by On day eight we switched from Anapana to Vipassana meditation. After seven days of Anapana, my mind was extraordinarily clear and focused. This helped increase my awareness of the subtle interactions between mind and matter (body). The degree and depth of sensitivity to thoughts and sensations I was able to achieve on this course, far exceeded anything I’d experienced previously. There is definitely something to be said about the prolonged immersion these long courses offer.
For the next 14 days we continued practicing Vipassana. We are asked to conduct ourselves as if we are monks. We are supposed to keep our eyes downcast to avoid distractions, but considering how beautiful Dhamma Kunja is in springtime, it was hard not to look up once in a while at a song bird in a tree, or a deer and her doe’s crossing the path in front of me, or a caterpillar going about its day oblivious to my presence.
