Vipassana Meditation: what is it and what are its benefits?

This ancient practice is still alive today, and has spread outside Asia.

Meditation is an activity that more and more people are practicing, and it has been shown to have numerous benefits for those who practice it.

While there are many types of meditation from various cultures, some of the most popular are those from the Eastern tradition. One of these, originating in India and which in turn serves as the basis for other current practices such as mindfulness, is Vipassana meditation.

What is Vipassana meditation?

Vipassana meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation (albeit of Hindu origins) originating in India, which tradition believes 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 means, roughly, to see things clearly or as they are.

This is a type of meditation that is based on the empowerment of the concentration and attention on one's own beingfocusing first on the breath and then deepening the sensations of the body and mind. It is necessary to take into account 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, and there are several centers and retreats that teach it for free. As the aftertaste of religion is still very present in many of them, these centers usually require a previous period of ten days without killing, stealing, having sexual relations and consuming psychoactive substances, and during the time the course lasts the subject must not speak, read, write or communicate. The individual is asked to be completely centered on himself.

How is it practiced?

Having seen what it is, it is relevant to know how it is practiced. To begin with, thehe person sits on the floor, in principle with his legs crossed and his back straight (although the specific posture can vary or it is even possible to sit on a chair if we have health problems that require it). It is not essential to close the eyes, although it facilitates the process.

After that you should start trying to reach a state of calmness, through breathing.. We must focus on following the flow of air as we inhale and exhale and the sensations it generates, trying not to dwell on other elements that may distract. It is not about forcing the breath but to focus on observing how it is produced. 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 be noticing the sensations, perceptions, thoughts and emotions that surround us, being important not to focus and work on them but simply observing how they arise and pass. This aspect is called per se Vipassana meditation, in which we will go through our whole body from head to toe to observe the different sensations of each part.

The concentration is focused on each body regionwithout 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 the breath.

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

Advantages and benefits

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

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

Vipassana meditation is also associated with lowering Blood Pressure by reducing anxiety states. It lowers the heart rate and helps us to have a better control of the respiratory tract.. It reduces the importance we give to pain, both physical and mental, and helps us to know 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 for 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, in front of the type of meditation on which is based a technique nowadays so well known 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 that allows this technique allows us to be much more aware of our being, and has proven to be useful both generally and in subjects with different problems such as anxiety, depression, pain disorders, post-traumatic stress and obsessive disorders.