Can you do a 10-day Vipassana meditation course during pregnancy? 

You bet! In fact, I highly recommend it—assuming that you’re having a healthy pregnancy that is.

In today’s update, I share with you more about my recent experience completing the 10-day course to kick-off the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Watch the video below or keep on reading to find out more!

Before we dive in let’s answer the question you might be asking yourself:

What is Vipassana meditation?

From Vipassana’s official website, www.dhamma.org

“Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art of Living.

The technique of Vipassana Meditation is taught at ten-day residential courses during which participants learn the basics of the method, and practice sufficiently to experience its beneficial results. There are no charges for the courses – not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation. All expenses are met by donations from people who, having completed a course and experienced the benefits of Vipassana, wish to give others the opportunity to also benefit.” 

On February 5th, I dropped off my dog, Bali, at a ranch, packed my car, and hit the road teary eyed, Vipassana bound.

I felt excited yet anxious at the same time. I knew what I had signed up for and what an incredible experience it would be for me to do while pregnant yet I worried about being fully disconnected from my loved ones. My mother was still fragile after having had multiple surgeries and I needed to trust that she would be alright. My boyfriend has been working overseas and I wouldn’t be there to cheer him on for the next 10-days as he approaches the final stretch of his contract. To top it off, Bali had wailed as I walked away from him at the ranch he would be staying at.

But as I drove off, the pressure also started to come down. Deep down, I knew that it would all be alright.

I completed my first 10-day Vipassana meditation course back in October 2018 after having thought about it for years. 

It was a life changing experience as many people had told me it would be. Many say that “there is your life before Vipassana and your life after.” Looking back, I do see the truth in that statement.

Everyone must complete a 10-day course when they first sign-up for a Vipassana course. In doing so you are agreeing to:

• to abstain from killing any being;
• to abstain from stealing;
• to abstain from all sexual activity;
• to abstain from telling lies;
• to abstain from all intoxicants.

During a 10-day course you:

• Agree to Noble Silence. Meaning you will not speak or communicate in any way with other students from the evening that you arrive to mid-morning on Day 10. *You can speak with the teacher and course managers if you have questions or concerns, but that is it! 

You have no connection with the outside world during your stay. You turn in  your cell phone and any reading or writing materials that you may have on the day you arrive. This may seem crazy, yet I promise you that it is such a liberating experience to do this!

• Wake up at 4am every day. The bell rings at 4am so that you can be ready for the day’s first meditation session at 4:30am. It can take a few days to get used to then you mostly adapt. I’ll admit that I sometimes slept through the first session and took several naps throughout the day.

• Eat simple vegetarian food. The food is great in my opinion. Simple and fresh.

For breakfast you will find oatmeal, a variety of cereals, fruits, toast, peanut butter, tahini, and jam. And of course there is coffee—instant so don’t start dreaming of sipping on your almond milk latte while you’re there, although there is almond milk if you like! There’s also a variety or herbal teas and cereal coffee which I really enjoy.

Each lunch is different and delicious. There may be chili one day, pasta the next, or my favourite; a sweet potato coconut soup! There is always a salad bar with a variety of fresh veggies and dressings.

For dinner, new students enjoy fresh fruit while old students abstain from eating and opt for a herbal tea instead.

Pregnant women and people with special dietary needs can have a dinner and have access to the dining room at all times where they can find snacks in a fridge designated for them. 

• Meditate 10hours per day. Don’t freak out! It’s totally doable and there are plenty of breaks. There are 3 sittings in the meditation hall that everyone must attend and the other sittings can be done in your room or in the hall depending on the teacher’s instructions.

During breaks you can rest in your room or enjoy walking outdoors. Getting outdoors was such a nice way to reset and to also keep your body active after all that sitting. And although there isn’t any dedicated space to stretch, you can do so in your room.

What was it like doing it pregnant?

I knew I wanted to do a 10-day course while pregnant even before I know that I was! I had been so inspired from seeing and speaking to women who had done it during their pregnancy.

I was in my 27th week when the course began and this was such a great time to do it! 

I wouldn’t recommend doing a course in your 1st trimester. For one, this is such a fragile time in pregnancy and I feel it would be difficult to fully get into the course if you have any concerns about this. Secondly, I had my most uncomfortable symptoms during the 1st trimester: nausea, morning sickness, sore boobs, having to pee several times a night, feeling like I needed to eat ALL the time, etc.

I believe that they won’t let you participate past your 32nd week. I had emailed them to ask yet never received a response and forgot to ask while I was there. But if I base it on my travel insurance, I am only covered up to my 32nd week. Some will cover you until your 36th week. So best to check with your practitioner, insurance, and the Vipassana centre if you want to do it later in pregnancy.

Anyone attending a 10-day course must be in good health. So of course you must honour your body and if you are uncertain, check with your doctor.

Vipassana makes pregnant women feel extremely comfortable and taken care of during their stay. 

When I was accepted into the course, they emphasized the importance of being gentle during the course. The let me know that I’d have access to the dining hall and would have three meals a day. I already knew this, but I felt reassured from the get-go.

Upon arrival, I was given a private room. This may not be a given depending on the centre and attendees, yet it was such a nice treat.

We were three pregnant women during this course and the teacher met with each of us individually the day we arrived to answer any of our questions and remind us again to be gentle and to honour our needs.

I also had access to a chair in the meditation hall and set my meditation cushion against a wall. I alternated between the two and it was a great way to stay comfortable.

A few things that I did to make my experience all the more enjoyable while pregnant:

• I slept when I needed to. I knew that waking up at 4am would take some getting used to and that sometimes drowsiness is simply resistance to meditating, yet I also listened to my body when I felt that it needed to actually rest. I noticed that I would feel my heart beating really hard during the 4:30am sitting, instead of “pushing through” I would lay down and most of the time it would pass. I realized that I needed to either eat or sleep when that happened. That being said,
• I ate when I needed to and sometimes even before. The meals are light at Vipassana and since you are sitting you may feel like you aren’t expending a lot of energy, yet you are building a human inside and are expending more energy than you would during your pre-pregnancy HIT workouts! That being said, I ate small meals just more frequently. I would eat upon waking, breakfast, lunch, go for a mid-day snack, and have dinner. I didn’t shy away from the snack fridge we had access to and you shouldn’t either if you go while pregnant!
• I stretched regularly. I did this during my first 10-day and during the 3-day course that I did as well. It really helps your body stay comfortable for sittings.
• I walked at least 3x each day. I already walk everyday in my normal life and it was all the more important to keep it up during the Vipassana course. I’d do two 30min walks each day; one after breakfast and lunch. And I’d often go for a quick stroll before the last sitting in the evening—mostly to not fall asleep!
• I meditated with my hands on my belly. I loved feeling my baby move during sittings and really felt connected to her. It feels like such a privilege to have done this prior to her arrival!

It was a special experience and I feel it prepared me for what’s to come.

A midwife was in the course and I had the chance to speak with her on the last day. She confirmed what I was feeling and gave me a few pointers for delivery as well: do squats, drink 1L of raspberry leaf tea as of week 37, and take evening primrose oil close to the date.

I am glad that I had already done a 10-day course prior. However I spoke to one of the women for whom it was her first time and she felt that being pregnant gave her all the more reason to really enjoy the experience. Either way, doing the course will be a wonderful way to connect to your baby, to yourself, and to prepare for the beautiful journey ahead. Not to mention to savour the luxury of sleep and silence while you still can!

I hope that this is beneficial to you!

Please let me know if you choose to embark on a Vipassana course!

With love & light,
Melissa

PS: Want to try the Banana Coconut Latte recipe? Here’s the link!

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