THE FORUMS
Thanks for your comment and the reviews from the other posters. I'll start my 10 day vipassana retreat tomorrow and I'm really excited about it. I know it will be hard, but I am motivated to push through thanks to the reviews on the net, including this thread. (I know I should keep expectations low...)
Will report back if anyone is interested and I don't forget it .
Will report back if anyone is interested and I don't forget it .
__________________
Thanks for your comment and the reviews from the other posters. I'll start my 10 day vipassana retreat tomorrow and I'm really excited about it. I know it will be hard, but I am motivated to push through thanks to the reviews on the net, including this thread. (I know I should keep expectations low...)
Will report back if anyone is interested and I don't forget it .
Congratulations! Will report back if anyone is interested and I don't forget it .
I just came back from my retreat. It was quite confusing actually. It was the weirdest experience I have ever had, I got kicked out at day 3.
When I got there, I was immediatelly surprised by the amount of younger guys there. Some of them were cool, other were not. I talked to many people; some of them were new students like me, others were old students, who had done a retreat earlier. I noticed that most guys who were there for the second and third time weren't any confident at all, which contradicts what is being told in this topic. I was surprised really. Most of them told me they felt really calm in the period after the retreat, but then it started to fade away after one or two weeks, even though they meditated for hours a day. Most of them were truly INTO spirituality, a few even meditated three hours a day and didn't come across as being 'fucking sharp' at all. Some of the other new students were cool guys, wanting to learn how to meditate and giving it a try.
I handed over my money, keys and other stuff to the management. Keeping my phone with me was actually easy, but I didn't even turn it on once, so I might as well have handed it over. We got an intro course and then the noble silence began and we had to sleep. It was weird to not talk to the guys I got acquainted with. We were in the same sleeping hall and in the meditation hall our meditation cushers were next to each other.
Sexes were seperated. Men and women both had their own walking area, their own part of the main building, their own entrance to the meditation hall, in which men and women meditated on different sides of the hall. There was a female manager and a male manager, who was one of the dudes I talked to earlier.
The 1st day was quite challenging. Getting up at 04.00 is not something I am used to so that wasn't easy. What was even harder was trying to meditate from 4.30 to 6.30 in the meditation hall. I almost fell asleep multiple times. What was really disturbing was the 'singing' Goenka.
The 2nd day was quite challenging as well. For mostly the same reasons as day one, but somehow I had a hard time not to laugh at the 'singin' Goenka. We were told at least five times that day by both the intructor and Goenka, who was recorded on a tape and played through the speakers, to keep observing the breath. It was kind of funny how they created this guru vs subordinate- kind of vibe when communicating with the teacher. During the last meditationsession of that day, when the teacher called your name, you had to the front of the hall, where he was seated, and sit down on a small cushion below him, while he himself was seated at a higher cushion-like chair. After a while, he opened his eyed and looked at me. He was about 28 years old, which surprised me. He opened his mouth and asked "are you aware of the breath?". After that he "said, good, now let's meditate together for a while" and he closed his eyes and began to meditate. So I meditated 'with' the teacher 'together', while sitting crosslegged on a cushion which was positioned at least 50 centimetres lower than the teachers chair. I don't know why but somehow, after meditating for so long, I somehow found this to be very funny and I felt I had to laugh. Ofcourse, the hall, filled with dozens of men and women, was as quite as an empty room so the idea of bursting out in laughter while meditating 'together' with the teacher didn't seem like the best thing to do, so I held it in. Somehow from that moment on something in me changed.
