8 Days Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat in Rishikesh, India

Facilities

The institute

The Vedansha Institute of Vedic Science and Alternative Medicine was founded by Yogacharya Dr. Sanjeev Pandey Ji. It was established to provide education in Vedic science, holistic treatment, and support programs with yogic and Ayurvedic methods in common and non-curative diseases, and help humans control emotions, remove fears, improve their lives, find themselves in a society of modern technology, and open their power in order to feel harmony and happiness.

The institute is accredited by International Yoga Alliance USA and they also follow its policy on sexual misconduct towards the client, that makes all their programs safe and secure for female students. The institute keeps the ancient yogic tradition of Himalayan masters adapted to contemporary service requirements according to international standards of yoga education.

Its teachers were born in yogic families and have scientific degrees in yoga, astrology, and Ayurveda. Its yoga masters have spent more than 90,000 hours on improving their practice of yoga postures and meditation. Its founder, Dr Sanjeev Pandey, has spent more than 20,000 hours in deep meditation in the Himalayan mountains.

Vedansha collaborates with medical doctors and performs research in yoga and cancer in Germany. It also performs special healing programs for people with different diseases to support their health. Its programs are based on centuries-old traditions and adapted to contemporary conditions that make its clients 99% satisfied.

What is vipassana silent meditation retreat?

The main practice of Vipassana consists of mentally scanning one by one of each body part and feeling the sensations in each of these body parts. Practitioners are instructed to move their attention down from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and then in the opposite direction in a repetitive pattern, paying attention to somatic sensations.

The instruction for the subject is to keep your attention moving and to observe, objectively and with equanimity, the sensations that you experience. Given the explicit focus on tomato sensory sensations, this particular tradition of Vipassana is a good example of meditation practice where focused attention and open monitoring are combined.

Vedansha Institute of Vedic Science and Alternative Medicine will explain and show how to do the practice that you will perform yourself. Only in this way you can concentrate more on your own emotions, sensations, and feeling without external influence. Don’t worry, they will support you in this way.

How you will do your practice?

After check in and taking lunch, you will have a talk with the master to understand better your goals, background and discuss focus points, communication channels. You become silent and will follow the daily schedule.

Benefits of Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat

• Decreases stress level
• Makes your mind clear
• Increases your mental ability
• Creates inner stability and harmony
• Removes anger, fear and worries
• Let you feel inner peace

Who Does Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat suitable for?

• Beginner, intermediate, advanced practitioner
• For people who have the desire to learn meditation
• For already yoga & meditation teachers
• For medical and educational staff

Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat Teaching Plan

Meditation Practice

• Origin of Vipassana?
• Meaning of Vipassana
• How to reach concentration state?
• Vipassana and other meditation styles?
• Requirements for meditation practice
• Meditation and concentration in Vipassana
• Role of silence in Vipassana?
• Vipassana diary
• Asana for Vipassana Silent Meditation
• Pain during practice in Vipassana Silent Meditation
• Mindfulness during Vipassana
• How to create inner peace?
• Simple guided concentration
• Breath awareness meditation
• OM meditation
• AUM meditation
• Yoga Nidra and body scanning
• Aura cleansing meditation
• Body stillness and silence
• Trataka meditation
• Sound meditation
• 5 Prana meditation
• 5 elements meditation
• Akasha meditation
• Agni meditation
• Nadis meditation
• Object bound meditation
• General chakra Meditation
• Walking meditation
• Mantra Japa Ajapa meditation
• Postures for meditation practice
• Connect with yourself!

