Awareness Bootcamp.

“How was your silent retreat?” they say – As if I was silently sipping on cocktails, having silent massages & taking long, slow, silent dips in the constantly overflowing infinity pool of peace and tranquility. 

The evening I arrived, all students met in the women’s dining room. This is where we were told the men and women would be separated for the entire course. This was, they said, to help us not get distracted. I rolled my eyes (on the inside) thinking why they would treat adults like such out of control teenagers. Then walks in a dreamy eyed, tall, blonde guy and with that I instantly agreed fully. Absolutely. It’s best for everyone involved.

Vipassana is not a retreat, it’s a residential meditation course held in silence over 11 days and nights. No phone which means no watch (in my case), no books, pens or paper. Just YOU and your practice.

I knew I wasn’t signing up for an unrealistic 10 days to enlightenment or some magical healing (although, we all secretly hope so, don’t we?). But I did have a curiosity towards what benefits lay in that kind of extended silence, this process of purifying the body and mind and at the very least I thought it would be a good, healthy step towards re-centering and moving towards rebuilding.

But… WOWZERS! It is WORK. 

Day after day. 4am wake up gong after 4am wake up gong. 

Meditation practice after practice.

You work. Diligently, patiently, persistently.

(More like: You try!)

On day three I settled into my meditation position, feeling a bit on the vulnerable side- listening to the guru speaking to us, “Become aware of your own desperation” …

Oh my gosh! Yes, he knows, I thought with relief, I’m not alone in this desperate search for a calm and peaceful mind that isn’t just resisting, but fighting back with all it’s might. The guru knows. This is how it’s meant to be on day three…

“Feeling it entering and exiting your nostrils. In and out. Paying attention… to your respiration… Alertly and attentively. 

Respiration ??? Respiration !?!?!

G*DAM-M-I-T !!

What kept me there? My strong inner-will and self-discipline as well as a staunch inner-bully pushing me to see how much I can actually take. How much am I willing to face in order to maybe, perhaps, possibly, have a taste of liberation? 

Every other day was a good day, and on these days the path was clear. The meditations tapped me into bliss. All events in my life had lead up to the here and now and THIS was the pivotal moment of ultimate transformation. On these days I could absolutely see myself living the ashram life of simplicity and service. Everything made complete sense. 

On the days in-between, “NOT A CHANCE IN HELL! Get me OOOUT!!” On these days, the bad days, the past was a highlights reel of mistakes and the future was predictably doomed. And even the compulsive fantasies of glorious scenario after glorious scenario that made me feel warm and tingly in the false present moment, left me feeling rather isolated and empty once I snapped out of the delusion. 

So what really really kept me there?  When everything is stripped away, it’s the small things. The daily rituals. The small victories between meditation sittings: Seeking out the perfect twigs & thingamajigs to tick off each day on my hand-made nature calendar, tiny pinecone art, bird-evision, playing stick & leaf noughts and crosses (with myself) and pick up sticks – left hand against right. I couldn’t lose.  

The moments of deep mental rest, that valuable respite from the turmoil. The beautiful daily nourishment of wholesome vegetarian food that I didn’t have to plan or cook for myself. The sound of lions roaring in the distance as the sun set during our evening break. 

On the down days, I’d imagine pelting stones at one particular girl who seemed to float from A to B with a permanent smug grin on her face, eating her apple in a tree. On up days, I’m sure I was the target of someone else’s mental-stone-pelting.

And that’s what kept me there: Noticing that everyday something changed. Everyday I had good meditations, some days more blissful than others and many times frustrating. Sitting still, diligently following the gurus directions day after day was an experiential practice of noticing the impermanence of everything.  Every feeling, every thought, every sensation.

And the silence: There was nothing external that could effect me. It was all determined by me. I was my greatest enemy. What’s being generated from within is what’s going to determine the so-called success or failure, the joy or unravelling of this meditation, this moment, this life. Ain’t that the truth! Ain’t that the kinda mental training we all need. To be able to seek solace in the safe space of our self.

