How did I figure out about such thing, in Autumn 2007, I went for coffer with one Estonian friend and he asked me what I’m doing at Christmas, I had no particular plans yet, he recently asked me would I like to join him for meditation camp for 10 days. I’ve been confused; “10 days of meditation; 10 days of silence meditation; are you kidding?” I said. Viljio is a guy with good sense of humor and I really thought for awhile that he was joking, but he said: “Asked Marjam she went with me last year.” Late I had some conversation with Marjam, saw Siim’s inspiring video after his experience at meditation camp and already in the end of 2008 I decided that I’ll take one of this course for sure and I have done it:) I guess it’s a good an example the emergence of thought. Thank you guys, I’m really grateful to you for giving me that thought.
Vipassana is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques. The word Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It’s the process of self purification by self-observation. Simply you have to keep silence for 10 days, don’t make physical and eyes contacts with other student, men & women live separately; student lives by course timetable (wake up at 4a.m. and get to bed at 9.30p.m.) and you are aloud to talk just on special time to teach; student should fallow all rules and follow daily tasks; no books, no TV, internet, mobile, pen/pencil, no sport, nothing….just you and your mind!
I thought the most difficult would be keep silence, but actually it was the simplest part and at some point I started to enjoy it, the difficult part was to work with my brain. I guess I have never worked so hard 10 days on a roll by my mind. Mind is so talkative and it was the most hard to accept the present/reality like it is and to leave on the moment. Thought was flying from past to future from dreaming to planning from good to bad. It’s not possible to stop them, at least for such short time, it’s a really hard work to become really peaceful and happy; but I realized that work helps to eliminate/decrease level of unhappiness.
I’m happy person and I choose to be happy, but sometime life brings difficult moment, news, challenges and it’s hard sometimes to keep happiness, but I guess now I know how to accept the reality like it is ( at least on theoretical level). I hope I’ll see that on practice in real life as well :) “It’s a hard work, but you must try, before your succeed.” Our teacher always said that :)
My U lessons are:
•trust your intuition – To reach a meditation camp (venue) was not so easy, because it’s located on a middle of nowhere in Belgium, but I had to pass thought Holland before come to Belgium again :) My trip started with traveling by car with 3 random, whom I didn’t know at all, I had scared thought, but my soul was calm and as result I’ve been luck all my trip with busses, timelines and people who were just very helpful.
•everyone is beautiful just we have to see that beauty;
•believe in yourself – I knew that I can manage and I did, I have never thought that I can leave a meditation camp during that 10 days, because it was so painful to meditate or to difficult to work or something else, I simply I believe in myself and my goal. When we got permission to talk with other student on last day so many people said they wanted to leave a course on some point.
•never compeer yourself with other, because everyone has a different experience, interest, goals, level of ambition etc. stay unique and make your own history; I met so many interesting people, out of my usual social group. People who does art, clown, workers from retirement home, doctors, artists, entrepreneurial, composer, hick hiking girl and girl whom studies development system (I have never heard about such education, her specialization food development system in poor countries). Every of them had an interesting story to share, in some moment I’ve been imprested of the diversity of the word; but my story is an amazing one too and it’s my own story.
•don’t criticize yourself, just accept it. In some point then we disappoint or frustrated by ourselves, we struggle to be better, to make more or to achieve more. To struggle is good, but love your self enough to accept your strength and weaknesses; make most of them with enjoying of doing even mistakes, because it’s our best teachers. I guess that one of the hard lesson for me, however step by step I’m changing my attitude and become in love with that lesson.
•Just present is a reality. I guess that point and the next one the most difficult for me so far I haven’t really learn properly yet but I’m on a way :) I realized it more and more, I tend to think and accept the reality like it is, although it is easy to say then implements that lesson in real life.
•Love is one way traffic. I’m interested of positive physiology and happy attitude to the life. On some point of my life I became to point that love to other is a very good feeling; letter I realized that love yourself (don’t be selfish, please don’t get me wrong) it’s a way to show the love to others; keep happiness though making other happy; sound good, favour enough, doesn’t it?
During the course every evening we had an audio seminar and some of them are about love; when you just give and don’t expect anything back. I thought hm… I do that, I just love people and that is a good feeling. But later during deeper explanation and I got an idea that mostly we create unhappiness by ourselves. How doest it work? We unhappy when something doesn’t happened; why? Simply because we were expecting that it must happened or we have created that in our mind. I started to analyze that actually it happened with the most close people, family, relatives, best friends etc; we do expect something get back from them, always, we attached to them and our ego wants to have back love/attention etc. I feel that is the hardest lesson which will come just with trying. But I’m glad to realize it at least, I’m on right way.
P.S. finished post, talked to my parents and my father wants to subscribe for course in Ukraine in October, so happy to give them at least a change to try it!
4 comments:
Inna, i am quite shocked by your post and by your decision to take the challenge) You're strong woman, i should say! I would think for quite long be4 taking such a challenge! Hope that you took all possible advantages you could out of it. But 10 days of keeping silence- it is really smth. Kisses babe
What was your favorite part of your vacation to Belgium?
-Jack @ Affordable Family Vacations
hey
good question OsO-Pa, I guess my favorit part when I come over everyday new challenge, like get up at 4a.m. or to keep discipline when anyone doesn't stress/push you.
Awesome! Thanks for the lead! I send it straight into the "must do" list and +10 respect points your way!
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