Vipassana Meditation: What is it and What Benefits Does it Provide?

Meditation is an activity that more and more people practice, and it has been shown to have numerous advantages for those who carry it out.

Although there are numerous types of meditation from various cultures, some of the most popular are those from the Eastern tradition. One of them, originally from India and which in turn serves as a basis for other current practices such as mindfulness, is Vipassana meditation

What is Vipassana meditation?

Vipassana meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation (although of Hindu origins) originally from India, which tradition considers was rediscovered by Gautama Buddha after centuries of loss. It is one of the oldest known forms of meditation, and is based on personal purification and transformation through self-observation. In fact, Vipassana roughly means seeing things clearly or as they are.

We are facing a type of meditation that is based on enhancing concentration and attention to one’s own being, focusing first on breathing and then delving deeper into the sensations of the body and mind. It is necessary to keep in mind that this meditation, although it has relaxing effects on those who practice it, does not focus on numbing the body but on facilitating the connection between the body and mental processes.

Vipassana meditation has been expanding to the rest of the world, with various centers and retreats that teach it for free. As the influence of religion is still very present in many of them, generally in these centers a prior period of ten days is usually required without killing, stealing, having sexual relations and consuming psychoactive substances, and during the time the course lasts the subject You should not speak, read or write, or communicate. The individual is asked to be completely focused on himself.

As practiced?

Once we have seen what it is, it is relevant to know how it is practiced. To begin with, heThe person sits on the floor, initially with legs crossed and back straight (although the specific posture may vary or it is even possible to sit in a chair if we have health problems that require it). It is not essential to close your eyes, although it makes the process easier.

After that, you must begin to try to achieve a state of calm, through breathing We must focus on following the flow of air when inhaling and exhaling and the sensations it generates, trying not to dwell on other elements that may distract. It’s not about forcing your breathing but rather focusing on observing how it occurs. This process is known as anapana, and its main objective is to sharpen awareness and calm our mind.

Once this is done, little by little we will notice the sensations, perceptions, thoughts and emotions that surround us, it being important not to focus and work on them but simply observing how they arise and pass. This aspect is what is called Vipassana meditation per se, in which we are going to go through our entire body from head to toe to observe the different sensations of each part.

Concentration focuses on each body region, without operating on it. There is no judgment, not even labeling or reflection, just observation. It is about witnessing what goes through our mind and body without interfering with it. This aspect is much easier said than done. If we stop observing to take action on any of the elements, it is advisable to return to breathing.

After the body comes the mind: we can go observing our thoughts and emotions, without judging them, just letting them flow. We can also focus on what surrounds us, feeling different sensations such as temperature, light, smells or touch. In different courses that teach this technique, they also add a part of metta meditation, in which the meditating subject first cultivates love for himself and then expands it towards others.

Advantages and benefits

The practice of Vipassana meditation generates different benefits for those who carry it out. Not in vain, it is a type of meditation that has existed for almost three millennia.

On a mental level, those who practice it mention feeling a enhancing your observation skills and a higher level of mental peace and relaxation It also improves anxiety states by allowing situations to be observed more calmly, and facilitates an improvement in mood. On the other hand, it helps us identify ourselves and give a less exaggerated tone to the importance of our thoughts.

Vipassana meditation is also associated with lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety states. Decreases heart rate and helps us have better control of the respiratory tract It reduces the importance we give to pain, both physical and mental, and contributes to knowing ourselves better, what motivates and hurts us, to better understand and accept our negative emotions.

Vipassana and mindfulness

Vipassana meditation may seem something exotic and strange to part of the population, but the truth is that it is a way of meditating that has generated different techniques that are very popular today. We are, in fact, facing the type of meditation on which a technique as well known today as mindfulness

This technique, like Vipassana meditation, is based on conscious attention to our body and the present moment, avoiding automatic action. The focus on the here and now What this technique allows us to be much more aware of our being, and has proven to be useful both at a general level and in subjects with different problems such as anxiety, depression, pain disorders, post-traumatic stress and obsessive disorders.