Life in Balance: Amit Chaudhary’s Blog
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Ahem, Maybe I just do not know myself or I am not focusing when answering these quizzes.

I went to a Vipassana course in Aug 2006. I left before the course was over. I wrote a blog post fairly soon after that on the experience: Experience from attending Vipassana Course by S.N Goenka (4 days out of 10): Updated

Here is my current view on it and some other information.

Vipassana Course as taught by S. N Goenka is not for me. Why

1. Mismatch of general philosophy and outlook

I do not believe in the most common refrain that more one does or achieves (Money, Career, etc) in the world, the more one is accumulating bad karma. This is typical of many Buddhist and Hinduism philosophy and also of Vipassana.

My current method seems to be a mix of Yoga (Moral Conduct, Asanas, Meditation as per Yoga Sutras by Patanjali), Law of Attraction\Intention manifestation, though I keep checking what my goals are and updating paths\methods accordingly (Ideas to think consciously about your spiritual goals and evaluating spiritual paths.)

2. There are enough of aches and pain in life on it’s own

In my opinion, in a Vipassana course, pain (in addition to diet detox, less sleep, minimal or no caffeine, deprivation of normal activities and stimuli, etc) is used to break down mental barriers and defenses to self exploration.

I would rather not go through acute pain and potential of injury for my spiritual path. This is more relevant being a computer programmer my body gets repetitive stress on a daily basis. and being in my 30s.

I will, in future seek courses\retreats which include Yoga Asanas to balance Sitting Meditation. Unless Yoga continues to help me in which case I might consider reapplying to a Goenka Vipassana course.

Vipassana Course as taught by S. N Goenka why it might be for you.

1. It is one of the non-controversial spiritual path and it is free.

At the core, it is kind of straight forward. You sit and meditate lots of hours for lots of days, insight happens.
It is free, donations are welcome at the end of the course. This compares well againsts the typical $100 per day at the other Ashrams such Sivaananda or Haridass ones.

2. You do not have acute pains or even better have a young body.

I personally know or saw 55+ year old people doing the course and of many young ones being in utter pain. I believe the course is better handled if you do not have acute pains or even better have a young and healthy body.

3. You have difficultly starting some spiritual practice on your own.

A retreat, any retreat is a good way to get a boost, a jump start and if the general Buddhist philosophy appeals to you, give a try.

Few other things

1. Retreats or meditation break\vacation are useful

They revitalize one’s path, resulting in progress and highlighting the benefits of a spiritual practice if one has been drifting.

2. If I ever get the temptation to get tough and try it out, I will remember to sit at home for 2 days or I might just try something else equally tougher like climb Mt. Rainier.
3. I found a disturbing trend is that some educational institutes (For example, MBA HR students at SCM HRD, Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development in Pune, India) are forcing their students to take the Vipassana course.

Nipun wrote about such a group in Vipassana Day 2: Dharma Works. Excerpt: “Right then, the director of the college calls just as a routine check-up. He is furious to learn of the plans of these 17 students (to leave early); he blatantly informs them that they will be expelled from college if they return.” and “if they get expelled, not only will they lose their valuable admission here but they won’t be allowed to enter another business school elsewhere.”, though they do not agree with it “And everyone at the meditation center here is in full agreement that such a scenario should never ever happen again. Fear simply can’t be the motivation for meditation.”

4. Vipassana course did and still does has that feel of being able to provide a way to go to the other side (Spiritual, More knowledge, etc) and make quicker progress, it is in sheer hours, equivalent of many months of regular meditation.
5. Do consider it when you are serious about a spiritual path. As I wrote earlier in Ideas to think consciously about your spiritual goals and evaluating spiritual paths, “Do not go knocking on doors you do not want opened or want to go through”.

On what to expect at a Vipasana Center and what to take

• Keep the items to take at a bare minimum, the place is rustic. You will not get a drawer or cupboard, so be ready to use your luggage bag as your cupboard.
• The beds are bunk beds with one of top accessible using a ladder.
• The toilets and bathrooms are rustic but more or less clean. The waterless ones in NorthWest Vipassana Center in Onalaska smelt pretty bad most of the time.
• Carry
• a water bottle and a mug, it will save you trips.
• a meditation cushion, though they do have some and provide a thin one for all.
• a light shawl\throw for the temperature change.
• Consumables like Soap, ToothPaste, Sleeping bag, etc
• The food is excellent, it is modern vegetarian with lots of whole grains, vegetables, etc.

