The retreats are silent. That means no talking. There isn’t any speaking with the meditators, although one is permitted to speak at certain times of the day with the teachers. Women and the men are segregated. There’s absolutely not any reading. No writing. No playing music or listening to. No computer use. All cellphones must be turned in before the retreat starts. So there’s absolutely no contact with the external world.
While focusing on it, if you want to bend your head, say,’wanting to bend’. When you’re bending, say,’bending, bending’. Bend slowly, when you bend dhamma . If you would like to raise your head, say,‘wanting to raise’.When you lift your head, do it and say,’raising, raising’. That concentrate on inhaling and exhaling.
Nobody will tell you it is not difficult to make this time, but those who have made the sacrifice and have done so will tell you it is well worth it. It makes you more effective Since you become more relaxed. You can do more. Also, when you come home you will have more energy and won’t just flop out on the coach watching tv. Another side-effect that many have noticed is that they need sleep. Well there is !
It’s important to realize that you don’t need to be worried about attaining enlightenment to enjoy the advantages of deep breathing meditation. Practicing a brief session daily to alleviate stress and unwind the bodyis vipassana course what practitioners aim for.
Some people can have encounters. Whenever their concentration deepens, and gains momentum, they have unbearable pains, such as pain just above the stomach; pain in the flesh as though they have been pierced with a sharp knife; a burning sensation throughout their entire body; itching as if small insects are running to and fro on the human body; extreme cold throughout the entire body. However sensations and vipassana course meditation these pains stop as soon as the meditator increases his effort to maintain awareness. And these pains come back again, as soon as calmness regains momentum.
Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it easier to keep their mind if they concentrate on something specific, from wandering. A mantra can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If you are working with this you can use any word or phrase that works for you, and can choose to repeat it in your head or aloud as you meditate.
It would not be improving their health if there’s one gift I could give to anyone. The best gift I could give anybody would be advancing their”spiritual” health, that is, to learn to stop the unconscious inner forces that promote suffering. To me there isn’t any price on that.