Last August after quitting my job and
ridding myself of all other obligations in the world, I was able to take some
time from what used to be my very busy and hectic life to go on 10-day Vipassana
meditation retreat. Most times I would try to explain this concept to someone
they would respond with some variation “Oh, sounds like Eat, Pray, Love.” While I feel it makes my experience seem generic,
and perhaps even a bit girly since I don’t usually personally relate to
storylines told from a female perspective, it undermined my true motives for trying it as
many assumed I was inspired by images of Julia Roberts, the lead actress in the film version of Eat, Pray, Love; Pretty
Woman; and some Hugh Grant and Richard Gere movies. While I currently feel being
compared to Julia Roberts is more of an insult than a compliment, and having never read the book or seen film, I was insulted by the notion. Perhaps someday I
will get around to watching the movie or reading the book for an
actual comparison and when I will do I might admit that it isn't such an insult. But currently that's not the case.
I think that an experience this
interesting and personal should travel by word of mouth and not be mass
marketed. But if it inspires people to take action in their life, I guess it really isn't a problem. For better or for worse that’s how good stories have been spread
since the days of the Bible. So I should probably just get used to it.
Since this whole idea is really based on my
own perceptions and experiences I really want to explain the concepts as best
as I can in my interpretation. There are web pages you can find that will
explain more about Vipassana meditation and explains it in a way perhaps more
suitable to those who teach it, particularly S.N. Goenka, the primary person responsible for establishing many of these meditation centers around the globe, but since my purpose is to retell
the story as I perceived and experienced it, I feel for this case I should
explain this in my own words. Also, just as a warning, reading this may lead you to the conclusion that I'm a crazy person, and I'm OK with that.