During the 3th day I found myself having a hard time to surpress my laugh while there really wasn't anything funny at all. I don't know what was going on with me but I had to laugh so fucking hard. I 'survived' the meditation from 4.30 to 6.30, by going outside and back to my room at 5.30, which was allowed, and laughing outside. During the breakfast I felt a big laugh-attack rising and quickly finished my meal and almost ran outside. I went back to my room and in the middle of the empty sleeping hall, I unleashed my laughter. I hoped that would be it and I could continue to focus on the practice. But when my roommates came in a felt another one coming so I decided to take a walk outside. But just before I was able to leave the building, while I was taking my at the hallway something just snapped. While people still entering the building and walking through the hallway, I was leaning against the wall gigling and screaming like a girl while tears rolled over my cheeks. Other students started laughing as well. I broke the noble silence, when I excused myself towards them. Quickly the male manager seemed to appear out of nothing and asked me to come with him. He closed the door of his room, I explained my unusual problem, while still being out of control. Somehow he had to start laughing as well and he told me he once had the same problem, but that was during the last day of his course. He adviced me to go see the teacher and ask him about it. In the mean time I should avoid contact with other students because during his own laughing problem, he infected multiple others and it was getting out of control, and try to observe the sensation of laughter without surrendering to it. So when everyone was in the meditation hall, I was at the main building or outside, and when everyone was in the main building I stayed outside.
This went on for like three hours. I was getting quite irritated at myself too, because I wanted to follow the course like a normal student, and at the same time I felt like I was going insane. The laughter just didn't stop, I had pain in my stomach and muscles and meditating on it didn't work even a little bit, because I couldn't even keep my body still and quiet for even five seconds. I just couldn't control it. It was like an energy below my belly that was just living it's own life and taking over my whole body. I sat there, giggling, screaming, bursting like a madman. There where several times I had to cross paths with other students, because the male walking area was very linear. Only a few could keep themselves from having to laugh as well. It was like a decease I was spreading.
Finally I got to see the teacher. There were actually others waiting in line as well, but the male manager had me go first. I entered the meditation hall in which only the teacher was seated in his great chair-like cushion. I walked towards him, laughing, giggling and screaming. I tired to sit down on the subordinate-cushion, but I couldn't keep still, so I just standed. After a while I managed to explain my problem to him and he told me that this kind of meditation causes different reactions to different people, some get headaches, some want to leave and sometimes this kind of laughter occurs. He told me my problem could not be integrated in the course because I would harm the other students meditation practice, so he told me I had to leave the course. So, when the other students where meditating, I packed my bag and I had to walk for two hours to get to the bus stop, and now I'm at home typing this piece of text, my stomach hurts, I'm tired, but I honestly do not feel like I now miss something truly important.
For weeks I was excited to go and see for myself the effect of vipassana meditation on my life and ability to seduce women. I have been out of the game for about a year, but at the beginning of 2012 I decided to go out more and start approaching and seducing etc again. And lately I was getting quite good, which was making me even more excited. But now that got I kicked out today, I don't feel like it's a bad thing.
On this forum meditation is often described as something that can improve your ability to seduce women greatly. This topic convinced me to go. Myself, I meditate 20 minutes a day, sitting on the floor and focussing on a point on the wall, while observing and counting my breath. And this works. I feel a bit more focussed, and 'sharp'. Taking into account this fact, it should be the case that a vipassana course or meditating for hours a day, should make you 'truly fucking sharp'. But how is it possible that from all the old students and helping volunteers I met at the vipassana course, none of them were any confident in the least. Most of them were the insecure types that would go take a walk in the forest to enjoy nature while being insecure while around other people. One of them mentioned that the period after every vipassa course was difficult for him, because he couldn't handle the noise of daily live. Another one was a bleeding heart who said he sometimes had to cry when he saw a beautifull flower (no joke really). A lot of them were into the yada-yada world of spirituality. Before I was allowed to go get my bag, I talked to a guy who was volunteering in the kitchen, 23 years old, living in a student city, going out sometimes, had done three vipassana retreats, meditated for at least one hour daily. He wasn't 'fucking sharp' or confident at all. He could barely hold eye contact.
