Vipassana Meditation: An Ancient Technique That Might Be Outdated

Chloe Codling

CW: This article mentions disordered eating and subjects relating to this topic.

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Vipassana, meaning to see things as they really are, is an ancient meditation technique, usually taught during 10-day residential retreats. Despite the proposed benefits of such an intensive course, some of its precepts might raise alarm bells.

The popular StudyTuber UnJadedJade (Jade Bowler) recently undertook a 10-day Vipassana course in the English countryside. Her seemingly positive experience of the retreat divided opinions in the comment section of her latest Instagram post.

Although she described her experience as “transformative”, this came at the cost of it being “mentally ravaging”. This is no surprise, considering she was restricted to two pieces of fruit for dinner and subjected to a wake-up time of 4am every day to begin meditating for 12 hours.

“I do see the appeal of the practice more widely.”

Admittedly, I had never heard of Vipassana before Jade Bowler brought it to my attention. I immediately searched online for more information about the practice – its benefits, its history, and how exactly it works.

Although my findings have not persuaded me to join an intensive Vipassana retreat myself, I do see the appeal of the practice more widely. The intensive 10-day course, however, is not something that people should sign up for on a whim.

Meditation, mindfulness and holistic health are buzzwords within the discourse surrounding self-care and self-optimisation. We should certainly approach these practices with a critical mindset.

What makes Vipassana unique?

Vipassana can be distinguished from other forms of meditation due to its focus on observation. The practice starts with an observation of one’s breathing patterns, the student is then encouraged to carry out full-body scans.

“Recognising that emotions and physical sensations are temporary helps to reduce anxiety in day-to-day life.”

By observing the sensations in each finger, forearm and leg only when you get to them, you realise that pain and discomfort are temporary, and are even exacerbated by your conscious awareness of them.

In a phrase – this too shall pass. Recognising that emotions and physical sensations are temporary helps to reduce anxiety in day-to-day life. While meditation techniques promote mindfulness, Vipassana encourages non-reaction and a restorative emptying of the mind to achieve peace.

The History of Vipassana

One of India’s ancient forms of meditation, Vipassana was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago.

While it began as a Buddhist practice, Vipassana is now secular by nature. In its modern form, the technique was developed by Satya Narayan Goenka, who brought together many religious groups in India through his teachings.

How does the course work today?

By definition, Vipassana mediation entails that students will benefit from extended periods of silence.

According to Dhamma Organisation, “Experience over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique.”

For this reason, the 10-day course is the most authentic Vipassana experience.

“One advantage of the course is its lack of commercial agenda.”

The day begins with a wake-up call at 4am and ends at 9pm, with around 10 hours of meditation in between. Attendees have regular breaks in between meditation sessions and at the end of each day they are shown a videotaped lecture by S.N. Goenka. Attendees must follow a Code of Discipline throughout the course, and receive two vegetarian meals per day.

One advantage of the course is its lack of commercial agenda. Retreats are free to all and funded by voluntary contributions from students, but only if they have the means to do so. In this sense, the course is financially accessible – for those who have 10 days to spare, at least.

How feasible are these Vipassana retreats?

As with any other form of meditation, Vipassana is almost universally beneficial. If you do a little bit every day, you will, in theory, strengthen your mental endurance and will likely notice a positive difference in your tranquillity of mind.

However, it would be dubious to claim that the intensive 10-day course is achievable for everyone.

“Meditating for half an hour in your bedroom is one thing, but undertaking 10 days of almost total silence is something else entirely.”

The Dhamma Organisation states, “For a person in reasonable physical and mental health who is genuinely interested and willing to make a sincere effort, meditation (including ‘noble silence’) is not difficult.”

Well, I beg to differ. Meditating for half an hour in your bedroom is one thing, but undertaking 10 days of almost total silence is something else entirely. Although Guardian journalist Jodi Ettenberg found the retreat rewarding by its close, her lack of meditation experience meant that it was a struggle to last the full 10 days – a struggle that many underestimate.

Food restriction and diet

One aspect of Jade’s experience that I found particularly surprising was the food situation, and after looking at the comment section, I was not alone in this.

Jade claims that she “fell into a rhythm” of only eating two pieces of fruit for dinner. When questioned about this by her followers, she responded by saying: “It’s to make you feel ‘lighter’ which helps when meditating.”

“Being in an environment where you have little control over what you eat is not suitable for everyone.”

She elaborated further by saying: “Also because you’re not doing any physical activity you don’t need as much food. You also practice feeling the sensations of aversion/craving in your body and the impermanence of it so a lot of people come on the retreat to heal their relationships with addictions of many kinds.”

Although there are specific reasons why the prescribed diet is the way it is, food restriction of any kind is harmful to those who struggle with disordered eating. For this reason, being in an environment where you have little control over what you eat is not suitable for everyone.

However, the course does accommodate those with dietary requirements, including pregnant women who require a greater food intake. Nevertheless, people should consider whether this environment would be a trigger for them before entering it. Jade recognises this herself in her comment section.

Would Vipassana be for you?

The 10-day Vipassana retreat lacks the flexibility that I would personally need to be tempted by the course. That isn’t to say, however, that I would not enjoy or benefit from the practice of Vipassana itself. Although, the decision to sign up for such a demanding course of study is not one that anyone should take lightly.

“It’s had a positive impact on people for centuries.”

For meditation junkies and those with experience, this would likely be a highly rewarding and fulfilling course to complete. After all, it’s had a positive impact on people for centuries.

However, it is important to recognise that for those who are new to meditation, such an extreme course might do more harm than good. Equally, anyone struggling with a disordered relationship with food and exercise, or other mental and physical impairments, might want to sit this one out.

READ MORE:

• 11 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER DAILY

• UNEXPECTED WAYS STRESS AFFECTS YOUR BODY

• CURATING A SOUGHT AFTER BALANCED LIFESTYLE

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Featured Image courtesy of Benjamin Child on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image licence can be found here.