre in rishikesh #Meditation Center Rishikesh India #manikut yoga

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naturovill3 · 1 year

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Embracing life's rhythm, even with the gentle sway of arthritis.

#Ayurveda Center in Rishikesh #Wellness Center in Rishikesh #Panch karma Treatment in Rishikesh #Panch karma in Rishikesh #Yoga Center in Rishikesh #Depression and Stress Management in India #Naturopathy Treatment in Rishikesh #Weight Management in Rishikesh #Psoriasis Care in Rishikesh #Detoxification Center in Rishikesh #Ayurveda Centre in Rishikesh #Wellness Centre in Rishikesh #Yoga and Meditation in Rishikesh

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itsthebethblogever · 3 months

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What I Learned from Vipassana, a Ten Day Silent Meditation Retreat

Part One

What did I learn from Vipassana? : An Executive Summary

That it is possible to experience joy, elation, ecstasy, from within. From becoming fully present through breath. That when the mind chatter dies down, you can discover what’s left - in my case, it’s poetry, songs, rhymes. That the feeling of utter, electric excitement, like going to bed the night before a trip to the amusement park as a child, can be accessed from inside. That the feeling I had in the back of my mind that I should stop relying on external sources to produce certain feelings and instead learn how to access them myself was right. That even though I’ve been in a funk for months now, there is hope for me to reconnect to my inner joy.

In life, everything you do, there are patterns repeated, whether or not you are conscious of them. Through meditation, you can observe these patterns and have the opportunity to work on improving yourself, which is both physical and mental work. For example - as I write this, I am pausing after every sentence or so to stare off into space as my mind falls down a tangent. This also happens in meditation. Physically, sitting down for extended periods of time brings out pain that are opportunities to practice remaining “equanimous”, a key term from Vipassana meaning remaining neutral. We are taught that all sensations are just temporary, so it is pointless to attach to them. Then, mentally, we go back to the breath/body scan/mantra/visualization/etc (depending on the style of meditation) to anchor our concentration.

S. N. Goenka, the teacher whose recordings are played at the 380 Vipassana centers throughout 94 countries, guides us to smile when we realize we have wandered off. Lovingly, he tells us to be curious, aware, attentive, and come back to the breath, without feeling anger or frustration - remaining equanimous. The number of times I have heard “come back to the breath” during yoga classes, inspirational speeches, etc is countless, yet, after this experience, these words mean something entirely different to me now. I feel I have learned a tool that I KNOW has brought me back to peace. By continuing to practice, I feel will improve my ability to reach equanimity faster and for longer periods of time. Eventually, it may even become my natural state. A life without suffering, misery, agitation, frustration… Enlightenment: the ultimate phase of meditation. Sounds pretty sweet to me.

Do I recommend signing up for a Vipassana course near you? Yes. Absolutely. Without a doubt, I feel every single person would immensely benefit. This is one reason I want to share my experience, because I know this has changed my life dramatically for the better. That being said, from the first time I heard of Vipassana to actually attending, three years of contemplation passed. It is important to understand what you are getting yourself into, as it is a serious undertaking. By reading my insights, I hope whoever reads this learns something that brings you more peace, happiness, and love.

Link to find a Vipassana course near you: https://www.dhamma.org/en/courses/search

“Bhavatu sabba-mangalam - May all beings be happy!” - S. N. Goenka (30 January 1924, Mandalay, Myanmar aka Burma - 29 September 2013, Mumbai, India)

How did I hear about Vipassana? What was the application process like?

I first heard about Vipassana through my sibling Jesse, who told me about it when I ended my relationship in 2021. Even though Jesse had not done a course, they reckoned it would be helpful for navigating that big transformational period. My first application was for a course in Idaho in March 2022. Apart from the standard personal information, the online form asks for detailed information about your physical and mental health, substance use, and previous meditation and therapy experiences. They really want you to get specific, including dates, types, frequency, etc. As it was covid times, they required I had my own private vehicle in case I got sick. However, I was not willing to pay for a rental during that time, so I canceled my spot. The idea was put on the back burner, as I began working full time and honestly forgot about it.

Fast forwarding to my move to Australia, I remembered the idea and decided to apply to a center in Tasmania in February 2023. Again, I was accepted, but canceled because I didn’t feel like investing in going to the island just for the course, and it would have been too cold at that time to stay on and travel there. I kept it on my radar and applied to another center near where my brother and sister and law live in Queensland for December 2023. This one rejected me, saying because I disclosed that I had used magic mushrooms, the course teacher advised I should wait six months and reapply. This confused me, as there were a number of other substances I listed that felt more damaging than shrooms, yet, I could do nothing but wait. I did try to apply to another center, thinking another center’s teacher may have different rules, but they informed me they saw the other teacher’s decision and felt the same way. Whoops.

