David King
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| A breathtaking daily view in the Appalaches |
High atop a hillside deeply pampered by the Appalaches Mountains of Sutton, Quebec, a gong bell sounds before dawn. It's the start of a day that begins at 4am and ends at 9pm. Consisting solely of focused group meditation, two meals a day, a bit of rest and more meditation in your own quarters, you awaken and wind down your day in a cabin or dorm in the woods, facing only yourself and nature, all within a vegan, eco-friendly environment of prohibited substances, forbidden communication or electronics, no reading or writing, and a commitment to ten days of "Noble Silence".
If it all sounds like a day in the life of a Buddhist Monk, that's exactly the point. An intensive ten-day course in some of the world's most stunning locations, a Vipassana meditation retreat may surprisingly be what you need to re-energize and nourish the body, with far more beneficial results to overall health and energy than ten quick days in an all-inclusive beach hotel. Although location is irrelevant to the intense and immersive experience, you might also choose to tie in your meditation with your planned vacation in France, the U.S., Japan, Thailand, India, Burma and several other "Eat, Pray, Love" hotspots where centres are located around the world. It's for all ages, and guess what? It's free of charge, with a donation of as much as you can afford.
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| Sutton, Quebec Centre |
Free you say? Is it a cult? Will they try and convert me? What's the catch?
Now catching on globally as a spiritual rehab of sorts, Vipassana (pronounced "Vy-passion-a") Centres have developed a global community of soul-seekers seeking the same communal or spiritual journey for themselves that our parents and grandparents sought in Woodstock and in San Fran communes back in the 1960s (on a natural high that respects gender, environment, and organic food, of course). This form of meditation is focused entirely on setting your mind back to its "factory default setting": breath, the law of nature, the real world around you as opposed to imagination or emotion, and complete simplicity. The meditation couldn't come at a better time, as all three of the world's foremost religions wage war against one another, contrary to their own fundamental principles of compassion, goodwill, salvation and redemption.
Before you declare "I would go crazy if I did that", think about all those times you've already said to yourself, "I need to clear to my mind", "I can't focus", "I need to get away from the city" or simply "I need to get more in touch with my inner strengths". Contrary to that, you might also feel you simply need more self-discipline, a strict routine or a better diet at the right times of day without having to join the military or spend thousands on a California spa getaway to find it.
It requires a little prep to drop off the face of the planet. Unplugging and packing my yoga clothes, I had no idea what to expect as a forty-something workaholic, except the recommendations of good friends who'd already been to the Sutton Centre twice. Changing my voicemail and my email auto-reply, leaving only an emergency contact number, I ventured east of Montreal. Once there, you'd be surprised how easy it is to drop it all (while your friends and family worry you'll become a sect member on a farm, waiting for a UFO to land).
Set up as a ten-day course which includes a one-hour, daily audio-video discourse on the theory by Vipassana leader S.N. Goenka (you soon adjust to the "1984" scare of seeing a guru on a screen); the charismatic leader has some hilarious anecdotes to share about Buddhism and Vipassana. The course is a mandatory ten days for a first visit, with your choice of duration on return, at any location around the world, at as many places as you want to go. Due to popular demand that will now require it to double its size, the Sutton location is already about to close and shift its stunning location to Montebello, north of Alexandria in Ontario, on a 600-acre property that will better accommodate participants close to Montreal, Ottawa, and Québec City.
The Centre's participants, people of all ages who travelled to Quebec from as far as the Maritimes, New York and even California, here were either in search of tangible, higher meaning or a completely focused balance of the mind in their chaotic lives. There's a big waiting list for Vipassana retreats, especially for women (booking more than three months in advance is advised). Once there, it takes a day or two to fully adjust. Men are separated from women after the first day (not always easy for couples) and re-connect on the last day, when the silence is lifted and conversation is aflutter between participants on their experiences.
Although two meals a day seems painful (there is only a small snack at the usual dinnertime), accommodations can be made for those with supplementary dietary needs. The food is vegan, organic, and completely fulfilling even if you're a carnivore (after ten days, it makes us realize how much junk we've been consuming!). The meditation becomes so inward, so focused, that after the second day there is little hunger for a third meal (I usually eat five meals a day). You also don't require as much rest or crave intoxicants after a couple of days (what a great rehab this could be for addicts with more development and time, or as a supplement to existing rehabs).
Here, the world could end and no one would know it. There is natural rhythm to the body in your walking that becomes a "zombie walk" in no time, made most apparent by the other guests scattered throughout the property between trees, one foot barely in front of the other in their introspection (you can't stare or gesture another person). Watching someone spread peanut butter on his toast in the morning, I could have sworn he was attempting to paint the Mona Lisa on his bread. A fireplace becomes more than a mesmerizing experience, and all the senses truly come to life (don't worry, it's okay to fart, burp, clear your throat, growl your stomach and all those other bodily noises we can't avoid in silence, and you won't be alone as everyone does their "self-cleaning" and self-repair).
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| Nepal Centre |
The strangest behaviour of all, it seems, is the awareness of what you've left behind: the chaos and routine of our daily lives, and the unbelievable pressure we take not only on our bodies, but on our brains.
Speaking with guests on the last day (meditators all help with minor cleaning before the next meditators, again eco-friendly products), I heard a multitude of stories about inner journeys over the week as people shed their egos. In Sutton, silence became particularly fascinating as Quebec's "two solitudes" of language and culture give way only to a sense of shared humanity and compassion. Some guests never return, choosing simply to incorporate it into their work routines. Others have attended a few times, and one couple told me how much continuing their meditations at home has made a difference in their lives as new parents, struggling to stay focused and patient with their kids as they make ends meet. Others have tried several forms of meditation, but found nothing "clicked" or made as much sense as Vipassana's ability to give your mind a holiday by only focusing on the moment and the senses.
It's not advised one be on serious medications to attend, and the easy-to-complete, online application form requires you to inform a centre of your medications or supplements before attending. For those without transport, meditators do their best to get into the spirit of generosity by setting up car rideshares for others to get there and back. Meditators bring their own linen, workout clothes, flashlights and a small alarm if necessary - there's little else needed to pack unless you're tying it in with another journey. If you do bring your valuables or other items not permitted, they are safely held until your check out.
Everyone needs a little bit of wise old Buddha "Dhamma" (or, "truth") now and again, without having to commit their lives to converting from one's own beliefs, or jeopardizing an existing faith. By focusing less on the religion itself and simply introducing a practical method of meditation that one can incorporate into daily life, it's incredible how these centres are graciously offering a free opportunity for anyone, rich or poor, to sample the technique (the whole idea is that it must be a gift only, funded by whatever donors want to give back). True Buddhists believe this meditation will take them to their reincarnate "path of enlightenment", a complete state of happiness, before the spirit moves that happy energy into another "vessel": death welcome as happily as birth, a part of our always flowing surroundings, where everyone and everything simply comes and goes.
Although it took a little while to assure my friends and family I was not training to be a Monk afterwards, it was well worth the spiritual escape, at least to sample the technique, which should be invaluable with my other forms of physical exercise to truly connect mind, body and soul.It was frustrating not to be able to write a journal about it, or read a book, but the challenge of simply finding one's own neutrality kept me more than busy over ten days!
A link to Quebec's Dhamma Suttama Meditation Centre will connect you to Vipassana dates and application forms. For centres around the world visit Dhamma.org