Seriously, I don't see ANY of the guys who were present at the vipassana confident enough to even talk to a beautiful girl for a minute, exept maybe one or two of the more relaxed new students. Honestly, I think the whole connection between meditation and seducing women is being overestimated. Sure it helps you for a bit to stay present, keeping eye contact with a smirk on your face while she is testing you and staying focussed on the goal, I experience this too. But I think this advantage can be reached by meditating only 20 minutes a day. In the end it is about being alpha, being playfull, pushing forward and all those good things and I think that meditating for three hours a day and observe every sensation and thought can do more harm than good. Why? Because it doesn't learn you how to be proactive, how to cross the comfort zone, how to push through approach anxiety. It can even make the approach anxiety appear ten times stronger if you are so tuned in to your bodily sensation. Being proactive? Sitting and observing for hours and hours, to me, seems more likely to turn you into some passive observer instead of an strong action oriented person.
But then, I got kicked out, so who am I?
So what did I get out of my short vipassana experience, I have had a fun experience and a very nice story to tell. The teacher told me that I could perhaps come back after I meditated enough so that I could integrate my practice into a vipassana course (that is without having excessive laughter), but I think I'll pass.
I'm tired and I'm going to bed,
Greetz
When I got there, I was immediatelly surprised by the amount of younger guys there. Some of them were cool, other were not. I talked to many people; some of them were new students like me, others were old students, who had done a retreat earlier. I noticed that most guys who were there for the second and third time weren't any confident at all, which contradicts what is being told in this topic. I was surprised really. Most of them told me they felt really calm in the period after the retreat, but then it started to fade away after one or two weeks, even though they meditated for hours a day. Most of them were truly INTO spirituality, a few even meditated three hours a day and didn't come across as being 'fucking sharp' at all. Some of the other new students were cool guys, wanting to learn how to meditate and giving it a try.
I handed over my money, keys and other stuff to the management. Keeping my phone with me was actually easy, but I didn't even turn it on once, so I might as well have handed it over. We got an intro course and then the noble silence began and we had to sleep. It was weird to not talk to the guys I got acquainted with. We were in the same sleeping hall and in the meditation hall our meditation cushers were next to each other.
Sexes were seperated. Men and women both had their own walking area, their own part of the main building, their own entrance to the meditation hall, in which men and women meditated on different sides of the hall. There was a female manager and a male manager, who was one of the dudes I talked to earlier.
The 1st day was quite challenging. Getting up at 04.00 is not something I am used to so that wasn't easy. What was even harder was trying to meditate from 4.30 to 6.30 in the meditation hall. I almost fell asleep multiple times. What was really disturbing was the 'singing' Goenka.
The 2nd day was quite challenging as well. For mostly the same reasons as day one, but somehow I had a hard time not to laugh at the 'singin' Goenka. We were told at least five times that day by both the intructor and Goenka, who was recorded on a tape and played through the speakers, to keep observing the breath. It was kind of funny how they created this guru vs subordinate- kind of vibe when communicating with the teacher. During the last meditationsession of that day, when the teacher called your name, you had to the front of the hall, where he was seated, and sit down on a small cushion below him, while he himself was seated at a higher cushion-like chair. After a while, he opened his eyed and looked at me. He was about 28 years old, which surprised me. He opened his mouth and asked "are you aware of the breath?". After that he "said, good, now let's meditate together for a while" and he closed his eyes and began to meditate. So I meditated 'with' the teacher 'together', while sitting crosslegged on a cushion which was positioned at least 50 centimetres lower than the teachers chair. I don't know why but somehow, after meditating for so long, I somehow found this to be very funny and I felt I had to laugh. Ofcourse, the hall, filled with dozens of men and women, was as quite as an empty room so the idea of bursting out in laughter while meditating 'together' with the teacher didn't seem like the best thing to do, so I held it in. Somehow from that moment on something in me changed.
