Patience in Vipassana Courses

The first 7-day vipassana course I went for was an invaluable lesson on patience and persistence; in a week of no contact with the outside world and no communicating amongst ourselves, I experienced firsthand the results of perseverance.

For the initial days of the course I was antsy and restless, waiting for results of my meditation to show. I did notice slight changes immediately after each sitting; I felt somewhat calmer after practicing Anapana (focusing on your breathing); but nothing completely life-changing, as I’d expected. I soon realized that vipassana meditation required consistent practice to benefit from, and resolved to continue meditating. 

Even on the last day of the course, I did not fully understand how vipassana had impacted me. It only became apparent with the transition back to normal life, which is what motivated me to continue practicing for a few minutes everyday, as I do now.