Information About Courses

How to Apply

To apply for a course, click here to view the course schedule. Read the Code of Conduct, answer each question, and submit your application. By the end of the day, you will receive an email confirming that your application was received. If you haven’t received confirmation, email us at registration [email protected].

Once your application has been processed, you will receive an email letting you know the status of your application. There is often a waiting list, and applying 1-2 months in advance is recommended. Applications from the Intermountain region (Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada) are given priority.

What to Bring

All students should observe the rules for modest dress as outlined in the Code of Discipline. Shorts, tank tops, transparent, tight or revealing clothing, etc. are not permitted. Tights or leggings should be not be worn as pants.

Clothing:

~ shirts
~ pants
~ socks
~ underwear
~ down jacket, sweaters or other warm layers
~ slippers or house shoes – optional (outside shoes should not be worn inside)
~ hats, gloves, warm coats for colder months

Bring enough comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for the length of your stay. Temperatures at this center vary considerably by season. It may freeze at night, and it can still be hot during the day. There is some possibility of rain. Dressing in layers is recommended.

Outerwear:

~ warm jacket and raincoat
~ boots and/or rain boots
~ shawl and/or sweater
~ gloves
~ warm hat (can also be used during meditation)
~ umbrella

Meditation supplies:

~ meditation cushion and/or bench (a limited number of small/supplementary cushions are available)
~ mediation shawl or blanket – optional (separate from sleeping blankets)
~ small cushions for knees, etc. – optional

A limited supply of cushions is available, but please bring your own if possible. A floor mat will be provided for each student.

Bedding:

~ sleeping pillow (not the same as your meditation cushion)
~ pillowcase
~ bottom sheet
~ sleeping bag and/or top sheet and warm blankets

Personal items:

~ if you snore, please bring Snore Tabs or a similar product
~ unscented soap, shampoo, etc.
~ unscented deodorant
~ other unscented toiletries (shaving and sanitary supplies, etc.)
~ please avoid using items with strong scents or perfumes
~ toothbrush and toothpaste
~ towel
~ unscented liquid laundry soap for hand washing laundry – optional
~ flashlight

Cell Phone Policy:

Cell phones may not be used during the course, and students will be required to check them with the management, before the start of the course.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are asked not to bring any personal food, reading or writing materials, cell phones, or other electronic devices for use during the course. These should be left in your car. If necessary, they can be stored for you until the end of the course.

What to Expect

How do I learn Vipassana?

Your first step to learning Vipassana is to take an intensive, residential ten-day course. The course includes instructions given at regular intervals every day, meeting in small groups with the teacher of the course to make sure you understand how to practice, opportunity to meet with the teacher privately for guidance and to have your questions answered whenever needed, and listening every evening to a recorded talk on the practice by the principal teacher, the late Mr. S.N. Goenka.

As there is often a waiting list, applying one or two months in advance is recommended. After reviewing information about the program, course requirements and code of discipline, you can check our course schedule to see which dates are available and register for a course either online or by mail. To request an application packet by mail, please contact Course Registration ([email protected]).

How much does a course cost?

Each student who attends a Vipassana course is given this gift by a previous student. There is no charge for either the teaching, or for room and board. All Vipassana courses worldwide are run on a strictly voluntary donation basis. At the end of your course, if you have benefited from the experience, you are welcome to donate for the coming students, according to your volition and your means.

Are there shorter courses than ten days?

The ten-day course is the minimum; it provides an essential introduction and foundation to the technique. To develop in the practice is a lifetime job. Experience over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique. Traditionally, Vipassana was taught in retreats lasting seven weeks. With the dawning of the 20th century, the teachers of this tradition began to experiment with shorter times to suit the quickening pace of life. They tried thirty days, two weeks, ten days, down to seven days–and they found that less than ten days is not enough time for the mind to settle down and work deeply with the mind-body phenomenon.

How many students attend each course?

During cold weather months, our courses can accommodate 59 students, and up to 72 students with tenting in warmer weather months.

What are the accommodations like?