During the 3th day I found myself having a hard time to surpress my laugh while there really wasn't anything funny at all. I don't know what was going on with me but I had to laugh so fucking hard. I 'survived' the meditation from 4.30 to 6.30, by going outside and back to my room at 5.30, which was allowed, and laughing outside. During the breakfast I felt a big laugh-attack rising and quickly finished my meal and almost ran outside. I went back to my room and in the middle of the empty sleeping hall, I unleashed my laughter. I hoped that would be it and I could continue to focus on the practice. But when my roommates came in a felt another one coming so I decided to take a walk outside. But just before I was able to leave the building, while I was taking my at the hallway something just snapped. While people still entering the building and walking through the hallway, I was leaning against the wall gigling and screaming like a girl while tears rolled over my cheeks. Other students started laughing as well. I broke the noble silence, when I excused myself towards them. Quickly the male manager seemed to appear out of nothing and asked me to come with him. He closed the door of his room, I explained my unusual problem, while still being out of control. Somehow he had to start laughing as well and he told me he once had the same problem, but that was during the last day of his course. He adviced me to go see the teacher and ask him about it. In the mean time I should avoid contact with other students because during his own laughing problem, he infected multiple others and it was getting out of control, and try to observe the sensation of laughter without surrendering to it. So when everyone was in the meditation hall, I was at the main building or outside, and when everyone was in the main building I stayed outside.
This went on for like three hours. I was getting quite irritated at myself too, because I wanted to follow the course like a normal student, and at the same time I felt like I was going insane. The laughter just didn't stop, I had pain in my stomach and muscles and meditating on it didn't work even a little bit, because I couldn't even keep my body still and quiet for even five seconds. I just couldn't control it. It was like an energy below my belly that was just living it's own life and taking over my whole body. I sat there, giggling, screaming, bursting like a madman. There where several times I had to cross paths with other students, because the male walking area was very linear. Only a few could keep themselves from having to laugh as well. It was like a decease I was spreading.
Finally I got to see the teacher. There were actually others waiting in line as well, but the male manager had me go first. I entered the meditation hall in which only the teacher was seated in his great chair-like cushion. I walked towards him, laughing, giggling and screaming. I tired to sit down on the subordinate-cushion, but I couldn't keep still, so I just standed. After a while I managed to explain my problem to him and he told me that this kind of meditation causes different reactions to different people, some get headaches, some want to leave and sometimes this kind of laughter occurs. He told me my problem could not be integrated in the course because I would harm the other students meditation practice, so he told me I had to leave the course. So, when the other students where meditating, I packed my bag and I had to walk for two hours to get to the bus stop, and now I'm at home typing this piece of text, my stomach hurts, I'm tired, but I honestly do not feel like I now miss something truly important.
For weeks I was excited to go and see for myself the effect of vipassana meditation on my life and ability to seduce women. I have been out of the game for about a year, but at the beginning of 2012 I decided to go out more and start approaching and seducing etc again. And lately I was getting quite good, which was making me even more excited. But now that got I kicked out today, I don't feel like it's a bad thing.
On this forum meditation is often described as something that can improve your ability to seduce women greatly. This topic convinced me to go. Myself, I meditate 20 minutes a day, sitting on the floor and focussing on a point on the wall, while observing and counting my breath. And this works. I feel a bit more focussed, and 'sharp'. Taking into account this fact, it should be the case that a vipassana course or meditating for hours a day, should make you 'truly fucking sharp'. But how is it possible that from all the old students and helping volunteers I met at the vipassana course, none of them were any confident in the least. Most of them were the insecure types that would go take a walk in the forest to enjoy nature while being insecure while around other people. One of them mentioned that the period after every vipassa course was difficult for him, because he couldn't handle the noise of daily live. Another one was a bleeding heart who said he sometimes had to cry when he saw a beautifull flower (no joke really). A lot of them were into the yada-yada world of spirituality. Before I was allowed to go get my bag, I talked to a guy who was volunteering in the kitchen, 23 years old, living in a student city, going out sometimes, had done three vipassana retreats, meditated for at least one hour daily. He wasn't 'fucking sharp' or confident at all. He could barely hold eye contact.
