Vipassana Meditation

In the Indian culture, the word Vipassana translates into ‘to see things clearly,’ or to see things in their true form. It has to do with deliberation and contemplation about yourself, and allow time for reflection on your path in life, and the current state of your well being.

Vipassana meditation is a form of meditation that is intended to allow the meditator to see things differently than they did outside of their meditative state. The point of meditation in general, especially Vipassana meditation, is to see things from a different point of view. The idea is that when you are actually in your meditative state, you are able to look deeper inside of yourself and make a connection between your mental being and your physical being, two parts of one’s self that are viewed in this circumstance as two different selves.

Vipassana meditation was discovered and taught by Buddha thousands of years ago. It was passed down to his people as a way of healing illnesses of the body and mind; it was viewed as a manner of purging the body and the spirit of impurities and toxins. In this sense, Vipassana meditation is often used by people with a Buddhist background and otherwise; these days meditation is not a practice that is performed solely by people of Buddhist background or any sectarian background at all; it is more of a way of self healing and self analysis that people use, rather than a solid piece of medical advice.

As far as learning more about Vipassana meditation goes, it is recommended that you seek a professional to help you learn the proper way to go about it. It is okay to do it yourself, but if you are looking to achieve the full purification of one's self, and proper reflection and rumination on the meditation, it is recommended that you learn the proper way to go about Vipassana meditation. There are resources you have in your community, in the Buddhist culture and otherwise, who can assist you with learning the proper way to fully conduct the proper Vipassana mediation procedures.

Vipassana meditation is an effective way of healing the body from ailments both mental and physical; it is an effective stress reliever and can help to drastically increase ones self awareness and awareness of their surroundings and the impact their environment has on ones state of mind.

Method

It is usually done in a course of 10 days, when the participants refrain from reading, writing, and even talking (except discussing difficulties faced during meditation with the teacher). Set aside 15 minutes. Find a quiet place. Sit down cross-legged on the floor or a chair with a straight back. Become aware of your breath. Take a mental note of whatever feeling you are experiencing. Open your eyes slowly after 10 or 15 minutes and get up gradually. Do not worry if you do not get any great insights in your first session. Try to be aware of your senses and emotions and their impact on you.

Benefits

It is free of rites. Allows one to study sensation in the body like cold, pain, itching etc. One develops wisdom.