![]() ![]() For a second, that sounds pretty nice.Ī few other women are slowly and silently getting settled. There’s a wooden door, window with metal bars, and a piece of white lace curtain. The room is a 6ft by 8ft cement box with a built in cement bed, wooden mat, and wooden pillow. I drop off my duffle in my room at the end of the hall. The women’s dorm is a big brick rectangle with 140+ rooms around a grass courtyard. If I’d come later, I would have gotten stuck with a shittier task, like toilet duty. On the way out of the hall, I sign up for my daily chore - sweeping and mopping the women’s dorms. I hand over my computer, phone, drawing supplies, reading materials, and wallet. I walk to the office window at the end of the dining hall, pay the 2000 baht donation, and get my room key. I can’t help but wonder what the others were talking about. When it’s my turn, the woman looks over my form, asks me if I have any questions, and gives me a pass in less than 3 minutes. I get in line for my “interview.” The two women in front of me interview for 15 minutes. Twenty minutes later, I hand in my health and meditation history. I join a couple of women diligently reading at a table. She tells me to read the whole thing, and if I still want to participate, to fill out the form. ![]() For the whole retreat, men and women are separate.Ī volunteer hands me a photocopied booklet. The men are on the right, the women are on the left. A dozen people have already arrived and are scattered around the hall. I check in at the main dining hall - a big open air cement building designed to seat 200 people. A subtle breeze dances with the coconut leaves. Other than the birds chirping, it’s silent. The retreat is on acres of well groomed green grounds. I find a motorcycle taxi, hop on the back, and drive to Suan Mokkh. When we arrive at dawn, I’m exhausted, excited, and desperately have to pee. At least I’m safe and can practice my mediation skills. I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity and to take time for myself. I’m paranoid about missing my stop and avoiding the train toilet like the devil. The train is from the 80s and I imagine the thousands of people who have drooled on these sheets. I’m on the bottom bunk of the 2nd Class Sleep train. But, the time has come - it’s my only option to arrive on time. My whole life, I’ve avoided taking the night train. Chapter 1: Getting SettledĪt 6:30pm, I board the 12 hour night train from Bangkok to the Buddhist Monastery. The highlights were the moments of pure bliss where I was convinced I was in heaven (I’m still kinda convinced!), where I shed the need to be anyone or do anything, and where I was so at peace that I considered living in silence forever. I moved through every emotion - from feeling like I was going psycho to feeling so happy I could die. ![]() TL DR So, what’s it like? It’s like having a 10 day conversation with your mind. If you’re curious, or considering doing one, I hope my story offers some insight. Many are booked a year in advance with hundreds of people on waitlists. ![]() Ten day Vipassana retreats are quickly becoming popular. Vipassana, which means to see things clearly, is an ancient meditation technique. If you could do anything in the world for your birthday, what would you do? Celebrate with friends on a private island? Fly all your loved ones to the ski slopes? Have a quiet dinner at home with family?įor my 29th birthday, it was 10 days of solitude in silent meditation at a Buddhist Monastery.Īpparently, I’m not alone. We'll keep you updated with any promotions that might show up for this release.Vipassana - 10 Days of Silence in a Buddhist Monastery The system requirements for J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars are actually quite low and most players will be able to run it: 1 GB of RAM memory, a minimum 1280x720 resolution with at least 128 MB VRAM accelerated card, and 3 GB of available space. Interestingly enough, the game has a release date, September 12, but there is no option to preorder the title, which is kind of odd. Her only companions are J.U.L.I.A., the space probe's artificial intelligence and Mobot, a huge reconnaissance robot," reads the official Steam synopsis. Now Rachel is alone, orbiting an unknown planet. She is a member of an elite group of scientists, chosen to embark on one of the most critical missions ever conceived on Earth. "The story centers on Rachel Manners, a 35 year old astrobiologist. that was released back in 2012, but the developers went to Indiegogo and managed to gather enough money to make a different game altogether. Among the Stars was intended to be a remake of the original J.U.L.I.A. J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars, an adventure game developed and published by CBE Software, has been announced and will be released on Steam for Linux in a few days. ![]()
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