Breathing Practice

• Pranayama, main principles
• Pranayama techniques required for vipassana (abdominal breathing, preparational breathing, Kapalabhati, Nadi Shodana with/without retention Level I, II, Ujjayi breathing).
• The pranic body
• Parana energy and human’s lifestyle
• Breathe exercise, health and pranayama
• Preparational breath
• Breath and increase life span. Hidden ancient techniques
• Kriyas (Body Cleansing Methods): (Jala Neti, Netra Shuddhi, Sutra Neti, Kapalabhati, Trataka Shanka Prakshalana)
• Advanced Kriyas (Netra Shuddi, Sutra neti,Shanka Prakshalana)
• Levels of Kapalabhati. Use of Mudra and Bandha
• Levels of Nadi Shodhana. Use of Mudra and Bandha
• Nadi Shodhana. Level of retention.
• Ujjayi breathing. How to do, effect.
• Bramari pranayama. How to do, effect.
• Bhastrika Pranyama. How to do, effect. Precautions.
• Surya Bheda. How to do, effect. Precautions.
• Sheetali pranayama. How to do, effect. Time for practice
• Shetkari pranayama. How to do, effect. Time for practice
• Chandra Bheda pranayama. How to do, effect. Time for practice contraindications
• Safety techniques and precautions in Pranayama techniques
• Pranic body and 3 main Nadis
• Is it possible to feel Pranic body?
• Concept of mudra and bandha
• Moola, Uddyana Bandha, Jalandra Bandha
• Ashwani Mudra
• Dyana, Ajali, Prithvi, Varuna, Shakti, Gyana, Chin, Shambhavi, Khechari Mudra, Hansi mudra, Vayu mudra, akash Mudra, Shunya Mudra, Surya mudra, Jalodarnashak mudra, Apan mudra, Pran Mudra, shankh mudra, Apan Vayu Mudra, Ling Mudra, Dhyan Mudra, Lotus Mudra
• Shatkarma (concept, aim, safety, performance)
• How to add pranayama in a yoga class of 30, 60, 90 minutes
• What is border between pranayama and meditation
• 5 Pranana concept. Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana, Vyana
• Role of 5 pranas in spiritual practice and healing
• Contemporary research on pranayama techniques
• Kevala kumhaka. How to reach. Benefits.
• Gas changes in blood during the performance of kevala kumhaka.
• Role of Ayurveda on pranayama practice
• Feeling of prana in daily life
• How to create a place for successful pranayama practice
• Pranayama practice at home and high vibrative spiritual place
• Where to practice Pranayama after Rishikesh

Vipassana According to Goenka

• Experience of body sensations, joy & pain
• Concept of systematic attention to sensations
• Concept of anicca (impermanence, change) dukkha (unsatisfactoriness/suffering) and anatta (non-self, impersonal)
• Purification and way of removing of old samskharas
• State of Kalapas
• Limitations of Goenka Method
• Samma Vaca
• Sama Kammanta
• Samma Ajiva
• Samma Vayama
• Samma Sati
• Samma Samadhi
• Samma Sankappa
• Bhavana Maya Panna Concept
• Concept of 10 Parami to dissolve the EGO
• Nekkhamma - renunciation
• Sila - morality
• Viriya - effort
• Panna - wisdom
• Khanti - tolerance
• Sacca - truth
• Adhitthana - strong determination
• Metta - pure
• Upekkha - equanimity
• Dana - charity

Vipassana and asana practice

• Importance of asana for successful meditation
• Natural relaxation asana
• Natural standing asana with external rotations
• Forward bending asana
• Backward extensions
• Spinal twisting asana
• Inverted asana
• Balancing asana

Vipassana and Mantra practice

• What is Mantra?
• Shiva Mantra
• So Ham Ham So
• Gayatri mantra
• Maha Mritunjaya mantra
• Surya mantra
• Surya Namaskar mantra
• Shakti mantra
• Role of Mantra in Vipassana
• AUM Mantra
• Mantra for health

Daily sample schedule

Day 1

• 12:00 Check in
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 - 15:00 Introduction to course, consultation
• 15:00 - 16:30 Asana class
• 16:30 - 17:30 Vipassana practice group
• 17:30 - 18:30 Vipassana practice temple with instructions
• 19:00 - 20:00 Dinner
• 20:00 - 22:00 Free time
• 22:00 - 06:00 Free time

Day 2 - 7

• 06:00 - 06:30 Wake up and shower
• 06:30 - 07:00 Shatkriya and herbal tea (yogic cleansing with Jala neti (special techniques of nose cleansing), Pooja (mantra recitation & fire ceremony purification).
• 07:00 - 08:30 Morning guided meditation in Hall
• 08:30 - 09:30 Pranayama: breathing exercises and meditation
• 09:30 - 10:30 Breakfast: special yogic menu.
• 10:30 - 11:30 Walking meditation to Holy Ganga River audio guided by master
• 11:30 - 12:30 Guided Meditation
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 - 15:00 Instructed self-practice in Temple
• 15:00 - 16:00 Mandala drawing or Mantra recitation and meditation with Master
• 16:00 - 17:00 Yoga Asana for improvement of Meditation posture
• 17:30 - 18:30 Yoga Nidra/ guided Meditation: guided relaxation practice, meditation and concentration
• 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner
• 20:00 - 21:00 Audio guided Meditation in Ashram with Aromatherapy
• 21:00 - 22:00 Sleep preparation

Day 8

• Classes till 12 p.m, check out 1 p.m.

