Meditation connects you with your soul. It gives you an enlightened view of your life, conferring undeniable physical, psychological and emotional benefits. There are various meditation techniques, each of which in its own way helps you to cultivate a mind endowed with impressive powers. Vipassana meditation is one of them. It’s an ancient Indian practice of paying continuous attention to sensation, through which we finally see the “true nature of existence”. A veritable art of living, vipassana, as taught by Buddha, aims to purify the mind. Considered millennia ago to be the universal solution to all ills, it is also an effective remedy for today’s sufferings such as stress, depression, disappointment, grief…

We take a closer look at this meditative technique, which is beginning to make a name for itself.

What is vipassana meditation?

“Vipassana” is a Pali word meaning “penetrating vision” or “seeing things truly”. The term refers to a meditation technique originating in India and based on mindfulness. In concrete terms, it consists of interconnecting body and mind by focusing attention on the five senses, which symbolize the life of the body, and on thought, which conditions the life of the mind. It is therefore a technique of self-exploration that enables us to reach the common root of body and mind.

Indeed, the aim of vipassana meditation is to explore the inner self in order to rid oneself of mental impurities, purify the mind, relieve tension and dispel negativity, replacing it with positive thoughts.

A LITTLE HISTORY
Vipassana is an ancient Indian meditation technique. It was discovered over two millennia ago by Gotama the Buddha, who taught it as a remedy for universal ills. The practice first spread to India before disappearing. However, it remains active in Burma, where it has retained its traditional form over the millennia.

Vipassana meditation was popularized again in the 1970s by the famous yoga teacher Satya Narayan Goenka. Suffering from violent migraines, he turned to Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who introduced him to vipassana. In addition to alleviating the yogi’s migraines, this practice is said to have made him calmer and more compassionate towards others.

He has been teaching vipassana ever since. Even today, this method continues to be practiced all over the world, even in some prisons. Today, some fifty centers around the world teach vipassana.

What distinguishes vipassana meditation from other meditation techniques?

The distinction between vipassana and other styles of Indian meditation is crucial. It must therefore be fully understood. Buddhism distinguishes several types of meditation, including vipassana, samatha and zazen.

SAMATHA MEDITATION
Most meditation systems emphasize the samatha component, which can be translated as “concentration” or “tranquility”. The meditator focuses his or her mind on certain elements, such as :

a prayer ;
a chant ;
a flame ;
a religious image.

As in vipassana meditation, the mind is brought to rest by concentrating on a single thing. In this way, samatha meditation excludes all other perceptions. When this is done, a profound calm invades body and mind… A state of tranquility that must be experienced to be understood.

ZAZEN MEDITATION
Zazen meditation is practiced in the lotus or half-lotus position, with back straight and eyes open or closed. Its approach is very precise, as the practitioner must pay full attention to his or her posture and breathing. The aim is to broaden awareness and develop intuition.

VIPASSANA MEDITATION
Another component of vipassana meditation is insight. Here, the meditator uses concentration as a tool to enable his inner self to chip away at the wall of illusion that separates him from the living light of reality.

It’s a gradual process of becoming aware of the inner workings of reality itself. It can take years. Then you have to work painstakingly to break down this wall until you catch a glimpse of this light. The transformation ends when this is done. It’s called “Liberation” and its effect is permanent.

Vipassana meditation as a discovery

Through this form of guided meditation, you slowly become aware of who you really are beneath the image of the ego. This constitutes a spiritual awakening that will enable you to see life as it really is. And for good reason: life has a much deeper texture than “ups and downs” when you take the trouble to look in the right direction.

A PROCESS OF SELF-DISCOVERY
You’ll learn to experience the world in a whole new way with vipassana meditation. You’ll really know what’s happening inside and around you. In this way, the benefits of this Buddhist meditation will emerge in a process of self-discovery. It’s a quest in which you observe your own experiences, participating in them as they happen.

SEE LIFE DIFFERENTLY
For the benefits of silence to materialize, the practice must be approached with the right attitude. To do this, it’s vital that you forget any theories or prejudices you may have.

Vipassana meditation, on the other hand, requires you to be in a state of mind where curiosity dominates. The desire to understand the true nature of life must be an integral part of the process. If you practice this Indian meditation with this attitude, you’ll succeed in seeing radical changes.

Vipassana: a meditation for everyone

The practice of this Buddhist meditation is not a religion, ritual or philosophical trend. So anyone can practice it, anywhere, anytime, regardless of religion, race or background.

