Vipassina is a style of meditation and does not refer to retreats specifically—though Vipassina retreats are common (from my understanding it's partly because Vipassina roughly means 'insight meditation,' and a deep state of relaxation/tranquility is required for the insights to emerge [and meditating for many full days in a row can get you there]).

Vipassana, as others have said, is just a meditation technique where one concentrates on the sensations in the body. That may sound very basic, but one can derive some very profound observations from that simple experience. It is usually taught in 10-day courses because it's extremely difficult to learn otherwise. The 10-day courses I've attended (3 so far) have all devoted the first 3-4 days to anapana meditation, a different technique that develops the focus necessary to even attempt vipassana. Without that focus, it's very difficult to get any benefit from the vipassana technique. Even as someone who has been through the courses, I find that my daily practice doesn't come close to matching the depth that I'm able to achieve during the courses.

The primary reason for this is the "noble silence" that's observed during the course. Students avoid communicating with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, for the first 9 days of the 10-day experience. This is, in a sense, another form of sensory deprivation. When your mind "turns off" the part that pays attention to what's going on for the purpose of figuring out what to say and how to respond, it changes the way you think and what you're capable of achieving during meditation.

So yes, the technique can be used outside of the 10-day courses, but it's a very different experience from what you get in the 10-day course. Personally, attending these 10-day courses has been very beneficial to me. But I stop short of recommending them to anyone who isn't sure they want to attend. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Sitting 10+ hours per day can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. And many people aren't equipped to essentially be alone with only their thoughts to keep them company for that amount of time. But if all that doesn't scare you off, there's nothing else that should and it can be a life-changing experience.

As others have mentioned, going for the 10-day retreat can help you get started. You have to understand though, that if you want to get into Vipassana meditation, do it for life. If you are motivated enough, then you don't need the retreat.

Some people like the company of others and a sort of schedule to keep. It motivates them. They go for the retreat. But I have seen them come back with absolutely no change. They still go back to their old ways, of talking shit about others, smoking, drinking, and they don't practice meditation anymore. This is just bad attitude towards Vipassana.

To be honest, I was introduced to Vipassana (and Yoga), when I was in rehab. 15 days of early morning meditation and Yoga helped me a lot. That got my interest going and I decided to buy self-help books and keep practicing.

You're right in that vipassana is a meditative technique. It's not a particular retreat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassanā#Vipassan.C4.81_medit...

Thats how its marketed. But no, Vipassna is a form of meditation practice. There are many others.

And to be honest its not the real stuff. What are 10 days? You are going to learn absolutely nothing. Mediation is a 24 hours a day practice. And it takes a lot of time to just get used to it.

For example, in one form they only tell you to focus your mind on an object (like breathing, or your abdomen). In Vipassna, the idea is focus first, but the next step is to observe your thoughts (mindfullness). Observe, never reject, whatever it is. Happiness, Lust, Greediness, Anxiety. Observe, and let it go. The mind is a crazy machine. More precisely, our chattering monkey mind.

Please read this book if you haven't already. I can't recommend it enough. It has changed my life.

Mindfulness in Plain English - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Everyone keeps recommending Mindfulness in Plain English, including people I have a deep admiration from. But I went into it thinking it'd be a no-bs exploration of meditation and closed the book once the author mentioned how some meditators experienced "talking to their ancestors".

I'm sure that you can be objective and cut through that type of statement but meh, I couldn't do it. Maybe I'll try again at some point but that one really put me off.

I somehow agree with you, but I especially found the book great since it has little or no mention of Religion or gods.

Although spiritual experiences can occur if you think of them as hallucinations due to the state intense meditation can get one into.

> Thats how its marketed. But no, Vipassna is a form of meditation practice.

I never realized that. Thank you!

I've been looking for a good getting started guide to meditation. The book seems like a great resource. I will definitely read it.

Consider reading http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#vipassana for some further discussion (and that whole website for a vast store of information on Buddhism) and glancing at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Buddhist_traditions_t... to see the Theravada tradition's significance in the history of Buddhism.