Seriously, I don't see ANY of the guys who were present at the vipassana confident enough to even talk to a beautiful girl for a minute, exept maybe one or two of the more relaxed new students. Honestly, I think the whole connection between meditation and seducing women is being overestimated. Sure it helps you for a bit to stay present, keeping eye contact with a smirk on your face while she is testing you and staying focussed on the goal, I experience this too. But I think this advantage can be reached by meditating only 20 minutes a day. In the end it is about being alpha, being playfull, pushing forward and all those good things and I think that meditating for three hours a day and observe every sensation and thought can do more harm than good. Why? Because it doesn't learn you how to be proactive, how to cross the comfort zone, how to push through approach anxiety. It can even make the approach anxiety appear ten times stronger if you are so tuned in to your bodily sensation. Being proactive? Sitting and observing for hours and hours, to me, seems more likely to turn you into some passive observer instead of an strong action oriented person.
But then, I got kicked out, so who am I?
So what did I get out of my short vipassana experience, I have had a fun experience and a very nice story to tell. The teacher told me that I could perhaps come back after I meditated enough so that I could integrate my practice into a vipassana course (that is without having excessive laughter), but I think I'll pass.
I'm tired and I'm going to bed,
Greetz
hilarious I found this thread on rsd.
Two months ago a good friend of mine referred me to a vipassanna retreat and told me they run one close to where I live. I signed up and will be going june 20th.
I don't know if anyone else experiments with psychedelics but I will be taking 4 hits of lsd up for day 8 and 9, I may or may not take depending on how I feel. I'll get back canada day for one of our cities craziest days of the year... im interested to see if going straight from lsd/meditation -> pickup makes me this ego transcended god or just fucking retarded.
Two months ago a good friend of mine referred me to a vipassanna retreat and told me they run one close to where I live. I signed up and will be going june 20th.
I don't know if anyone else experiments with psychedelics but I will be taking 4 hits of lsd up for day 8 and 9, I may or may not take depending on how I feel. I'll get back canada day for one of our cities craziest days of the year... im interested to see if going straight from lsd/meditation -> pickup makes me this ego transcended god or just fucking retarded.
__________________
discipline, cool story read every word and loved it.
ilb, interested in your lsd to pickup experience. let me know when you post about it.
ilb, interested in your lsd to pickup experience. let me know when you post about it.
__________________
JUST FUCKING DO IT
Seriously, just fucking do it.
My complete transformation:
http://www.rsdnation.com/node/209686
Seriously, just fucking do it.
My complete transformation:
http://www.rsdnation.com/node/209686
Mostly as a result of meditating for the last year or two, I feel like I've overcome a lot of sort of narcissistic and avoidance type behaviors and become very empathetic.
I can read people, understand them, sympathize, and connect much deeper and easier now. I literally can't hold a grudge, it's practically impossible. I forgive everyone because I know how little control they have and how shaped their mind/actions are by life and repetition.
I do better with women too, more confident, less reactive, etc.
As a "downside" though, I experience emotions a lot more fully, and this definately includes the bad ones. I cry sometimes (WOULD NEVER DO THIS SHIT BEFORE) when bad shit happens, I feel sorry for people a lot due to the empathy and often sad nature of life, etc. Such as recently a girl I'd been sleeping with for a month broke things off with me, and now I'm worried about hurting HER feelings by bringing another girl around to our group of friends a week later. I would never think like that before, I'd be all "fuck yeah gonna make her jealous and bang this new chick, maybe bang old later due to jealousy interest spike". Not sure which is better to be honest, the latter would probably feel better in some ways lol.
I can read people, understand them, sympathize, and connect much deeper and easier now. I literally can't hold a grudge, it's practically impossible. I forgive everyone because I know how little control they have and how shaped their mind/actions are by life and repetition.
I do better with women too, more confident, less reactive, etc.