Pre-requisites

• You have to have interest to learn Vedic science, personal work on body and mind and not only to spend vacation as on all inclusive resort. Vedansha are spiritual Ashram and do not allow following activity: eating non-vegetarian meal, smoking, drinking alcohol, abuse their staff, show any type of sexual misconduct, manipulating, annoying other clients, damage the vedansha property, study material, interrupt teaching process.
• Individuals with disabilities or ailments, people who have any disease or unfit before the course are advised to refrain from applying. If you join the course, and feel worse after this, Vedansha will help you to arrange all required medical help, but they will not allow you to continue the course and your payment will be not refunded.
• Minimum age at the time of admission is 18 years. Applicants aged over 60 years could apply after consultation with Vedansha via email.
• Pregnant women need a medical authorization permitting them to practice yoga from their own country with translation in English
• Any candidate found unfit after the commencement of the course will not be permitted to continue the training and a refund of fees and other charges will not be admissible
• This teacher training course requires educational abilities and the desire to study the program according to the standards of Yoga Alliance USA. Students are reminded to remain aware and respectful of cultural differences among the participants and teachers. Any disruptions to the teaching process or behaviour deemed harmful to other students, teachers, or the institute's property is in violation of the rules and policies of Vedansha Institute. Violation of the school's policies may result in dismissal from the program without any refund of the course fees.
• The teachers are not fitness instructors, most of them are spiritual yoga masters who have a completely different way of life and devotion to their practice. Some of them are monks, pandits in temples or swamis. They request you to please be polite and respect their work. If you find something that not suitable for you or for your faith or mentality, please do not put the blame on them. Let them know at the front desk, online or just discuss with Founder Dr Pandey Ji directly if you want any changes and what you find not suitable for you. In 99% misunderstanding will be solved in a good way.
• The course language is English. Any other mentioned language is used for online communication and in some cases can be used in communication during the course on the place. If you wish to get a translator for any other language kindly request to ask about availability before booking. If a booking is done without the request of translation Vedansha have right to cancel the booking and refund the deposit. If translation will be requested on place Vedansha has the right to dismiss the client from the course and do not refund the deposit. If a client request to arrange another school with appropriate language ability it can be done upon request if the school with this language is available in Rishikesh for extra costs.
• The booking should be performed by the person who is going to participate in the course. If a booking is done by the third person (relatives, friends, parents etc) the direct participant should send Vedansha an email or scanned copy of confirmation that he/she acknowledge the program, rules and regulations of the organizer.
• Any candidate who decided to change the program after arriving have to apply for it in written form. If you decide to cancel the course after arriving, Vedansha will have to charge the amount that covered their costs of 30% of the course days as Vedansha reserve teacher, accommodation, meal prior to your arriving.

This retreat includes one excursion in the Himalayas.

This retreat will take place in Rishikesh, India.

During this retreat, you will enjoy a daily vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus drinks. Every meal will consist of a special nutritious Ayurvedic and yogic menu developed according to the season. For the morning, you will enjoy a detox hot tea with special Himalayan herbs to make you stronger and improve your digestion. Other drinks will include herbal tea, black tea, masala tea, water, milk, and juice.

Please be aware that the meal and beverages that are included during the course program and package are special yogic and Ayurvedic. If you wish to try other meals from the Indian or Italian menu in the Vedansha restaurant, extra costs will be charged.

During your free time, you can relax in spa or book a detailed aura check-up with a written report about the aura statement, disturbances in aura if they are present, supporting methods, and treatment advice of a naturopathic specialist. You can receive an individual plan of asana postures, pranayama, herbs, and meditative practice. Additionally, you can receive a detailed horoscope assessment with methods of correction according to Vedic medical astrology. Vedansha Institute of Vedic Science and Alternative Medicine provides different spa programs by request.

• 1 acupuncture session
• Daily meditation and sessions
• Consultation and individual issued plan of retreat with guided recommendations
• 1 short aura check-up
• Excursion to the Himalaya
• 3 daily vegetarian meals
• 7 nights accommodation
• Mala string of beads energized by a Yogacharya, Dr S.K.Pandey-Ji
• Study materials
• Meditation cleansing kit
• 1 t-shirt with the school symbol

• Airport transfer
• Extra Ayurveda procedures
• Ayurveda doctor consultation
• Extra excursions
• Detailed Aura check-up with providing of a written report about Aura statement, disturbances in Aura if they are present, supporting methods and treatment advises of naturopathic specialist (individual plan of asana postures, pranayama, herbs, meditative practice).
• Detailed horoscope assessment
• Extra nights accommodation

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 35% of the total price.
• The deposit is fully refundable if the booking is cancelled up to 5 days before the arrival date.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.