Also see: 

• Vipassana Part 1: Getting There and About the Course
• Vipassana Part 2: My Experience on the Path of Dhamma

Tomorrow, I’m heading down to Dallas again. I’ll work from there for a few days, and then head to Kaufman, Texas, to begin an experience unlike any I’ve ever had.

I signed up for a Vipassana 10-day meditation session.

During that time, there will be no phone, no internet, no computer, no texting or FaceTime or checking the news. And no talking. Days begin at 4am and run through 9pm. The focus is each day is… nothing.

To think of nothing.

I am excited and terrified. But so looking forward to it.

About Vipassana

• Link: Vipassana Meditation

There are Vipassana centers all over the country (and world!).

The sessions are donation-based (but could be free if you don’t have resources to donate!). Lodging and meals are included. All you have to do is get yourself there.

That’s where the work starts.

It’s hard to get a handle on what exactly happens while you’re there:

• There are some some reviews from the Southern California Center on Yelp.
• I’m going to the same center Daraius from Million Mile Secrets attended. His review describes it day-by-day.
• There’s also a pretty “colorful” article about it on Vice.

The consensus seems to be: it’s a brief but difficult journey, full of sensations, and with (hopefully) life-long lessons on how to reframe your worldview. To see things as they really are.

Expectations

Setting this up was difficult. Once you realize you’ll be completely unavailable for 10 days, you start to realize how much you really do cram into your days.

I’m passing my small business responsibilities to Jay, who is also re-parking my new car.

Work has given me the time off, and I know it’ll be hard for them while I’m gone. I’m grateful for them.

I’ll miss my dog. I’ll probably miss the internet, and writing. Listening to music. Talking lol.

I’m already trying to shake off guilty feelings for leaving. And I don’t really understand why I have them.

I think, as Americans, we place ourselves under such rigid constructs that we feel guilt about leaving for 10 days. As if it’s such a long time.

I’ve been eating veggie this month (you can only eat veggie food there) and I cut way way back on my alcohol intake. I’m famously a boozehound, but I really have let it go except for the most part.

And, I’ve been doing yoga with an emphasis on back-strengthening exercises. I heard it can be painful to hold the posture for days on end.

I still don’t know what I’m hoping to get out of it. Perhaps:

• Control of my mind
• Mental clarity
• Perspective
• New skills
• Some sort of epiphany or breakthrough?

I’m approaching it blankly and humbly. So whatever happens, will happen.

Bottom line

From March 9th through 20th, 2016, Out and Out will fall silent. Literally. I’ll be at the Vipassana Meditation Center in Kaufman, Texas – meditating. For ten days.

I’ll share the experience as best I can once it’s over. Even now, I find words fail to describe what I’m feeling about the situation. But I’ll be posting until I head out.

If you’ve attended a course, how was it? That’s a short question with a long answer, but I’d love to hear about it all the same.

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