Our minds are very often not a place of purity. Thoughts are things and when all you have are the thoughts in your head, they can make or break you. Our thoughts filter into our words and ultimately into our actions. 

There is so much to gain from observing and deepening your awareness of yourself on a very intimate level, to take with you back out into the real world. That being said, you absolutely don’t do 10 days of silence to mend a broken heart or to flip a switch into enlightenment. I was acutely aware that I was balancing the very fine line between psychologically okay and… well, not so much. But I do things like this. I experiment with what my human form can achieve spiritually. Even when a very small nervous part of me wanted to cancel a few days beforehand, I knew that would be resisting the flow of life when I should rather be embracing what is. Accepting what was and surrendering to what will be. 

On the morning of day 11, (VICTORY!!) I sat in the still darkness of 3am. Listening to the sound of lions waking up in the distance. A comforting acknowledgement from the powers that be, that I’d persevered and my perseverance in becoming the best I can be and my committed heart to sticking it out, will be rewarded. 

And the message that my peace of mind brought through was simple and clear, I had lightly scratched it onto the very very dry skin on my forearm with my nail in order to never forget that all consuming grace I was enveloped in as I came out of my first Vipassana practice, a few days earlier:

Make the most of what Life has to offer. 

In the quiet stillness of silence, divinity infiltrates. Wisdom is clarity of consciousness and I’ve never taken a wrong step when walking along my souls path in the direction of greater expansion. 

What the universe is gracious enough to give me, I am grateful to receive.

17 thoughts on “Awareness Bootcamp.

  1. Thank you for sharing!

    It’s become such a “cool thing” to do these day’s – haven’t you gone on a silent retreat?!

    However I think so many of us might not understand the courage it takes to commit to an experience like this. Because you need to be courageous to let go of the distractions and external noise and allow the space for the internal noise to arise. And not only that, but to allow this with kindness and compassion too!

    Thank you for always writing with honesty and truth.

    Namaste beautiful soul

    1. Thank you for your lovely response, Claire. It’s very true what you say. These sorts of experiences should be done in humility, not to follow some trend.

  2. What a beautiful glimpse into Vipassana. I loved this piece, I loved reading it. So deeply personal. I also laughed out loud a few times, you showed the human side of the silence experience. Thank you for this beautiful, honest piece of writing.

  3. Incredible! Well done in achieving your goal, my friend!
    Everyone should experience Vipassana, for sure. To reflect and recenter! Thank you for writing about your journey xx

  4. Wow… I (almost) felt like I was there with you!
    Some things are calling to me now that haven’ at all before… This, and ayahuasca.
    I love that you didn’t sugar coat it, and didn’t try to make it seem more profound or ‘deep’ than it was, you’re just real. And it was profound and deep anyway.
    There is a huge curiosity in me about this, perhaps next year I’ll be ready 🙂
    Thank you for your incredibly beautiful heart. And incredibly beautiful writing!
    More writing please!

  5. You’re brilliant, so beautifully explained. This is one of your many gifts. Love that you’re sharing it! Xx

  6. WoW Lions roaring, a natural calendar… such an immersion into nature. Your writing is beautiful and transportive.
    Thank you for taking us there!

  7. Wow.
    Your writing is, so so mesmerizing.
    Like I picture the scenarios in my head as you write…..

    Literally like a novel, as you read you imagine it all happening in your mind.
    Meaningful. Soulful. Truth. Love and PURE expression on the whole experience!

    Stunning.

    There’s been a little person in the back of my mind, saying do it. You need it. Do it!
    Yet something is restricting me. Something hasn’t organically unraveled.
    And with the current journey I’m on, I only hope I get to discover these experiences to really challenge my mind, soul and my capability!

    Thank you for Sharing my Dan.
    Holly C*W! 😱

  8. Wow!!! I was going to advise Vipassana at our meeting. Soooo glad you did it. Can’t wait to tell you about the silence course. I’m “retreating from the retreat.” My joke !!

  9. An incredible heart felt writing beautifully capturing those long days of silence.

    I am inspired to express my journey of vipassana in writing too.

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