As a "downside" though, I experience emotions a lot more fully, and this definately includes the bad ones. I cry sometimes (WOULD NEVER DO THIS SHIT BEFORE) when bad shit happens, I feel sorry for people a lot due to the empathy and often sad nature of life, etc. Such as recently a girl I'd been sleeping with for a month broke things off with me, and now I'm worried about hurting HER feelings by bringing another girl around to our group of friends a week later. I would never think like that before, I'd be all "fuck yeah gonna make her jealous and bang this new chick, maybe bang old later due to jealousy interest spike". Not sure which is better to be honest, the latter would probably feel better in some ways lol.
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Hey guys
I tried meditation for the first time yesterday and it was great while I was meditating, I totally felt present and all that stuff. However after that I felt more in my head then I had before meditating, I started thinking about all the problems I was effected with in my life and just started feeling more paranoid. Is it always like this when you start meditating, any theories?
I tried meditation for the first time yesterday and it was great while I was meditating, I totally felt present and all that stuff. However after that I felt more in my head then I had before meditating, I started thinking about all the problems I was effected with in my life and just started feeling more paranoid. Is it always like this when you start meditating, any theories?
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[='Comic Sans MS'][/]
[='Comic Sans MS'][/]
I did my vipassana retreat some weeks ago. enough time has passed to give a review with some emotional distance.
First of all: Don't expect wonders! It's not realistic to assume you'll be the uber-seducer after spending 10 days in a meditation hall. You'll learn no social skills. It can change your state of mind, but don't get excited. I read a lot of reviews before my retreat and also had high expectations. In retrospect it wasn't like that. I have two reasons for such enthusiastic review.
1) people writing reviews shortly after the retreat are still of positive energy and enthusiasm. This will go away after a few weeks. This energy is not from the meditation but from the good feeling to have done it, succeeded. It's still a retreat. If you'll go on a retreat without meditation, you'll still get some energy from it. That was not the kind of effect I was looking for.
2) for some people such a retreat may cause a big shift of their perspective on themselves and life in general. That wasn't the case for me. Self improvement, meditation, psychology and Buddhist philosophy are my 'hobbies'. So the retreat was no eye opener for me.
You can read all over the internet what happens at the retreat so I'll focus on the effects on me.
The retreat causes a light sensory deprivation. This can be irritating at first when you come back to a hectic and loud environment (city). Since it lasted only one day it wasn't a problem. Still the deprivation had some nice effects: you're more aware. sounds seem to be louder, colors brighter. I noticed things I did not see before although I was passing them daily. It's like a very soft LSD-trip. This effect lasted one week.
The effects on my mind were more important to me. I felt more calm. It was/is a distinct effect. I walk more slowly outside, noticing people and the environment. I am more present in the here and now.
In the retreat you learn to observe your body sensations. And you learn not to react or to judge these sensations. This is the most useful effect of the retreat regarding pickup and approach anxiety. For me it's now much easier to stop negative thinking and go for the approach. feel the fear and do it anyway. If you see a beautiful girl on the street you notice your heart starts to beat stronger, you may feel heat and restlessness/stress. You learn to acknowledge these feelings, to stay present and to do what you aim for. approach. It's rarely easy but easier than before the retreat.
Anyway, the retreat is hard work and to go on with mediation as required is much harder. The retreat has no everlasting effect.
It's very easy to get soaked into your daily grind. that's why you should meditate one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, each day! I don't have that much time, but I try it whenever possible. And doing the daily meditation for several days in a row is very beneficial for me. You can't meditate too much.
To sum it up, the retreat was a very special experience and I gained some insights and benefits. But it is only a motivator and a kick off for a serious meditation practice. A continuous mediation routine will improve life in the long run.
First of all: Don't expect wonders! It's not realistic to assume you'll be the uber-seducer after spending 10 days in a meditation hall. You'll learn no social skills. It can change your state of mind, but don't get excited. I read a lot of reviews before my retreat and also had high expectations. In retrospect it wasn't like that. I have two reasons for such enthusiastic review.
