What Exactly Is Vipassana Meditation?

There is a good chance that you may not be fully aware of what Vipassana meditation is. Or maybe you have never even heard of it before.

Vipassana meditation, or insight meditation, is the foundation for Buddhist meditation. It is believed to be the meditation principle that the Buddha himself taught.

While many people generally understand Buddhist meditations, Vipassana is relatively unheard of. To fully understand it, let's review its history.

The History of Vipassana

Vipassana is one of the oldest meditation techniques. Gotama the Buddha spent the last remaining years of his life showing people how to break the cycle of difficulties in their lives, primarily through Vipassana.

For the next 500 years or so, the meditations of Vipassana spread throughout India and reigned supreme. However, its practice slowly began to fade over time. However, through the teachers and monks, Vipassana was still widely practiced.

It wasn't until the late 1900s that the teachings of Vipassana fully reached Western societies. Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a revered teacher, brought this practice of meditation to Western society due to his ability to speak English.

Born in Myanmar, Southeast Asia, S.N. Goenka was chosen by U Ba Khin to teach Vipassana in 1969. Through the teachings of U Ba Khin and Goenka, Vipassana resurgence and unprecedented growth globally occurred.

What Is Vipassana?

In Western societies, Vipassana is loosely translated as the equivalent of insight. It is a meditation practice that can transform the self by being highly in tune with one's body. The focus of Vipassana is to concentrate on the connections between the mind and body. Through deep meditation, a person will focus on the physical sensations that help make up the body, which then flows into the mind.

Vipassana combines two core techniques: acknowledgment and release of thoughts and identification of the body sensations that occur with these thoughts. It is basically taking the core principles of mindfulness and adding another element to it.

This type of meditation helps you train yourself to focus on your body, top to bottom, to become more aware of what is happening. It is not only about awareness but also about engaging with your mind and body.

Mental scans of your body will help you see the connection between your thoughts and what happens in your body when they occur.

This type of meditation can feel more difficult than others. However, the benefits are truly astounding.

What Are The Benefits of Vipassana Meditation?

Vipassana is a great way to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression.

When troublesome thoughts cause your mind to feel stressed, they also stress the body. So, instead of just trying to get rid of the thoughts, Vipassana teaches you how to simultaneously release the thoughts and tension from your body.

If only one of those principles is practiced, it may not be as effective in truly relieving the mental health concerns that you may have.

Who Can Practice Vipassana?

Anyone can practice meditation anywhere. However, learning this practice from an experienced and compassionate guide is most effective.

At Recovery Collective, we are incredibly grateful to have Jennifer DeBoy on our team. Jennifer specializes in meditation guidance and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help clients cultivate mindfulness, inner peace, and emotional balance. Her personalized approach to meditation makes her a valuable asset to those on their journey toward healing and growth.

Please get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more or have questions about working with meditation guide Jennifer DeBoy. We’d happily assist you on your path to mindfulness and well-being.