Ten Days Offline: What a Third Vipassana Course Revealed About Mind, Body and Reaction

Self-trust coach Andrea Tessier recently completed her third ten-day Vipassana meditation course, a program that requires participants to surrender electronic devices, observe strict silence and meditate for roughly ten hours a day. The experience, undertaken at an undisclosed Vipassana center that follows the universal format established by the late teacher S. N. Goenka, offered Tessier a close examination of physical sensation, internal dialogue and post-course behavioral change.

Program Structure and Daily Schedule

Each course begins with the collection of mobile phones and other communication tools. From that point, students follow a fixed timetable running from a 4:00 a.m. wake-up bell to a 9:00 p.m. lights-out period. Formal meditation sessions start at 4:30 a.m. and total about ten hours per day, broken into blocks separated by short breaks.

Nutritional provisions are minimal and vegetarian. Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. consists mainly of oats and fruit, while lunch at 11:00 a.m. offers a more substantial meat-free meal. New students receive fruit at teatime; returning students such as Tessier fast from lunch until the following morning. According to her account, low caloric intake combined with prolonged sitting produced no significant hunger and helped sustain concentration.

Teachings Preserved Since Goenka’s Tenure

Evenings conclude with video discourses delivered by Goenka, the Burmese-Indian businessman who introduced Vipassana to global audiences in 1969 and later founded hundreds of centers worldwide. Although Goenka died in 2013, his recorded instructions remain the sole teaching material, a policy intended to preserve consistency across more than 250 permanent facilities.

Core Technique Focused on Sensation

Vipassana, which means “to see things as they really are,” directs practitioners to move their attention systematically across bodily regions, registering each sensation—pleasant, unpleasant or neutral—without mental commentary, craving or aversion. By maintaining equanimity toward these sensations, students aim to reduce habitual reactions that, according to the tradition, cause psychological distress.

Tessier reported that prolonged stillness occasionally dissolved her perception of bodily solidity, aligning with scientific descriptions of the body as a field of subatomic particles. At times she felt as if her hands and even her entire frame had disappeared, an experience that highlighted impermanence, a central concept in Vipassana.

Confronting Internal Patterns

The absence of external stimuli exposed a wide range of mental content. Tessier mentally drafted a full book, replayed childhood memories and planned hypothetical conversations. She also observed less flattering tendencies—judgment, competitiveness and irritation—particularly toward a fellow participant whose frequent burping disrupted the quiet hall. Tessier noted intense, unexpected anger before recognizing it as another impermanent sensation to be observed rather than suppressed.

Pain, Observation and Dissolution

Physical discomfort forms a significant element of the practice. For seven days, Tessier experienced a dense band of pain along the right side of her back. Following the instruction to observe without resisting or labeling, she sat with the sensation until it vanished on the eighth day. The episode reinforced for her the impermanent nature of both pain and pleasure, a lesson frequently cited in Goenka’s discourses.

Operational Model of Vipassana Centers

Vipassana courses operate on a donation-only basis. Alumni may return as volunteers, handling cooking, cleaning and administrative duties at no charge to attendees. The model is designed to ensure that anyone, regardless of financial status, can participate. Centers describe themselves as non-religious and non-sectarian, open to individuals of all backgrounds.

Imagem: Internet

Post-Course Effects and Behavioral Changes

Upon returning home, Tessier observed measurable shifts in her reactions to daily situations. She cited calmer interactions at a family gathering with a relative who had long triggered negative emotions and an increased inclination toward generosity, including purchasing a meal for a stranger and allocating business revenue to a local food bank.

While no formal research followed her specific case, large-scale studies have linked sustained mindfulness practice with reduced stress and improved prosocial behavior. For example, the National Institutes of Health notes correlations between meditation and decreased physiological markers of anxiety, lending empirical context to her personal observations.

Not a Leisure Retreat

Tessier stresses that a Vipassana course differs from a recreational retreat. Accommodations are simple, conversation is prohibited, and participants are expected to follow the rigorous timetable without deviation. The program’s primary goal is the cultivation of equanimity rather than relaxation or entertainment.

Continuation of Practice

Graduates are advised to continue meditating for one hour each morning and evening to sustain benefits gained during the residential course. Tessier plans to integrate this recommendation as she resumes professional coaching work focused on self-trust and perfectionism.

Vipassana’s emphasis on direct personal experience rather than doctrinal belief remains its distinguishing feature. For students like Tessier, the methodology offers a repeatable framework for observing mental and physical processes, highlighting the transient nature of discomfort and, potentially, expanding behavioral choice in everyday life.

Crédito da imagem: Tiny Buddha