1) people writing reviews shortly after the retreat are still of positive energy and enthusiasm. This will go away after a few weeks. This energy is not from the meditation but from the good feeling to have done it, succeeded. It's still a retreat. If you'll go on a retreat without meditation, you'll still get some energy from it. That was not the kind of effect I was looking for.
2) for some people such a retreat may cause a big shift of their perspective on themselves and life in general. That wasn't the case for me. Self improvement, meditation, psychology and Buddhist philosophy are my 'hobbies'. So the retreat was no eye opener for me.
You can read all over the internet what happens at the retreat so I'll focus on the effects on me.
The retreat causes a light sensory deprivation. This can be irritating at first when you come back to a hectic and loud environment (city). Since it lasted only one day it wasn't a problem. Still the deprivation had some nice effects: you're more aware. sounds seem to be louder, colors brighter. I noticed things I did not see before although I was passing them daily. It's like a very soft LSD-trip. This effect lasted one week.
The effects on my mind were more important to me. I felt more calm. It was/is a distinct effect. I walk more slowly outside, noticing people and the environment. I am more present in the here and now.
In the retreat you learn to observe your body sensations. And you learn not to react or to judge these sensations. This is the most useful effect of the retreat regarding pickup and approach anxiety. For me it's now much easier to stop negative thinking and go for the approach. feel the fear and do it anyway. If you see a beautiful girl on the street you notice your heart starts to beat stronger, you may feel heat and restlessness/stress. You learn to acknowledge these feelings, to stay present and to do what you aim for. approach. It's rarely easy but easier than before the retreat.
Anyway, the retreat is hard work and to go on with mediation as required is much harder. The retreat has no everlasting effect.
It's very easy to get soaked into your daily grind. that's why you should meditate one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, each day! I don't have that much time, but I try it whenever possible. And doing the daily meditation for several days in a row is very beneficial for me. You can't meditate too much.
To sum it up, the retreat was a very special experience and I gained some insights and benefits. But it is only a motivator and a kick off for a serious meditation practice. A continuous mediation routine will improve life in the long run.
__________________
i also went on the 4th. was yours also near barrie, ontario? if so, who are you! we might know each other!
or you can PM me if you prefer :)
btw i also didnt get much awesomeness out of it. im glad its over with, i was really counting down the days. in your case you seem to have still gotten some out of it, i didnt notice those things like noise and colors and all that, but maybe that's because my house is very quiet and im not working these days so dont go out all that much.
or you can PM me if you prefer :)
btw i also didnt get much awesomeness out of it. im glad its over with, i was really counting down the days. in your case you seem to have still gotten some out of it, i didnt notice those things like noise and colors and all that, but maybe that's because my house is very quiet and im not working these days so dont go out all that much.
I did my vipassana retreat some weeks ago. enough time has passed to give a review with some emotional distance.
First of all: Don't expect wonders! It's not realistic to assume you'll be the uber-seducer after spending 10 days in a meditation hall. You'll learn no social skills. It can change your state of mind, but don't get excited. I read a lot of reviews before my retreat and also had high expectations. In retrospect it wasn't like that. I have two reasons for such enthusiastic review.
1) people writing reviews shortly after the retreat are still of positive energy and enthusiasm. This will go away after a few weeks. This energy is not from the meditation but from the good feeling to have done it, succeeded. It's still a retreat. If you'll go on a retreat without meditation, you'll still get some energy from it. That was not the kind of effect I was looking for.
2) for some people such a retreat may cause a big shift of their perspective on themselves and life in general. That wasn't the case for me. Self improvement, meditation, psychology and Buddhist philosophy are my 'hobbies'. So the retreat was no eye opener for me.
You can read all over the internet what happens at the retreat so I'll focus on the effects on me.
The retreat causes a light sensory deprivation. This can be irritating at first when you come back to a hectic and loud environment (city). Since it lasted only one day it wasn't a problem. Still the deprivation had some nice effects: you're more aware. sounds seem to be louder, colors brighter. I noticed things I did not see before although I was passing them daily. It's like a very soft LSD-trip. This effect lasted one week.
