Getting started with Vipassana – An insight from practitioners

The physical and mental health benefits offered by age-old practices like Vipassana meditation have been much talked about. From academicians to athletes, entrepreneurs and more, people from all walks of life have been adopting Vipassana as part of their lifestyle.

However, for many, the question of how to start with Vipassana meditation still remains. Talking about getting started with this practice, Fred Barstein, Consulting Editor at RPA Convergence was quoted saying, “I tell them to go on a 10-day retreat.

They then ask if there’s anything else, and I say ‘No, that’s it,’ because it’s very intense.” An editor by profession, Barstein is also enthusiastic about Vipassana meditation and he takes up many meditation-related questions at financial advisor conferences to help professionals lead a more ‘fulfilling and peaceful’ life.

While the perks of Vipassana are much talked about, not everyone is willing to go on a 10-day retreat where one will not have access to books, phones, internets, etc. “For beginners, Vipassana meditation can be physically as well as mentally taxing,” says Rajat Khare, an active Vipassana practitioner. However, by the end of the retreat, the mental peace and state of mind you will have achieved, is inexplicable, he added.

Like everyone else, Khare said that he too was anxious during his initial days.  “By focusing on the present and accepting emotions for what they really are instead of getting swayed by them, you will slowly get there,” added Rajat Khare.

It’s ironic how most of us want to enjoy the fruit but fear from the toils and hardships we will have to go through, to achieve it. Just like everything else, the journey of Vipassana will also involve frustration, resentment, irritation, and all sorts of negative emotions. However, the key is to be patient and committed to the goal you are seeking to achieve.