Haven't blogged for a while because everything's been a bit crazy: deadlines, training for Easter employment, general melt-downs etc. So I'm going to step back a few and go back to basics. There's a meditation centre in Herefordshire (Dhamma Dipa http://www.dipa.dhamma.org/) that takes students for 10-day stays and teaches Vipassana meditation as taught by Goenka.
The main thing that stands out is that for 10 days you are completely silent, save for optional meetings with the teacher when issues arise. 10 days of pure YOU. As expected it follows a strict vegetarian/macrobiotic diet with no eating after 4/5pm. It's also run on a donation basis, so you give what you can afford, and/or return to help out with future courses. I'm definitely more drawn to this than other meditation weekends that take your money, give you a massage, an hour of yoga and half a grapefruit, sending you on your way 'purified'.
Feel like I'm just skimming and rolling on the surface at the moment. Must admit that I'm worried it's going to drive me crazy! Should I open the box? Although I'm heartened by the fact that that's an FAQ on the website:
Can Vipassana make people mentally unbalanced?
No. Vipassana teaches you to be aware and equanimous, that is, balanced, despite all the ups and downs of life. But if someone comes to a course concealing serious emotional problems, that person may be unable to understand the technique or to apply it properly to achieve the desired results. This is why it is important to let us know your past history so that we can judge whether you will benefit from a course.
Might result in an interesting Summer...
