Awakening Journeys Through Vipassana Meditation
Meditation isn’t new, yet it has emerged as the กwellness phenomenon of the decade. Through the digital landscape of social media and online communities, this timeless practice has reconnected with younger audiences— particularly millennials and Gen Z. What was once considered esoteric has transformed into a coveted cornerstone of morning routines worldwide.
But meditation stands apart from the fleeting wellness fads.
The evidence is compelling: research consistently shows that just 10-15 minutes of quiet solitude dramatically enhances mental health and overall wellbeing. In our overstimulated world, few practices offer meditation’s powerful combination of stress reduction, enhanced mental clarity, and profound inner calm.
By now, the practice has become thoroughly mainstream and digitized. Tens of millions have turned to meditation and mindfulness apps like Headspace and Calm to start their days. But many have gone even further, travelling for over more than 24 hours to the other side of the world to undergo mind training, away from comfort and fun.
Early this year, a diverse group of Westerners were enrolled in two Vipassana Meditation courses at Bodhidhammayan Retreat, Kaeng Khoi district, Saraburi province, which is about 100 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Nestled in the Khao Phra Phutthabat Noi Valley, the retreat was built 14 years ago by Vipassana Master Acharavadee Wongsakon, founder andpresident of Knowing Buddha, a non-profit organization working on ending commercialization of Buddhism and Buddhist symbols. Master Acharavadee has practiced Vipassana meditation for about two decades, having more than 30,000 hours of practice.
For nearly a decade, this place has welcomed serious practitioners through its doors. Early last year, it began accepting international participants, hosting its first group of almost 40 foreigners, who agreed to surrender their mobile phones and ate two vegetarian meals a day.
For nearly a decade, this place has welcomed serious practitioners through its doors. Early last year, it began accepting international participants, hosting its first group of almost 40 foreigners, who agreed to surrender their mobile phones and ate two vegetarian meals a day.
What made these individuals, all accomplished business owners and professionals including martial artists, Hollywood actors, and highly successful businesspeople and professionals flew all the way to what sounds like a torture camp and stayed until the end? Moreover, they arrived with minimal experience in formal meditation.
What started as a spiritual vacation with curiosity has proven to be much more than that. It has become transformative experience that reshapes how they perceive themselves and the world around them.
THE MIRACLE OF 7 DAYS
So if even a ten-minute session is worth it, how much and how long should we practice meditation to gain the most benefits? Why can’t we practice meditation at home, particularly now that there are numerous meditation or mindfulness apps catering to all individual needs and styles?
The number seven carries special significance across spiritual traditions. In Buddhism, the concept that meaningful meditation results require at least seven days of practice isn’t arbitrary — it represents an understanding of how transformation unfolds in the human mind.
According to traditional wisdom, the seven-day period marks the minimum threshold for experiencing substantive change through Vipassana practice. Dr. Robert Goldman, a physician, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), and Chairman of the World Anti-Aging Academy of Medicine, it has become the entry point to a much longer journey: “I’ve never thought I come, I’ve never thought I come back. I vowed not to come back and I’ve come 5 years in a row and this is my fourth course.”
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
While meditation courses generally offer neither comfort nor convenience in terms of living condition and environment, the practice itself is the source of relief and peace because they are mostly focus meditation techniques. The path of Vipassana, however, is not designed for comfort – and perhaps this is precisely why it works.
Meaningful transformation requires embracing difficulty and perseverance.
Antonio Schiena, an actor and CEO of MOSIAC (Multi Operational Security Agency Intelligence Company) and former World Karate Champion, compared the meditation practice with his martial arts training. Despite having been fully informed earlier about the strict rules and living conditions, the training was still extremely tough even for him.
“Karate has always been part of my life which means meditation to a point, but not like this. I wouldn’t even classify this in the same category…that’s a very basic, more like a ritualistic meditation as part of karate practice. This is real meditation.”
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER
When asked why others should practice meditation, they consistently emphasized that Vipassana must be experienced firsthand to be understood. The Buddha himself encouraged followers to “ehipassiko” – come and see for yourself – rather than accept teachings on faith alone. These changes must be cultivated through practice rather than intellectual understanding.
“It doesn’t matter who you are. Just drop everything you know about religions for seven days. Listen to everything with an open heart and give your 100 percent,” Santi noted, adding that making comparisons and arguments will only hinder progress. “On the last day, you can still make up your mind whether this is for you, if there’s any changes within yourself.”
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