Just as death of the physical body is inevitable, coming into the light of truth is also unavoidable with abhyasa - devoted, consistent practice. Yin Yoga has helped me examine myself and the different layers of my being, courageously shedding off untruths, embracing shadows with compassion, shattering continuously, dying constantly unto my own self so I can, in this lifetime, constantly transform and be born again. Retreat The Power of f Silence Amy Doffegnies The technique you are learning here is called the art of living, and life can only really be lived in the present. S.N Goekna The cultivation of awareness that comes with the yoga practice, both Yin and Yang, ultimately allows us to observe the impermanence of life and its contents. And with this knowledge comes the death of ignorance, a movement from the unreal and constantly changing to the real and unchanging. And when this ignorance – avidya – dies taking with it the fear of death itself – abhinivesah – we are closer to resting in peace with that which is unchanging and immortal, that elusive something more. Dona is a Manila-based stress management consultant, yoga instructor, student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, volunteer for the Art of Living Foundation, a wife and a hands-on mom. She co-founded OneSpark,Co., the holistic partner of organizations in igniting and aligning their human capital through integrated, innovative, and fun wellbeing and team development programs. dtesteban@yahoo.com Ominous? Life changing? Stunning? Excruciating? So did it live up to expectations? I found its message essentially affirmative, helpful and loving. I came away believing the technique is a real tool to enhance one’s ability to encounter everyday life. Vipassana blew open up my faculty for awareness and responsiveness - to myself, the world around and other human beings. The word Vipassana has become synonymous with a mysterious vow of silence and an intensive 10-day schedule of disciplined meditation. This 10-day course has proven to be the experience people find most unimaginable about my year spent in Asia. Amused whispers ripple throughout my friends as the first question people seemed to ask upon my return became ‘How did you not speak for 10 days?’ Funny, I thought, and touching in a way- that 10 days without communication strikes such universal fear in people’s hearts. Perhaps it is surprising then; that I came out of Vipassana feeling more responsive to the power of communion with others than ever, even in relationships that were nurtured in silence. ‘The participant learns how to free the mind of the tensions and prejudices that disturb the flow of daily life. By doing so one begins to discover how to live each moment peacefully, productively, happily.’ I will not attempt to detail what Vipassana course entails here, as it is in its very nature an experiential practice, structured over a 10-day period. I entered it with a vague understanding of what I was undertaking …I knew I would not be able to speak for 10 days, or read, or write, or do anything but meditate. I was pledging to get up at 4 am every day for hours of meditation. And I also knew several of my most trusted friends had done Vipassana, and hated every minute. Still, Vipassana, as taught by S.N. Goenka, draw in a steady flow of anybodies, from hippies to high flyers, year round, in 90 countries the world over. With trepidation I entered it seeking a bit of an antidote to the mania of the city. Frenzied but happy, at the start of Vipassana, I was more than ready for an injection of peace and mindfulness. For what a friend once described as a heavy handed grounding and a boatload of peace. My journey to the Centre in New Territories of Hong Kong comprised the strangest taxi ride of my time here. The driver spoke animated English through a massive smile…until I told him specifically where I was going. Unsuccessfully, he tried to mask his alarm. Upon arrival my new friend avidly helped me out with my bags and kissed me on the cheek…as if a blessing. His worry was at once affecting and absolutely alarming. Suspicion of the course seems oddly widespread. 26
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