THE BENEFITS OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION
According to its initiator, Buddha Siddharta Gotama, vipassana offers 5 benefits:

purification of the mind ;
eradication of all forms of mental suffering ;
the overcoming of grief and lament;
forgetting disappointment and physical suffering;
the attainment of supreme serenity.

Vipassana is a way of working on oneself. In this way, it leads to greater self-control and inner peace. During a session, the practitioner acquires deep self-observation, enabling him or her to understand the nature and disturbance of the mind. Vipassana meditation helps to clarify the origin of desires and frustrations.

ANTI-STRESS MEDITATION
One of the beneficial effects of vipassana is the evacuation of stress and anxiety. This internalizing meditation promotes relaxation by nurturing positive feelings. It provides a sense of well-being and instills a positive mood, reducing pessimism. In addition, vipassana puts an end to depressive symptoms by changing the practitioner’s relationship to negative stories about himself and others.

In addition, this Indian meditation is said to de-stress head muscles and stop headaches.

A REMEDY FOR ADDICTIONS
The sustained practice of vipassana also helps reduce addictive behavior. Over the long term, it is said to reduce the consumption of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other hard drugs.

ENHANCING CONCENTRATION
Like all meditative techniques, vipassana enhances concentration. This was the conclusion of a study published in 2009 by French neuroscientist Antoine Lutz. Focusing attention on breathing, sensations and thoughts helps to develop the meditator’s ability to concentrate.

How a session unfolds

Vipassana meditation is generally practiced during ten-day retreats. During this decade, meditators isolate themselves from the outside world. They don’t talk to each other, and can only address the teacher. Likewise, participants are not allowed to engage in any activity outside the framework of meditation, such as reading, writing or watching the television news. They are also bound by a moral code that requires them to abstain from sex, drugs, killing living beings and so on.

Vipassana meditation is a step-by-step process. For the first three days, meditators focus on breathing techniques to calm and concentrate. Then, they focus on physical and mental sensations, while ignoring emotions. As time goes by, the benefits of meditation become more and more accessible.

Practising vipassana alone

After the retreat, it becomes easy to access the inner self and ignore bad feelings. You will then be able to repeat the exercises on your own. If you’d like to start vipassana meditation at home :

find a quiet place to sit ;
straighten your back and relax;
close your eyes and concentrate on the contractions of your abdomen;
breathe naturally ;
notice all your sensations;
when you become distracted, notice the distraction and return to breathing;
once you’ve noticed one of these sensations, use a label like “stress” or “uncomfortable” if you prefer;
go back to concentrating on the expansion of the breath and the contraction of the abdomen ;
once you’ve finished vipassana meditation, stand up slowly;
note where you are and what you’re doing.

The meditation exercises used

Vipassana involves a variety of exercises. Here are just a few of them.

OBSERVING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ABDOMEN
This exercise is performed in a seated position, keeping your head and back straight. This posture helps you to concentrate on your breathing while observing the different stages of abdominal movement.

OBSERVING IDEAS, THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS
The idea here is to create a mental note when an intention or thought arises. For example, if during vipassana meditation you are thinking of doing something, you should label your intention as “intention”.

Similarly, if an image or representation appears, you should mentally note it as “imagination”. With this exercise, you’ll become aware of your thoughts in the present moment, without other information intruding.

OBSERVING DROWSINESS
Vipassana can make you drowsy. If so, you must become aware of this sleepiness and accept it. This transforms it into meditation.

Vipassana: meditation and discipline

The work of self-purification through introspection is not an easy one. Vipassana meditation cannot produce results without the practitioner’s own efforts. It requires the meditator to work seriously and to observe the discipline that is an integral part of meditation.

This discipline exists for the practitioner’s own protection and benefit. Respecting these rules helps to create an atmosphere conducive to meditation, while breaking them could disrupt it.

The vipassana beginner should then follow the entire program to reap its benefits. These benefits generally appear after two to three weeks of practice. Anyone wishing to take part in a vipassana meditation session must understand that it would be regrettable to leave without completing the program, simply because they find the discipline too rigorous.

FREE OF CHARGE: THE TRADITION OF PURE VIPASSANA
Vipassana, as created by the Buddha, is free from commercialism. It must be performed with pure intention. This is why all courses in this form of meditation are funded solely by donations from practitioners. The idea is to share the benefits freely with others.

Vipassana is accessible to anyone wishing to discover it. Don’t hesitate to try vipassana meditation and see for yourself the benefits.