Don’t worry, everything is out of control

Year end silent meditation retreat in Chiang Mai cool weather. Walking…. Heel up Lifting moving putting. Sitting…. Rising falling sitting touch points. The silence and solitude offered by the retreat allows the mind, usually drawn to the barrage of senses of the outer secular world, to settle, so as to see the inner workings of the mind.

Vipassana meditation retreat consists of long hours (10+ daily), silence, no distractions, and facing intense physical discomfort, mental chatter, and buried emotions, but it's also profoundly transformative for those who stick with it, building mental grit and insight. 

The goal of this "noting" method is to develop continuous awareness of physical and mental phenomena as they arise, leading to insight (vipassana) into their true nature. 

Balancing concentration (samadhi) and effort (viriya). Vipassana rests on morality (Sila), concentration (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). By doing so, over the days, you train yourself to stop reacting to the vicissitudes of life.

Present moment, only moment

Teacher asks: ‘Right and left, when you walk, is it the same? Rising and falling, is it the same?’

The answer….

Mind going through the washing machine

Vivid dreams happen because increased mindfulness and focus bring subconscious thoughts to the surface, making dreams more memorable and intense as your mind processes stress, memories, and internal experiences with heightened awareness.

The main hindrances to Vipassana meditation are the Five Hindrances: Pañca Nīvaraṇā

sensual desire, ill-will (anger/aversion), sloth/torpor (sleepiness/dullness), restlessness/remorse (worry/agitation), and skeptical doubt. The hindrances obstruct concentration because they all are active in a way that’s not helpful for calm and clarity. They are signs that the body, heart, and mind are stirred up, and can feel emotional, energetic, mental, or a mix of all of these.

Many deceased people, animals, patients came. I was surprised they had been in the subconscious mind so long. The silence forces the mind to confront its own stored "sankharas" (mental patterns) and memories 🙏🏻Sending metta (Loving kindness) to all manifest and unmanifest.

Cultivating and knowing deeply through the practice

We had the good fortune of performing dana - giving alms to monks as they walk by with their bowls on Ajahn Thong’s death anniversary. This helps cultivate generosity and humility.

Practitioners actively practice the 4 bases of mindfulness (observing body, feelings, mind, and mind objects) and mentally note all arising phenomena. On buddha day, we sat for 2 hours chanting in the evening in the beautiful Wat. Working with annicca (impermanence), dukka (unsatisfactory or suffering) and antara (empty of self).

many practitioners find the Mahasi Vipassana method, particularly in an intensive retreat setting, to be very challenging. But there is nothing more important in this human reincarnation than to SEE CLEARLY WHAT IS.

Everything will unfold in its own time

Don’t worry, everything is out of control- ajahn sona

🙏🏻 namaste