Practice this Vipassana Meditation to Follow in the Footsteps of the Buddha
Vipassana meditation is a precious gem. It is a treasure thanks to which you can get rid of what weighs you down (emotions, sadness or other).
Vipassana meditation is also a way of transforming yourself through the observation of your deep being. By tapping into the deep connection existing between the body and the mind (between matter and the soul), we create mental calm and we free ourselves from numerous interferences through attention paid to our physical sensations.
Contents :
Discover this meditation in video format
What is the principle of Vipassana?
The effects of this meditation
Preparing for Vipassana meditation
Discover this meditation in video format
What is the principle of Vipassana?
If you have never encountered it, the term “Vipassana” may seem somewhat exotic to you.
Originating from India, this concept describes a form of meditation aimed at eradicating mental impurities, increasing our level of consciousness and making us happier.
The basis of Vipassana is introspection and self-observation. In French, the translation of this word would give something like “deep view”.
By observing ourselves in this way (whether it is our body, our thoughts or our emotions), Vipassana meditation aims at transformation, a greater intensity of the body-mind connection and, for the most enlightened practitioners, accession to great universal wisdom.
Yes, Vipassana is undoubtedly one of the most spiritual forms of meditation or, in any case, one of the forms most linked to religion (in our case, to Hinduism) and to sacred things.
According to the idea behind Vipassana, a human being in a listening position will be able to release his instincts, which will place him on paths conducive to the discovery of truths. Vipassana meditation is thus reputed to be a tool for spiritual enlightenment.
In Vipassana, we also train our subconscious to listen to every sensation that presents itself to us, to every bit of reality. Thus, by becoming aware of each thing, we develop the conscious capacity to keep it within us (conserve them) or to let it go (free ourselves from it).
Calm down, relax
thanks to meditation and its tools
The effects of this meditation
Vipassana is above all a method of self-transformation and, more particularly, of the way in which our unconscious will process the information it receives.
This may seem trivial, but when we think about it, the benefits of good “stimulus management” are truly enormous. Here are four of them.
Allow us to know the truth of the present
The truth can appear to us through reflection on the past. A clear and sharp mind will indeed know how to disentangle truth from falsehood.
For the present, it gets complicated: the moment being by definition an infinitely small duration of time, there is no room for reflection.
Receiving the right stimuli (whether external or internal) is therefore absolutely essential to being able to know the truth in the present. This is good, Vipassana meditation trains our mind precisely in this perspective. All spiritual schools invite us to live in the present moment. Vipassana will undoubtedly achieve this better than any other!
In fact, knowing how to keep your mind in the moment can be the solution to many of our daily problems. Stress, overwork, mental parasites: put an end to all that with Vipassana meditation.
Improve decision making
Along the same lines, receiving the right information will help us make better decisions. Better decisions for us, yes, but also for others.
A machine may be the best running in the world, but if you put poor quality things into it, the end product will inevitably be mediocre. It does the same with our mental patterns.
Even more than an ability to receive the right information, recent studies suggest that meditation could help reduce anxious or depressive thought patterns (which therefore contribute to negative behaviors, poor decision-making and bad habits).
An engineer could therefore say that Vipassana meditation improves the quality of the “input” as well as that of the “process”… There is no doubt that the “output” will be better!
Mental clarity
Every day we receive billions of pieces of information. Noises, lights, human relationships: never has our brain been put to such a severe test as in our modern society.
By allowing us to be aware of all these stimuli (and therefore to ignore the unnecessary ones), Vipassana meditation can be of tremendous help to those who suffer from overwork, mental interference or even burn-out. In short, it would bring us greater mental clarity.
When we think about it, this phenomenon can even fuel the two precedents that we have just cited: clarity means better decision-making, and greater awareness of the present.
Accession to Nirvana, to enlightenment
If you practice Vipassana meditations regularly, your mental clarity may increase and increase again. At some point, you will have gotten rid of so many limiting thoughts, you will have broken down so many barriers, that your mind will (perhaps) be ready to receive enlightenment.
We use "maybe" here because achieving this ultimate spiritual goal depends on so many factors that no promises can be made. However, it remains undeniable that the Vipassana method has been used in India for millennia (yes, millennia), and that many of its practitioners have experienced nirvana through it.
According to Eastern traditions, the goal of any spiritual path is the knowledge of enlightenment. Although this will not appeal to the most down-to-earth people, this element of Vipassana will appeal to many others!
Preparing for Vipassana meditation
So choose a quiet place, whether at home or outside.
If you feel physically tense, do some small movements to relax your muscles. Roll your shoulders, shake your legs. You can even pause the video and do some stretching.
