Meditation is a guide and a blessing in all walks of life. People meditate to guide themselves through the delusions of life. Vipassana Meditation is one of the healing mediations used to calm and cleanse one's mind, body, and soul along with other types of mediations like Zen meditation, Guided Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Spiritual meditation, Transcendental meditation, Metta meditation, Chakra meditation, etc.

What is Vipassana?

The vipassana meditation arouse from the vipassana movement, which began in India. Vipassana means "to see things as they are" or "to see clearly." This is a type of Buddhist meditation that focuses on the act of being mindful and present. It helps to cultivate clarity, stability, calmness, concentration, and equanimity.

This practice soothes anxiety, stress, the suffering caused by today’s lifestyle. Along with its innumerable benefits, Vipassana teaches people how to let go and stay blissful.

Benefits of Vipassana Meditation

Improves physical health

Vipassana meditation helps the body's ability to heal and cope with chronic health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. This involves the breathing practices which cures lung-related problems. It builds a stronger immune system. It is useful for teaching people to be in tune with their instincts and body signals. Moreover, some people use it to lose weight.

Relieves stress and pain

Vipassana exercises very effectively reduce the frequency and intensity of pain, be it physical or emotional. It helps people get rid of their attachments that lead to pain. Vipassana teaches patience and acceptance which are the essential qualities to live peacefully. Emotional stress and anxiety can be dealt with with simple breathing practices used in Vipassana.

Develops cognitive awareness

Vipassana meditation helps in improving cognitive awareness. It is useful in boosting creative abilities and understand things with clarity. It can help you with problem-solving, learning a new skill or language more quickly, and expanding your memory retention. This restructures your brain programming and attracts more positive thoughts.

Helps treat addiction

This meditation makes people aware of their feelings and sensations, which in turn enables them to feel emotions without getting carried away. It teaches you to consciously choose between the habit that one wants and what one ought to do. Delayed gratification Vipassana meditation reduces stress, which makes it an effective addiction treatment.

Brings inner peace

Vipassana meditation enables you to connect with your inner self. It increases one's ability to perceive the world around him or her. It removes negative emotions like greed, hatred, delusion. This makes a person less judgmental towards others and more accepting of themselves. Vipassana meditation helps people learn how to love selflessly and unconditionally. A person learns to be at peace with himself/herself.

How to Practice Vipassana?

Follow these steps to get along with Vipassana Meditation

• Set aside 10 to 15 minutes for your practice each day and choose an empty room or secluded spot outside with few distractions as the ideal location to meditate.
• Sit on the ground comfortably cross-legged and straighten your back
• Focus on natural breaths. Do not try to imitate like others, be at your own pace.
• Just observe your thoughts and emotions. Do not try to control them. Just feel them come and without any judgment let it go.
• Practice this thought process along with your breaths.
• If your mind waivers or you feel distracted, do not forget to align back to yourself.
• Practice this stillness for few minutes in the beginning and then gradually increase the span.

Tips to do Vipassana Meditation for beginners

Do not be hard on yourself and push to make it happen. Ironically, the only way to do this is to relax and enjoy the process. It is normal to get distracted in the beginning but consistent sitting improves the practice. Vipassana meditation means to focus on the present therefore keep on reminding yourself to return when lost.

Bottom Line

Practices of Vipassana Meditation vary from person to person but it revolves around the same principles. These lay emphasis on mindfulness, non-attachment, self-awareness, being grateful and releasing negativities about oneself. The goal is not about getting over something rather more importantly understanding what happened there without creating judgment. It helps clear the dark cloud of confusion and be grateful for the things we have.