Last updated: 2nd June 2007.

Custom Google Map: Yoga studios in Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island, Kirkland & Issaquah (Seattle Eastside)

I have visited most of these Yoga Studios.

Includes:

	Yoga Centers: Iyengar \ Hatha Yoga (Personal Favorite) 2255 140th Ave NE, Suite F Bellevue, WA 98005 Yoga
	Bikram Hot Yoga Bellevue (Personal Favorite) 626 120th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98005
	Yoga House of Bellevue: JivaMukti Yoga 12015 NE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98005
	Hot Yoga of Kirkland: Bikram and Power 434 Parkplace Center Kirkland, WA 98033
	Discover Yoga: Vini Yoga 16615 Redmond Way, Suite 201 Redmond, WA 98052
	Shakti Vinyasa East: Baptise 10245 Main St, Suite 104 Bellevue, WA 98004
	Hot Yoga of Issaquah: Bikram & Power 485 Front St N, Suite D-2, Issaquah, WA 98027
	The Sanctuary Spa & Yoga: Various incl. Hot & Power 8862 161st Ave NE, Ste 107, Redmond, WA 98052
	Yoga Bliss: Kripalu(Greg Owen), Power, etc 7650 SE 27th St, #134, Mercer Island, WA 98040 Yog

Bellevue Hot Bikram Yoga website uses flash, so it means 2-3 clicks to get to the class schedule. I thought I will put up a schedule copy here to make it easier for myself and others to bookmark and access. The Teacher information below tends to be stale and change often, so please use it only as a guideline.
I wrote earlier on Bikram Hot Yoga: Introduction to Hot Bikram Yoga and Review of Bellevue Hot Bikram Yoga

Times Last updated: 4 May 2007

Top ten reasons to try out Stephen Cope’s

Yoga book: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self and

      Meditations CD: Yoga for Emotional Flow: Free Your Emotions Through Yoga Breathing, Body Awareness, and Energetic Release

1. Not me in the pictures.

If you find yourself wondering that is not me in the pictures from vacation or believe your photos do not come out well

Read chapter 11. Awareness: On seeing and being seen in the Yoga book.

2. Lacking in Self-nurturing

If you believe you have not taken care of yourself or are lacking in self-nurturing.

Try, ”Clearing the field” exercise (track 4) in CD 2 of Meditation CD set before sleeping.

3. Anger or other non-beneficial emotions

If you find yourself harboring anger or other non-beneficial emotions.

Try the “Riding the Wave of Breath”, track 3 in CD 2 of Meditation CD set or read about it in ch. 13 Riding the Wave in the Yoga book

4. Puzzling self behavior = Subconscious at work

Find some of your own behavior puzzling, this could be things (emotions) in your subconscious at work.

This is referred throughout in the book, highlighted with specific user examples. Start with ch. 9, Twin pillars of the reality project in the book which are “Clear seeing” and “Calm abiding”.

5. Weird energy experiences

If you had any weird energy experience, it would help to read those by others and some suggestions. This are also referred to as Prana or Kundalini awakening.

Ch. 15. Meditation in motion in the book.

6. Exercises and methods other than meditation and pranayama

If you are looking for methods other than classical meditation, CD 2 covers three of them,

Daily body scan: To understand your own body and stuck emotions

Riding the wave: To be able to handle tough or emotional situations

Clearing the field: A way to deep relaxation and self-nurturing

7. Practical non physical benefits of yoga

If you are trying to find out practical non-physical benefits of Yoga, the book and CD 1 cover multiple areas including developing witness, getting to calm and peace and better self-understanding

8. Yoga Stories of different people

If you would like to read stories of different people and their Yoga experiences, the book is a great resource. It covers frank and insightful stories of people and the benefits they got from Yoga and Stephen Cope’s own story including his stay at the Kripalu asharam for years. There are also some stories of people’s meditation experiences including one of the Goenka meditation.

9. What is Kripalu Yoga and Kripalu center’s history and background

If you would like to know what is Kripalu Yoga? and what it covers. If you want to know the Kripalu center’s history and background, the book provides this information, though scattered all over the book including chapter 16.

10. Answers What is Yoga and history of Yoga?

If you are interested in a quick introduction to Yoga and history, the appendix in the book is the best and most complete I have read. It covers the Yoga Sutras including the eight parts of Yoga, contribution by Tantras, different yoga types as per Bhagavaad Gita and the history of Yoga

If you prefer a review, I found the following reviews on amazon.com quite on target.