Goenka Light Retreat

[rideforever]

Hi, I just got back from a 2 week self-styled Goenka light retreat, and wanted to share it.

Well it was really good, I feel ok, not too unsteady or anything.  And did some deep meditation.

So, I just downloaded the Goenka evening discourses and went to an FWBO (UK) retreat centre and did it my way, followed Goenka's instructions.  I sat in an armchair, and did about 6 hours a day for the first week and about 3 hours a day the second week.  Also I had dinner every everning which was provided, and ... only half the retreat was silent.

So, Goenka light really.  I was very suprised by Goenka, he really has a wonderful passion and I loved listening to his discourses on Sila very much, I was suprised by the passion.  And I was also suprised (how many r's in suprise ?) by the technique ... after all the talk of Goenka's heinous meditations I was expecting some death-meditation intense focus on maximum suffering thing ... but it was body scanning.  Hmm Okay, not so bad.  And I felt it working as well, I felt that my mind grew more and more subtle and could feel the energy of the body together and felt restructuring occurring in the head.

In the 2nd week (once established in the technique) I started focussing on my trauma history which is my current focus.  So I would ramp up the mind's subtlety with 2 hours of Goenka technique, and then contemplate my history / traumas, using this newfound power.  And frankly, it worked.  I have managed to track all the traumas down to one point of origin, and that point of origin I still need to investigate / integrate.  This is a tremendous gift for me and I hope it will bear fruit (sweet mangoes).

Also I spoke to my therapist after 7 days and had a nice cry, and my brother after 10 days, and had another cry.

When it was difficult to get into a concentrated state I would cut the samatha every 15 minutes and do 2 minutes of just sitting ( in order to release my clinging urgency and relax ) and then begin again.  I found this very effective, and sometimes came out of just sitting and went straight into a deeply concentrated samatha.

I also practiced metta bhavana (warm regard to yourself) first and last thing in the day.

So, this works for me.

[Quardamon]

Wonderful. I am glad to hear this, Rideforever.
Warmly,
Quardamon

[kidnovice]

Well done, RF! Your post is extremely inspiring. I am completely impressed with the skillfulness (and self-reliance) with which you practiced. That's just awesome.

Much metta,
KN

[Morning Dew]

This is a tremendous gift for me and I hope it will bear fruit (sweet mangoes).

I sure hope this to come to be my friend 

And I felt it working as well, I felt that my mind grew more and more subtle and could feel the energy of the body together and felt restructuring occurring in the head....
When it was difficult to get into a concentrated state I would cut the samatha every 15 minutes and do 2 minutes of just sitting ( in order to release my clinging urgency and relax ) and then begin again.  I found this very effective, and sometimes came out of just sitting and went straight into a deeply concentrated samatha.

I am so glad you have found your way, I realy deeply am.

So, this works for me

I can feel through your writing that it does    Good man RF

Che

[Matthew]

Good on you RF.

And thank you for sharing your experiences.

Warm regards,

M

[rideforever]

Thanks everybody for your kind words and support in what I am doing.  It feel very good to hear.

[torgeir]

Sounds like you're ready to take the plunge into a 'proper' 10 day organized intensive at a Vipassana center!
You will have all the benefits of a 'light' course, and much more...

[Vivek]

Inspiring, RF. Truly wonderful.