Questions About Vipassana Retreats

[MiracleMan]

This is a question for those who have been on these types of retreats and I could use advice on the subject. 

1.  Is it wise to go with a group with an instructor?

2.  Is guidance necessary?  

3.  Does it matter if you're in nature or inside your house?

4.  Lets say your goal is 8 hours of Vipassana in a given day, are you taking small breaks in between to eat/drink or rest, or is it totally necessary to do everything you can to not break up the session?

Thanks.

[cirkussmile]

1. YES. It's wise because you put yourself in a perfect environment to self look inside. 

2. Guidance can be helpful if you have questions and you get to ask questions once a day if you have any. 

3. Inside while learning. Then it's up to you. 

4. I believe you already have seen the official vipassana homepage with S/N Goenka. There you can read the schedule but in short: When you have time of or meditation in your residence, you can of course take a small nap. But try to sleep so little as possible, it makes you actually less sleepy. 

[Be Yourself]

15 minutes ago, MiracleMan said:

1.  Is it wise to go with a group with an instructor?

It's better to go there alone to get the full benefits from the practice. Don't go with a group.

2.  Is guidance necessary?  

Depends on you. There will be a teacher who you can talk to every day about the practice.

3.  Does it matter if you're in nature or inside your house?

It's better to meditate inside.

4.  Lets say your goal is 8 hours of Vipassana in a given day, are you taking small breaks in between to eat/drink or rest, or is it totally necessary to do everything you can to not break up the session?

There are 3 main group meditations during the day which you can not miss. Other times is your own meditation. You can take breaks if you want.

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Be Yourself

[MiracleMan]

Thanks for the response, being here in southeastern Virginia my options are limited, although there is an organization up in Delaware that runs them for free, you just need to apply.  It's a bit out of the way for me so I'm thinking of running one myself or just going solo.

Thing is, I have no friends who would be interested in this sort of thing, so I'm thinking solo retreat which requires more discipline on my part, especially if I don't backpack somewhere.  Being in my house there is the distraction of being interrupted by others but I have the discipline to resist distracting myself with the things in my house.  I live alone so it's a plus but I do have people stopping by throughout the week.

The hot weather is breaking though, virginia has some horribly humid summer heat and backpacking hasn't been an option until now.  What do you all think, nature or house!?  Fyi, my house is surrounded by lots of tree coverage, a lot of birds and insects around, and my neighbors are pretty quiet.

On the nature side, there are a lot of state parks but few with primitive camping sites and those are hardcore.  My eyes are set on backbay refuge, which is only accessible by foot, bike, or boat, and it's at least a 6 mile hike just to get into the refuge.

Edited September 7, 2017 by MiracleMan

[Leo Gura]

@MiracleMan FYI, I did several meditation retreats in Virginia in the humid summer with those annoying tiny mosquito which are so small you can't even see them. So watch your excuses.

Had my first enlightenment experience in Virginia.

[eskwire]

On 9/9/2017 at 5:34 AM, Leo Gura said:

@MiracleMan FYI, I did several meditation retreats in Virginia in the humid summer with those annoying tiny mosquito which are so small you can't even see them. So watch your excuses.

Had my first enlightenment experience in Virginia.

Yes, watch your excuses. I live in rural Arkansas and drove 11 hours each way to a Vipassana retreat in Georgia.

I recommend doing the Dhamma program, especially if your level of motivation is such that a drive is too much. Not judging, just observing - I would also not discipline myself on the same level as the program. 

It is not recommended to begin this practice outdoors. 

Going to the program with friends is unnecessary, though recreating the program on your own with friends could be cool. You don't, however, know what the program is.

You work in 60-90 minute sessions with breaks.