Finally, at the end of April 2024, I applied to Dhamma Pasada, a smaller center near Sydney, New South Wales, that was running a women’s only course at the end of May. At that moment, I had been traveling full time since February, and I was craving stability and direction. Sitting for ten days in meditation sounded like the perfect way to achieve that, so I prayed it would finally work out. You see, many centers fill up months in advance, as this is a free, donation-based course with limited spots. After two weeks, I was told the course was full but could put my name on a waiting list. I confirmed, crossing my fingers.

Four days later, I got another email saying a space had become available! The day I received this news was also the first day I began volunteering at the Krishna Village in Eungella, NSW. My commitment was to be there for four weeks, so it meant I would have to cut my volunteering short in order to attend. Thankfully, I asked the volunteer coordinator if I could go and then come back and was told yes. The location of the Vipassana center wasn’t the most convenient, as I was now a nine hours drive north of Sydney, so I decided to leave my car at the village for friends to use while I was away and book a train back down the coast.

Vipassana: Days Zero to Four

My ten days at the Dhamma Pasada Vipassana Meditation Center in Lower Portland, New South Wales (about an hour and a half’s drive out from Sydney in the mountains) was spent in almost total silence, avoiding eye contact and physical touch, with twenty five female students, one teacher, one site manager, and a few servers. Going in, I did not have any expectations, and had tried my best to know the least about what was in store. I did set the intentions to explore and become acquainted with my inner self, as well as reconnect with my inner joy. However, I have to say that nothing you can hear or expect can prepare you for the reality of the course. Yes, it was painful - bordering torturous at times. I can definitely see how some people give up and leave the course early - it was actually nice I didn’t have my car with me, because I couldn’t even entertain the idea of packing up and leaving (there’s a Vipassana center-specific rideshare website where I found another student who gave three of us rides there).

Above all, it was absolutely transformational. I will share some stories and lessons to provide a peek into the reality of surrendering myself to a highly structured, quite extreme environment in the name of self development. Oh, what it is to be a human.

Day Zero is when students are arrive between three thirty and five thirty pm. We have time to get settled in our rooms, hand over our phones, journals, food, and any other items not allowed during the course, and eat dinner together. At eight pm, the vow of Noble Silence begins, as does the official start of the course. On the first full day, Day One, our teacher Suzanne shared with us that we are in boot camp for the mind. Oh my, was she spot on. My feeling was that she waited until we had all taken our vow of silence and agreed to stay to then reveal that we are in for something more intense than we may have imagined.

During the first three days, we learn Anapana meditation, a style where we only focus on feeling the sensations of our breath coming in and out of our nose. We focus all of our attention on the area above our upper lip and around our nostrils, paying attention to the change of temperature when the air comes in cool versus when it leaves warmer. I would get furious with myself at how challenging it was to stay focused on my breath.

To make matters worse, I was deep in the trenches of examining myself, feeling guilt and shame over my recent and past behavior. You see, every night at seven pm, we have the evening discourse, which I like to call “Movie Night”. Instead of just audio, we get to watch an hour and fifteen minutes or so video of Goenka lecturing to a hall of Vipassana students.

Tangent: A source of entertainment from the videos were their trademark eighties style of recording. For example - his wife Elaichi Devi Goenka sits beside him, who you can sometimes see when the camera person exercises their artistic license by randomly zooming in and out. It made me nostalgic, taking me back to the family home video era, where mastering the technique of smoothly pressing down on the camcorder’s grooved zoom adjuster was a skill in itself. Noticing any hint of disorder within our highly structured day provided me with a reminder of Life Before Vipassana, a reality which feels so distant when five minutes can feel like ages and you still have a WEEK to go. Jesus, was it hard.

To circle back, Goenka talks in these discourses about challenges that may be arising based off commonly asked questions/complaints/doubts from past students, teachings from Dhamma, the “cosmic law and order” moral codes and virtues taught by Buddha, along with stories from his personal experiences, teachers, and culture. In my opinion, if one were to just watch these discourses, it would be enough to change your life. Goenka is able to share ancient wisdom with such clear examples, gripping stories, and - best of all - HUMOR. Anyone of any culture can grasp the meaning. After a long day of sitting with all of my inner demons, I would always look forward to Movie Night, as it was a reliable, fresh spring of renewed inspiration and determination to keep fighting.

