Preparing Yourself for a 10 Days Vipassana Meditation

I've never written publicly about this because I thought I didn't have many tips to offer. But after having been talking to a lot of people who were in the course or were considering attending, I realized that there are a few things that used to help me and I still find helpful even after 7 times of attending this 10 days course since in my twenties.

If you are considering trying a 10-day Vipassana meditation technique as taught by S.N. Goenka, you may be familiar with the idea of sitting in silence away from all communications with the world– for 10 days straight. While it might sound daunting at first, and truthfully is not easy to do, if you go with an open mind and strong determination to commit to learning the technique, it will not be a waste of your time.

I will not talk about what it is, and what you will be doing there as you would have some good idea about it already if you find yourself here reading this article. I will only talk about what I find, personally, helps to cope with the fear of surviving 10 days in this strange environment you have probably never been in since you were able to speak (with the exception of being in a coma or bedridden sick that makes you unable to speak). Since we were able to speak, we never stop talking, and to be somewhere where we cannot speak for 10 days, I consider it to be quite special.

To alleviate fears and soothe the anxiety of leaving the life as you know it for 10 days, below is a list of things I find helpful to get you prepared for the experience if this is your first or second (or even third) time;

1. Before attending a course, read the Code of Discipline carefully and ask yourself if you can commit to ALL of it. It is important to understand and comply with the Code of Discipline as it will help you with the technique during your stay, and prevent you from disturbing others. Please find the information for the Code of Discipline and all the FAQ about the technique and the rules here. Don't bother to enroll in the course if you think you can't commit to these rules, and come back some other time when you're ready.
2. If you decide on it and the center accepts you in for the course, then it's time to pack for the trip. First review the list of items to bring provided by the center, then study the direction on how to get there as all the centers are located quite off the grid. If you have any questions, email the staff prior to the course start. Don't leave unprepared since you will be there for quite a long time, and you want that long time to be as comfortable and well-prepared as you can.
3. Prepare yourself mentally for a long retreat. Try looking at it as a life-shifting event– a 10-day pass to experience a glimpse of your new life and leave your mundane day-to-day life behind. You will embrace this new way of living; the living that will be in silence and solitude, with only your thoughts, bodily sensations, and nature. Focus on these and let the rest fade out. Remember that you have made the decision to come and leave behind the responsibilities of your everyday life, so– stick with it.
4. Constantly remind yourself to just be present in each moment. Don't worry about anything back home since there are people taking care of everything when you left. Live every day as if you have nowhere else to be in this life except here and now, and there's nothing else you need to do except to sit with closed eyes and observe your breath and sensations on your body.
5. Start practicing noble silence as soon as you get there. This means refraining from speaking or making contact with other meditators to avoid disturbing them. Start by being aware of how much noise you make in all the actions you take; walking, moving things, moving through spaces, tossing and turning in your bed, etc. Try to quiet down your actions, and consequently, your thoughts will also do.
6. Try to synchronize your speed with the surroundings. The pace at the meditation center is slower than what you may be used to in the outside world, so adjust yourself accordingly to avoid any internal conflict or even panic. As the course progresses, you may find that the speed of your thoughts slows down as well (or in some cases, speed up), whatever it is– just be with it, surrender, and don't force anything.
7. Spend the first 3 days testing and trying to find the most comfortable sitting posture. This is to train your muscles to be comfortable in that posture for as long as they can because after the 4th day when the Vipassana begins, you will thank yourself for it.
8. Pay attention to small things around you. Enjoy the little things and appreciate the discovery of a meaningful side of life. Ants marching to work, saving the snail from getting crushed on the walkway, squatting down on the grass and watching the butterflies dance, observing the magic when bumble bees pollinate the flowers, or the sky turns darker at sunset or brighter at sunrise. I can easily make another long article just on this list only, but the point to this is, these are the things you don't normally experience living the mundane life, especially in the city– so, embrace every bit of it and be grateful.
9. Keep track of time. If you have an issue with the anxiety of losing the sense of time, you can try to mark the day with a specific activity. Using the odd or even days with a different routine, for example, washing your hair on odd days and doing laundry on even days, or taking a long evening walk one day and in-room stretching the next. This will help keep you calm, especially after 6 or 7 days in and it's getting on your nerves that you totally cannot recall what day it is.
10. Find special things or moments and make them the highlight of your days as they will keep you motivated. Bring your favorite tea bags for a special mug of camomile tea with an evening stroll, or a refreshing peppermint tea at lunch break. Bringing out the wonder in small things will bring you big joy in these slow days when your meditation isn't that mature and you can't yet be with your respiration all the time.
11. Spend a lot of break time outside. Staying in the room will cause you to feel tired and sleepy, and remember you're not taking 10 days off your life responsible to come here and sleep. You need to stay awake as much as you can to work on your meditation and to make the most use of your precious time in this silence and nature. Every center offers some seating but most are not sufficiently provided, best way is to email the center prior to the day and ask if you can bring a camping chair. Bringing your own camping chair will encourage you to sit outside and be in nature with your special cup of tea, and enjoy the special moment in solitude, awaken.
12. Pay close attention to the evening discourse as it is the time Goenkaji communicates tips and tricks to help you understand the technique. If you can understand English well listen to the one in English. You can find the discourses to watch on YouTube if you want to familiarize yourself with some of the Pali words and terms. The discourse goes on for at least one hour and you will feel discouraged to maintain focus throughout the long discourse if you have zero background in Buddhist teaching.

I hope this will make it easier for you to give it a try and you might find that the moment you feel most awakened actually happens with your eyes closed.

I will write more about the different experiences I've had since the first course I sat 18 years ago until this recent time last week. It's been one of the best things I've known and am grateful for in this life (and perhaps the previous ones) and I surely will keep developing on this path–until as long as I shall breathe.