Accommodations are simple, but comfortable. There are 2 residence buildings each with 9 double bedrooms with an attached bath, and 2 dorm spaces with single bedrooms and shared common bathrooms. In tenting months, the center also has single accommodation canvas wall tents with bed; tenters share the common bathrooms.

What kind of food is served?

The menu consists of tasty and nutritious vegetarian food. Special diets due to medical conditions and serious allergies may be accommodated with advance notice. Please discuss any dietary issues in your application and with the Registrar during the registration process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the course ten days long?

Actually, the ten-day course is the minimum; it provides an essential introduction and foundation to the technique. To develop in the practice is a lifetime job. Experience over generations has shown that if Vipassana is taught in periods of less than ten days, the student does not get a sufficient experiential grasp of the technique. Traditionally, Vipassana was taught in retreats lasting seven weeks. With the dawning of the 20th century, the teachers of this tradition began to experiment with shorter times to suit the quickening pace of life. They tried thirty days, two weeks, ten days, down to seven days–and they found that less than ten days is not enough time for the mind to settle down and work deeply with the mind-body phenomenon.

How many hours a day will I be meditating?

The day begins at 4:00 a.m. with a wakeup bell and continues until 9:00 p.m. There are about ten hours of meditation throughout the day, interspersed with regular breaks and rest periods. Every evening at 7:00 p.m. there is a videotaped lecture by the Teacher, S.N. Goenka, which provides a context for meditators to understand their experience of the day. This schedule has proved workable and beneficial for hundreds of thousands of people for decades.

What language is used in the course?

The teaching is given through recordings of S.N. Goenka, speaking in English or Hindi, together with a translation into a local language. Tape translations exist in most of the major languages of the world, including English. If the teachers conducting a course do not speak the local language fluently, interpreters will be there to help. Language is usually no barrier for someone who wants to join a course.

Is ride sharing available?

Yes. You may get to the center by coordinating a ride with other students through the student rideshare board. Once you have been accepted to the course, a link to the rideshare board will be sent to you in the course acceptance email.  

How much does the course cost?

Each student who attends a Vipassana course is given this gift by a previous student. There is no charge for either the teaching, or for room and board. All Vipassana courses worldwide are run on a strictly voluntary donation basis. At the end of your course, if you have benefited from the experience, you are welcome to donate for the coming course, according to your volition and your means.

How much are teachers paid to conduct courses?

Teachers receive no payment, donations or other material benefit. They are required to have their own private means of support. This rule means that some of them may have less time for teaching, but it protects students from exploitation and it guards against commercialism. In this tradition, teachers give Vipassana purely as a service to others. All they get is the satisfaction of seeing people’s happiness at the end of ten days.

I can’t sit cross legged. Can I meditate?

Certainly. Chairs are provided for those unable to sit comfortably on the floor because of age or a physical problem.

I’m on a special diet. Can I bring my own food?

If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation, we might have to ask you to wait until you can be more flexible. We’re sorry but students are required to choose from the food provided to them, rather than bring food for themselves. Most people find the choice is ample and they enjoy the simple vegetarian diet.

Can pregnant women attend courses? Are there any special arrangements or instructions for them?

Pregnant women may certainly attend, and many women come specifically during pregnancy to take advantage of the opportunity to work deeply and in silence during this special time. We ask pregnant women to ensure they are confident that their pregnancy is stable before applying. We provide the extra food they need and ask them to work in a relaxed way.

Why is a course conducted in silence?

All students attending the course observe “noble silence” — that is, silence of body, speech and mind. They agree to refrain from communicating with their co-meditators. However, students are free to contact the management about their material needs, and to speak with the instructor. Silence is observed for the first nine full days. On the tenth day, speech is resumed as a way of re-establishing the normal pattern of daily life. Continuity of practice is the secret of success in this course; silence is an essential component in maintaining this continuity.

How can I be sure I am capable of doing the meditation?

For a person in reasonable physical and mental health who is genuinely interested and willing to make a sincere effort, meditation (including “noble silence”) is not difficult. If you are able to follow the instructions patiently and diligently, you can be sure of tangible results. Though it may appear daunting, the day’s schedule is neither too severe nor too relaxed. Moreover, the presence of other students practicing conscientiously in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere lends tremendous support to one’s efforts.