When learning the Anapana meditation technique, there were times I doubted whether I was feeling any kind of sensation outside my nose at all. Thoughts of all the chemicals I’ve snorted made me wonder if that decreased the sensitivity inside my nasal cavity. I decided to request a meeting with Suzanne, who is available to meet with students every day for an hour after lunch. Sitting on a raised platform facing us at the front of the meditation hall, she is responsible for beginning the recordings, keeping us on time, and our overall wellbeing. About every other day, she calls up students row by row to ask us questions and check in with our progress. This means we not only get to talk about how we are, but also hear how our fellow meditators are doing. Additionally, she is available for questions after the last meditation of the day ends at nine pm. So, despite what I expected, you definitely do speak during the ten days.

At our afternoon meeting, she reminded me to be gentle, kind, and compassionate with myself. Aye yi yi, oh how my patterns continue to arise - every friend/coach/therapist I’ve spoken to in the past couple years always says the same thing. It’s tiring how hard I am on myself, and I’m so ready to give that up, but it’s quite an engrained pattern that takes time to erode.

By bringing a smile to my lips, even when happiness was far from what I was feeling, slowly I made progress on becoming less negatively reactive when I got distracted. Here is an example of the unexpected benefits of meditation - I can use this same attitude when something goes wrong outside of the practice. Goenka teaches that all misery stems from attaching yourself to either feelings of craving or of aversion, which is by far one of my biggest takeaways from the course. When broken up into these two categories (craving and aversion), it becomes so obvious to identify the root of any discomfort.

So often, if I make a mistake, waves of resentment, regret, disgust overtake me, and I make no effort to shake them off. I feel I must punish myself… God, that is some ugly conditioning to un-do. This deals with craving a different outcome, or wishing it had not occurred - aversion. On Day Two or Three, when this concept was explained during Movie Night, the truth bomb exploded inside of me. It left no doubts surviving in regards to why or who was the cause of the heaviness I have been carrying: me. The clearest example of this is in my poetry found on my blog. ESPECIALLY the last post, which might as well be used as a Before Vipassana advertisement.

A life changing realization I had was that I recognized I had been in a CONSTANT state of craving: craving money, craving clothes, craving a van, even craving other people’s lives - from the moment I woke up to the moment I fell asleep. Instinctively, I knew I had everything I needed and more. I would remind myself: I am in Australia, free to travel and pursue whatever I feel like doing, with family and friends who love me, a lifetime of achievements under my belt, a healthy body, etc etc… yet, still be left with feelings of unhappiness/unfulfillment/emptiness. UGH. This is that funk I referred to previously. Now, I could identify what thoughts were causing the funk, and begin to work on decreasing them.

On the other side of the coin, there was my addiction to pleasure. To fill this emptiness caused by my craving, I’d turn to: weed, food, sugar, orgasms, social media - any external source to feed my hunger for positive sensations. Craving pleasure to avoid pain. These habits I was more aware of, and had already started seeking out ways to healthily satisfy this urge, knowing deep down I should be able to generate this feeling myself. Lo and behold, on Day Two during the pre-dinner meditation, I felt a surge of joy, peace, love - a feeling of being high, and this was simply through focusing on my rhythmic breathing. This accounts to what Goenka explains, about how it brings you to the present. Body and mind can reconnect to the omnipresent miracle that is to be alive, by escaping the confines of my pleasure-pain cycle addicted mind.

Feeling ecstatically high, as pleasant as it is, also comes with its danger- we are not meant to make this a goal to chase. All sensations are temporary, we are taught, so holding on to the desire to maintain a sensation will make us miserable. It’s one thing to hear and understand a concept, but in order to truly learn it, we have to experience it for ourselves. This ties into one of the teachings from the Buddha that Goenka speaks about: “panna”, the Sanskrit word for wisdom. Panna has three levels: “sutra-maya panna” = received wisdom, “cinta-maya panna” = intellectual wisdom, and “bhavana-maya panna” = experiential wisdom. When we listen to Goenka’s words (received wisdom) we can try to understand it (intellectual wisdom), and then try out the techniques through meditation (experiental wisdom). Luckily for us, we are there for ten days, so we have ample time to integrate the panna until reaching the final phase.

The very next day, feeling bright and fresh after the breakthrough moment, a delicious meal of daal was served for lunch. As eating was one of the few external pleasures to look forward to, I indulged with two helpings. Reveling in the spicy warmth brought to my taste buds thanks to the chili flakes I generously sprinkled on felt like a form of enlightenment, especially after a cold foggy morning spent bundled up for hours in the meditation hall.

