Your first Vipassana course: the 10 days, explained

When people in India say “doing a Vipassana”, they almost always mean a 10-day residential course in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. The courses are held at centres with Pali names that start with “Dhamma” (Dhamma Giri in Igatpuri is the best known), and they follow the same timetable and rules everywhere. The instructions come from Goenka's recorded talks, with an assistant teacher present to answer questions about the practice.

The course is a training, not a holiday. For the first three days you practise Anapana, keeping your attention on the breath. From Day 4 you learn Vipassana itself: observing sensations through the body without reacting to them. There is no chanting to learn, no belief to sign up to, and nothing to buy. We list 77 Vipassana centres across 22 states, and all of them list their courses as free or donation-based.

Every day from Day 1 to Day 9 follows the same schedule, published in the course's Code of Discipline. Roughly ten hours are spent meditating, in the hall or in your room.

Day 0, arrival

Register in the afternoon, hand in your phone and valuables, eat a light dinner and hear the first talk. Noble silence starts that evening.

Days 1–3

Anapana: attention on the breath around the nostrils. This is when most people meet their restless mind, sore knees and the urge to leave.

Day 4

Vipassana is taught in the afternoon. The attention moves through the body, part by part.

Days 5–9

The same practice, deepening. The three daily group sittings become sittings of “strong determination”, where you try not to move for the hour.

Day 10

Metta (loving-kindness) practice is taught in the morning, and silence ends after it. Talking again after nine quiet days is surprisingly tiring.

Day 11, departure

A last talk and sitting before dawn, then you help clean up and leave by about 7:30 am.

Many students hit a difficult patch early on and another midway. If you are struggling, the teacher's lunchtime slot is there for exactly that.

The Code of Discipline is strict on purpose: each rule removes a distraction. You agree to all of it when you apply.

• Five precepts: no killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying or intoxicants (including tobacco) for the length of the course.
• Noble silence: silence of body, speech and mind with fellow students. No gestures, signs or written notes either.
• No outside contact: no calls, messages or visitors. In an emergency, family can reach you through the centre's management.
• No reading or writing: no books, journals or note-taking. Music, audio and news are out too.
• Men and women are kept apart: separate residences, walking areas and seating. Couples and family members don't contact each other during the course.
• Other practices on hold: no yoga, exercise, prayer rituals, mantras or other meditation techniques during the ten days. Walking in the marked areas is allowed.
• Simple, modest clothing: loose and comfortable. Nothing tight, transparent or revealing.
• Simple vegetarian food: no fasting, and no outside food. If you need a special diet for a medical reason, say so on the application.

Vipassana courses charge nothing, not even for food and a bed. Each course is paid for by people who sat earlier courses and want others to have the same chance. That is why the centres accept donations only from people who have completed at least one 10-day course: a new student gives, if at all, on the last day, and the money funds a future course rather than their own.

The cooking and cleaning are done by volunteers called Dhamma servers, all former students. Nobody will ask you for money, and there is nothing to buy.

Most healthy adults manage the course, but it is demanding: long hours of sitting, early mornings and no one to talk to.

• Physical limits are usually manageable. If you can't sit on the floor, ask about a chair or back support when you apply.
• Pregnant women can attend once their pregnancy is stable. Extra food is provided.
• If you can't give the full twelve days, wait for a time when you can. Leaving midway is strongly discouraged.

1. Read the Code of Discipline and the introduction to the technique on dhamma.org. The application asks whether you have.
2. Look through upcoming Vipassana courses on our calendar, or search the schedule on dhamma.org by centre or by date, and pick a 10-day course marked for new students.
3. Fill in the online form for that centre. Questions about your health, medication and past practice are there to keep you safe, so answer them fully.
4. Wait for an email. You'll be confirmed, waitlisted or asked for more details. Many centres ask you to reconfirm a week or two before the start.
5. Book travel that gets you there by the afternoon registration on Day 0, and lets you leave after about 7:30 am on the last morning.

Every centre teaches the same course, so choose on practicalities. Of the 77 centres we list, the most are in Maharashtra (13), Gujarat (7) and Bihar (6). Most are at their most comfortable Oct–Feb: summers on the plains are very hot and many halls aren't air-conditioned.

• Season first. For a first course, pick cool, dry months. The Himalayan centres suit spring and autumn; most others are best in winter.
• Distance. A centre a few hours from home makes arrival day and the drive back easier. See meditation retreats near Pune, near Delhi or near Bengaluru.
• Rooms. Some centres have single rooms with attached bathrooms; others have shared rooms or dorms. The centre's own page says which.
• Language. Recorded instructions are available in many languages. Check that yours is offered on the course you choose.

Browse every centre with its best months and nearest airport in Vipassana and meditation retreats in India, or by state, such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

• Loose, modest clothes for 10 days (laundry is limited), plus a warm shawl or layers for the early mornings.
• A small torch, an alarm clock that isn't your phone, and slip-on footwear for going in and out of the hall.
• Any medicines you take, in their packets, and a refillable water bottle.
• Earplugs if you share a room. Leave valuables and books at home.

Our packing guide covers each kind of retreat and season in more detail.