The effects on my mind were more important to me. I felt more calm. It was/is a distinct effect. I walk more slowly outside, noticing people and the environment. I am more present in the here and now.
In the retreat you learn to observe your body sensations. And you learn not to react or to judge these sensations. This is the most useful effect of the retreat regarding pickup and approach anxiety. For me it's now much easier to stop negative thinking and go for the approach. feel the fear and do it anyway. If you see a beautiful girl on the street you notice your heart starts to beat stronger, you may feel heat and restlessness/stress. You learn to acknowledge these feelings, to stay present and to do what you aim for. approach. It's rarely easy but easier than before the retreat.
Anyway, the retreat is hard work and to go on with mediation as required is much harder. The retreat has no everlasting effect.
It's very easy to get soaked into your daily grind. that's why you should meditate one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, each day! I don't have that much time, but I try it whenever possible. And doing the daily meditation for several days in a row is very beneficial for me. You can't meditate too much.
To sum it up, the retreat was a very special experience and I gained some insights and benefits. But it is only a motivator and a kick off for a serious meditation practice. A continuous mediation routine will improve life in the long run.
First of all: Don't expect wonders! It's not realistic to assume you'll be the uber-seducer after spending 10 days in a meditation hall. You'll learn no social skills. It can change your state of mind, but don't get excited. I read a lot of reviews before my retreat and also had high expectations. In retrospect it wasn't like that. I have two reasons for such enthusiastic review.
1) people writing reviews shortly after the retreat are still of positive energy and enthusiasm. This will go away after a few weeks. This energy is not from the meditation but from the good feeling to have done it, succeeded. It's still a retreat. If you'll go on a retreat without meditation, you'll still get some energy from it. That was not the kind of effect I was looking for.
2) for some people such a retreat may cause a big shift of their perspective on themselves and life in general. That wasn't the case for me. Self improvement, meditation, psychology and Buddhist philosophy are my 'hobbies'. So the retreat was no eye opener for me.
You can read all over the internet what happens at the retreat so I'll focus on the effects on me.
The retreat causes a light sensory deprivation. This can be irritating at first when you come back to a hectic and loud environment (city). Since it lasted only one day it wasn't a problem. Still the deprivation had some nice effects: you're more aware. sounds seem to be louder, colors brighter. I noticed things I did not see before although I was passing them daily. It's like a very soft LSD-trip. This effect lasted one week.
The effects on my mind were more important to me. I felt more calm. It was/is a distinct effect. I walk more slowly outside, noticing people and the environment. I am more present in the here and now.
In the retreat you learn to observe your body sensations. And you learn not to react or to judge these sensations. This is the most useful effect of the retreat regarding pickup and approach anxiety. For me it's now much easier to stop negative thinking and go for the approach. feel the fear and do it anyway. If you see a beautiful girl on the street you notice your heart starts to beat stronger, you may feel heat and restlessness/stress. You learn to acknowledge these feelings, to stay present and to do what you aim for. approach. It's rarely easy but easier than before the retreat.
Anyway, the retreat is hard work and to go on with mediation as required is much harder. The retreat has no everlasting effect.
It's very easy to get soaked into your daily grind. that's why you should meditate one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, each day! I don't have that much time, but I try it whenever possible. And doing the daily meditation for several days in a row is very beneficial for me. You can't meditate too much.
To sum it up, the retreat was a very special experience and I gained some insights and benefits. But it is only a motivator and a kick off for a serious meditation practice. A continuous mediation routine will improve life in the long run.
brotanks7
Junior Member
Join Date: 11/01/2011 | Posts: 25
As soon as you are done with the 10 days you feel like you are on cloud 9.
I have been trying to keep up with it everyday. Atleast an hour of mediation a day.
I recommend Vipassana mediation it was awesome I have been back from the real world adjusting to it.
I feel way more relaxed about everything I guess things dont bug me as much anymore. I still try to meditate. atleast an hour a day. I feel it really helps my day run smoother.
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