After the two hour lunch break concluded, the sun had come out and things started heating up. Perhaps it was the added spice, or the fact that the daal was cooked in ghee and aroused my lactose intolerance, or that it was day three and I was sitting with the reality of “oh my god there is still an entire week left of this, what have I gotten myself into, how can I survive, this is too much for me, nuh uh” that broke me. The post lunch sits seemed like the longest and hardest part of the day, as there are three meditations in a row with only a short break of ten to fifteen minutes in between. At this stage, I was playing my usual game of How Far Can I Push Myself by setting the goal to attend every meditation in the hall (as some you have the option to stay in your room), as well as to not get up from my sitting position.

With a full, spicy belly, I was finding it torturous to stay awake, which also meant I could not concentrate on my breath at all. The number of times I got distracted peaked and it felt like I had regressed on the progress I had made, only adding more fuel to my fire. Pluuus, I hadn’t gotten the hang of positioning my body, but I was determined to not move as that was the goal I had set for myself. For the first time in my life, I felt desperate enough to start pleading to any and all unknown forces to help me make it through, to ease the pain, in return for promises to change my behavior from then on out. The physical and mental pain were actually so bad I was fighting back tears. As SOON as I heard Goenka’s chanting which signified the end of meditation, I stretched my legs out, sending what felt like excruciating, unbearable jolts of pain from my knees through to the top of my spine. It took everything in me to not burst out in tears then and there, as I wanted to wait until I was alone to wallow in my despair.

I still had enough wits about me to decide to grab the two measly pieces of fruit given to us for “tea”, Vipassana code for the evening meal. This is what the New Students, aka those who have not ever done a Vipassana course before, were allowed, and the Old Students who have sat a ten day course before had just lemon water and honey for their ‘dinner’.

Immediately after, I rage stormed back to outside my cabin with an apple, orange, and chamomile tea in hand. Setting them aside, the floodgates opened and I began sobbing, the kind that you feel your whole stomach lurching and your shoulders rocking up and down. RELEASE. I felt SUCH a release. Later in my room, I checked and my knees actually had bruises from over extending them or who knows what. You see, another pattern of mine is not complaining/moving even when things are bad. So, for me to have gotten to that extreme meant I pushed way past what would be considered a normal limit, and kept going until finally I reached my at times self deprecating level of pain endurance.

Of course, Goenka had advised us to leave a quarter of the stomach empty for meditation, and of course, I had to learn to heed that advice the hard way. Alert, alert, alert - another pattern of mine! More often than I’d like to admit, I see myself above the advice given by authority figures/laws/you name it. The rules apply to other people, but not to me, if I find them in conflict with my preferred way of operating.

It was confronting to go from feeling such satisfaction to such dejection. This is where I learned the bhavana-maya panna, the experiential wisdom, of what can come of attaching myself to pleasant experiences.

On Day Four, we switch from Anapana, concentrating on the breath, to Vipassana, a body scan. Just that morning, my Anapana meditations had gone great. I was feeling giddy from the simple sensation of sensing the outgoing breath on my upper lip and loving life. In the afternoon, we had the first sit to learn the Vipassana method. From three to five pm, all students are encouraged to stay inside the meditation hall during the entire time. Until then, we had been allowed to leave to take breaks if necessary, such as go on a walk, go to the bathroom, blow your nose, etc.

These two hours, we listen to Goenka guiding us “part by part, piece by piece”, to observe the sensations in our entire body. I could feel myself floating away. The more present I became by focusing on my body, the less attached I became to my physical form. I became so relaxed, light, and alert that I could intuit how practicing this could lead into being able to separate myself from mind and matter. It also reminded me that I had felt this before in guided meditations I had done, mainly under the influence of weed and/or rapé. This was a breakthrough moment for me, filling me with motivation that I was experiencing something I thought I needed weed to do. Boop - new neural pathway achieved! I can do this without external influences!

However, this excited feeling did not last long. After this initial guided body scan, we were then set loose to practice this method ourselves. It had taken me three days to become comfortable with Anapana. Now, I’d have to switch from focusing on one part of my body - again, which had taken me three days to get the hang of - to scanning my WHOLE body?!

The amount of time Goenka suggests the average body scan should take is ten minutes. I kid you not, I would get SO distracted, that in the period of one hour, I managed to do two body scans. Ohhh how the WAVE of FRUSTRATION and agitation and self-bullying overtook me again! And HARD! The mind chatter was back, buzzing with realizations inspired by the nightly discourses that were bringing to light the reality of my shadows, and I was digging deep to find the source of these patterns.

…To be continued!

#Vipassana #meditation #Australia #self help #ten day meditation retreat #silent meditation #travel blog #writing #dhamma pasada #new south wales

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