Ohhhhmmmm

Hey homies.

In early May, I made a post about my summer plans. How I intended on traveling, exploring, and trying a lot of new things. While my endeavors will certainly include dating outside the box, what I was referring to first and foremost, was having new personal experiences.

I mentioned yesterday that I'm going to be out of town for 10 days starting this Wednesday. While this will certainly be a getaway of sorts, it's not by any means a "vacation". I'm actually going to a center to take a 10 Day course about the practice of Vipassana cogitation. Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills, an Art of Living. The technique uses the breath and one's own body as the basis for developing concentration and insight. The courses provide a unique opportunity to direct one's attention inward, and set about a process of inner discovery through direct experience.

Both my mom and my older sister have taken the course in the past, and they admite that, although it was no easy task, it definitely benefited them. Maybe you're wondering what's so hard about a little meditation. Well, let me lay out the schedule for you:

4:00 am Morning wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 am Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00 noon Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm Rest and interviews with the teacher
1:00-2:30 pm Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm Teacher's Discourse in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm Question time in the hall
9:30 pm Retire to your own room--Lights out

And so the schedule goes this way for the entire 10 days. Pretty much all we do for 16 hours out of the day is meditate. In addition to meditating, we are to observe Noble Silence, meaning we cannot speak for the entire time. We're also prohibited from listening to music, reading, writing, talking on the phone, eating meat, or doing anything else that might cause a distraction.

Now, you may be wondering why I would even want to do something like this. You guys may or may not know that I am adementally opposed to the use of medication for anything that can be treated naturally. I understand situations of chemical imbalences and clinical conditions, but when you're having issues that are more mental in nature, I'm all for natural remedies. That said, I've felt a sense of imbalence in my life for a really long time now. Emotionally, physically, and mentally, my life has been pretty unpredicatable. I just feel like I'm way too easily distracted, self-indulgent, not very disciplined, and extremely unorganized right now. So, I guess what I'm hoping to gain from this course is a little focus, the ability to center myself, and the discipline to get back on track when I fall off the wagon a little.

I know some of you are giving me the side eye now and are proceeding to Unfollow me lol. But this is something I'm really excited about doing. I've actually applied to take the course twice before and I was accepted both times. But on both occasions, I wimped out at the last second because I didn't think I could handle it. I was afraid that I'd get home sick or that I'd go crazy from the silence on the 3rd day. Now, I feel like I'm finally mature enough to go through with it. I finally feel like I'm ready.

I do expect to come home changed from this. But I promise you guys I won't be all weird and spacey lol. I'll be the same bloggal that I've been all this time. Just a hell of a lot more Zen.