I'm going to do 100 hrs of Meditation in 10 Days

Kaal Raam

🔥

Mar 28 • 📰 Newsletter

Months ago, one of the Advisory members made this post (attached below).

When I read it, I thought "that's something I want to do someday".

But instead of putting it off for "someday", I decided to exercise my agency.

I will be going on Monday.

=== ORIGINAL POST ===

Credits: Ari N.

Yes, it’s true. I meditated for 10 days straight. In this post, I recap my lifechanging experience with a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation course.

TLDR: I completed a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat (completely free, no phones/talking, 10+ hours of daily meditation). It taught me that my reactions to life cause my suffering, not life itself, and I’m noticeably less miserable and reactive now. It’s the practical application of Stoicism we all talk about but rarely practice.

🧘 CONTEXT

Have you ever fantasized about just dropping everything and becoming a mindful monk?

A 10-day Vipassana meditation course (which actually spans 12 calendar days) gives you a true taste of that life. These courses are COMPLETELY FREE to anyone. You are provided with delicious food and comfortable accommodations so that you can dedicate 100% of your energy toward the practice.

Vipassana is:

A technique to help eradicate the suffering you face on a daily basis (even the suffering you aren't yet conscious of).

A method of mental purification that allows you to face life’s tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.

An "art of living" that you can use to make positive contributions to society.

To keep the environment pure, no reading or writing materials, phones, verbal or non-verbal communication with other students, outside food, intoxicants, or nicotine are allowed during the course.

🧘 THE EXPERIENCE

On the first day, you arrive in the late afternoon, share a light meal, gather for a teaching session, and end the evening with your first group meditation. (The first image below is of the meditation hall, and the second is of the Pagoda at the center).

Bedtime is between 9:00 and 9:30 pm, and you are awoken by a bell at 4:00 am sharp. The first meditation of the day begins at 4:30 am. (See the third image for the full course timetable).

For the first three days, you learn simply to focus on the breath. Contrary to other meditation apps or YouTube videos, this technique is very specific. You must focus only on the triangular area above the upper lip through to the bridge of the nose. You must not control your breathing; instead, you focus only on the physical sensations of the natural breath, whether that is heat, cold, tingling, or itching. You do not use any verbalizations (like "Om") or visualizations. It is simply the breath. The purpose is to sharpen your mind until you can feel even the subtlest sensations on your body.

For the remainder of the course, you learn the actual technique of Vipassana. The goal is freedom from suffering by taking ownership of the suffering you cause yourself. Yes, someone might be an asshole toward you, but the suffering you experience is actually caused by your own reaction to them.

When you are sitting for an hour and your legs begin burning with pain, you learn to remain equanimous, meaning you have no craving for the pain to stop and no aversion to the discomfort. You just observe the physical sensation (the throbbing, heat, or tingling).

As you deepen your practice, you build equanimity within your mind through your own experience. While there are lectures and guidance, you are ultimately instructed not to believe anything the teachers say until you experience it for yourself. There is no indoctrination, and it is completely compatible with whatever religion or spiritual creed you choose to follow.

Finally, on the last day, you learn a technique called metta bhavana, which helps you develop a sense of compassion for the world around you.

If anyone has read The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida, this is a practical way to "give your gifts" to the world. Ultimately, a man’s job is to make the world around him better, whether that’s his family, community, or country. Through Vipassana, you learn to manage your own negativity so it doesn't infect others, allowing you to bring more kindness and presence to your family.

🧘 HOW MY LIFE HAS CHANGED

It’s been about four weeks since I completed the course. Overall, it was a life-changing experience, and I plan on doing another course next year. Here is how I’ve changed:

➡️I am less miserable. People who used to bother me don't get under my skin as much. I can make more conscious decisions. For example, a coworker I found difficult used to make me incredibly angry. I could hide it, but I was boiling and miserable on the inside. Now, I simply remain at peace with his existence and feel a sense of compassion for him. I just hope he eventually moves past his own ignorance.

➡️I don't spread my negativity. While home for the holidays, I noticed my sister’s snarky comments didn't trigger me. I had no internal reaction and was able to keep a positive demeanor and keeps everyone happy and peaceful.

➡️People have mentioned that I seem like a more chill, positive person.

For me, Vipassana removed a lot of suffering, but it did not add any motivation or energy. It is not a silver bullet to solve every problem. My next focus will be on building genuine motivation and clarity now that the cloud of negativity has been lifted.

🧘 MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS

The way I react to things is the root cause of the misery in my life. I can control that reaction by being mindful of the physical sensations in my body.

Aim for decisive action rather than impulsive reactions.

Wisdom is only gained through experience. You can listen to podcasts and watch videos all day, but you’ll never truly gain wisdom until you put in the effort to experience life for yourself.

Vipassana is a "missing piece" for many men. We talk a lot about the theory of Stoicism, but we rarely have a concrete technique for actually developing it.

🧘 WHY YOU SHOULD DO A 10-DAY COURSE

Freedom: Gain a deeper understanding of your unconscious reactions.

Reduction in suffering: Stop being a slave to your own temper or misery.

Masculinity: Learn through direct experience how to be stoic and present. We read about Stoicism constantly. We talk about "controlling our emotions." But reading Marcus Aurelius is theory. Vipassana is practice.

A true "Dopamine Detox" and "Monk Mode"

🧘 HOW TO SIGN UP

Find a center near you: dhamma.org/en-US/locations/directory

Check the schedule and note the sign-up time. Courses fill up fast, so you need to apply the moment the window opens.

That’s it.

More Info: dhamma.org/en-US/about/vipassanaCenter Map: dhamma.org/en-US/maps#001

⁉️ TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS

When will you do your first Vipassana?

What questions do you have about the experience?

What are you skeptical about?

Do good work everyone,

=== END TRANSMISSION ===