Now sit in a comfortable position. For example, you can place a cushion on the floor and sit on it with your legs crossed. Just be careful to keep your back straight and your head up.
If you are a seasoned practitioner, you can also make this Vipassana meditation an active meditation, and do it while walking for example. However, this is not recommended for beginners.
All that being said, we can now begin.
The different steps
These different stages are actually supposed to follow each other harmoniously, rather than being cut into separate parts.
After all, this guided meditation forms a whole constructed as a single work, a single tool capable of functioning in its uniqueness.
In video and audio, no distinction is made.
The following breakdown therefore has the sole purpose of helping you, a posteriori, to understand the modes of action implemented within the framework of this meditation.
Step #1: Anchoring through breathing
Using the breath as a grounding stone is the beginning of many meditations. Even if your body is calmed, the worries of the day may still be in your mind, and taking a few mindful breaths can free us from them. So now I'm going to tell you when to inhale, when to hold your breath, and when to exhale.
Close your eyes.
Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale.
Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale.
Be aware of the air that fills your lungs, stays there, and then leaves.
Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale.
Don't worry if sounds, emotions, thoughts, or past experiences distract your attention from breathing. Acknowledge their presence, let them be, and let them pass.
Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale.
Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale.
Try to remain aware of your breathing, which is now slow and restful, throughout the meditation. If your mind turns away from it, it doesn't matter. Just come back to it.
Step #2: Expanding awareness to sensations
We will now allow other sensations, rather than breathing, to become the main subject of your awareness.
Expand your awareness to include the sounds your breathing makes.
Listen to the sounds around you. Allow them to all be as important as each other.
Expand your awareness further to include touch. Do you feel your clothes against your skin? The breath of air? Your weight on the ground?
Feel it all, and stay aware of your breathing.
Your hair on your head. The feeling of the ground. The sensations of warmth and freshness.
Be aware of each sensation. Make each of them equally important. Breath, sounds, touch.
Step #3: Don't judge thoughts
If thoughts enter your mind, simply say to yourself, “I am thinking,” and return to your breathing and its sensations.
If your mind wanders, don't judge yourself. It's part of the exercise, and it's completely normal. Even for the best meditators, it is impossible to stay focused 100% of the time.
Don't judge your thoughts. They are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Look at them, just observe them as they come to you without trying to give them any particular meaning.
Stay aware of all your sensations.
Your thoughts are not your enemies, you don't need to completely empty your mind, chase them all away. Accept them when they come, and when they go.
Step #4: End of meditation
To complete Vipassana meditation, don't just open your eyes.
Say the word “Opening” several times and then gradually open your eyes.
Opening. Opening. Opening.
Stay in this position for a few more moments, now recite the word “intention” and decide what you are going to do at this moment of your day.
Intention. Intention. Intention.
You are now ready to resume your day.
Other guided meditations in our series
Among the many objects that we offer to our community, we have notably collected some meditation tools.
Here is the collection in question, made up of objects from cultures from the four corners of the world but sharing the same goal: to help the practice of meditation or, quite simply, relaxation and relaxation.
In short, you will find singing bowls, various musical instruments, flags and decorations, reiki pendulums and even certain ingredients and crystals.
Here is also a collection of free books that may help you in your life. Between healthy eating, self-hypnosis, prayers and self-confidence, many themes are covered in our library which, once again, has been entirely open to you.
If you would like to discover our other meditations, here is the section of our blog which brings them all together.
Here too, we wanted to deal with the most varied themes possible (within the limits of our knowledge, of course).
If, however, you do not find what you are looking for there, do not hesitate to tell us by leaving a comment in the section at the end of one of the meditations: we will read it and try to take it into account in our future work. !
The History of Vipassana Meditation
The Vipassana school of meditation has a very long history in India, dating back to the time of the Buddha himself. In fact, Vipassana is considered the basis of all meditations from the Buddhist tradition.
Primarily used as a tool for developing consciousness, the principle itself derives from a sacred text known as the "Satipatthana Sutta" (or "Foundations of Mindfulness"). According to Buddhists, this text would be the writing down of a speech that the Buddha would have given to his disciples.
With inspiring words, the Buddha thus invited his first 60 fully liberated (or enlightened) disciples to go in different directions to teach the principle of Vipassana meditation to all. Armed with loving compassion, they shared this gem of wisdom with a whole part of the world.
Besides this, the term Vipassana could be translated as “deep sight”, or even “ability to see things as they are”. There we easily see the essence of Vipassana, what it is used for and what the Buddha would have created it for several millennia ago.