Is there anyone who should not participate in a course?

Obviously someone who is physically too weak to follow the schedule will not be able to benefit from a course. The same is true of someone suffering from psychiatric problems, or someone undergoing emotional upheaval. Through a process of questions and answers, we will be able to help you decide clearly beforehand whether you are in a position to benefit fully from a course. In some cases applicants are asked to get approval from their doctor before they can be accepted.

Can Vipassana cure physical or mental diseases?

Many diseases are caused by our inner agitation. If the agitation is removed, the disease may be alleviated or disappear. But learning Vipassana with the aim of curing a disease is a mistake that never works. People who try to do this waste their time because they are focusing on the wrong goal. They may even harm themselves. They will neither understand the meditation properly nor succeed in getting rid of the disease.

How about depression? Does Vipassana cure that?

Again, the purpose of Vipassana is not to cure diseases. Someone who really practices Vipassana learns to be happy and balanced in all circumstances. But a person with a history of severe depression may not be able to apply the technique properly and may not get the desired results. The best thing for such a person is to work with a health professional. Vipassana teachers are meditation experts, not psychotherapists.

Can Vipassana make people mentally unbalanced?

No. Vipassana teaches you to be aware and equanimous, that is, balanced, despite all the ups and downs of life. But if someone comes to a course concealing serious emotional problems, that person may be unable to understand the technique or to apply it properly to achieve the desired results. This is why it is important to let us know your past history so that we can judge whether you will benefit from a course.

Do I have to be a Buddhist to practice Vipassana?

People from many religions and no religion have found the meditation course helpful and beneficial. Vipassana is an art of living, a way of life. While it is the essence of what the Buddha taught, it is not a religion; rather, it is the cultivation of human values leading to a life which is good for oneself and good for others.

Why do I have to stay for the entire ten days?

Vipassana is taught step by step, with a new step added each day to the end of the course. If you leave early, you do not learn the full teaching and do not give the technique a chance to work for you. Also, by meditating intensively, a course participant initiates a process that reaches fulfillment with the completion of the course. Interrupting the process before completion is not advisable.

Is it dangerous to leave a course early?

The point is that leaving early is shortchanging yourself. You don’t give yourself a chance to learn the full technique and so you won’t be able to apply it successfully in daily life. You also interrupt the process in the middle rather than letting it come to the proper conclusion. To get home a day or two early, you waste all the time you have invested.

How about the tenth day, when talking is allowed and serious meditation stops? Can I leave then?

The tenth day is a very important transition back to ordinary life. No one is permitted to leave on that day.

Teens' & Children's Courses

In a time of worldwide social transition and upheaval, more and more people throughout the world are seeking concentration, purification and peace of mind through the practice of Vipassana meditation. Vipassana means “to see things as they really are” and is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation. Many come to Vipassana later in their lives, wishing they had found this technique sooner because it is so effective.

The ideal time to begin the first steps of this mental training is in childhood; children as young as eight years old can easily learn the technique of Anapana meditation. Anapana is the first step in the practice of Vipassana meditation. It is the observation of natural, normal respiration, as it comes in and as it goes out. Anapana is a simple technique that helps develop concentration of the mind. It is easy to learn, objective and scientific. Observation of the breath is the ideal object for meditation because it is always available, and it is completely non-sectarian.

Besides helping them to calm and concentrate their minds, Anapana helps youth to better understand themselves and how their minds work. As they learn to calm and concentrate their minds, they gain mastery over their impulses and actions. Young people who have started practicing Anapana have realized many benefits. Their ability to concentrate becomes enhanced, their memory gets sharper, their ability to comprehend a subject improves and they become calmer. In general, they feel they have a practical tool to use in the face of any type of adversity or challenge.
There are two courses offered, grouped by ages. The children’s course is for children ages 8 to 12 years old. The teenagers’ course is for teens ages 13 to 17 years old. Courses are generally two to three days in length. One-day courses may also be offered.

Click here for courses at the Intermountain Vipassana Center.

Click here for additional information and locations regarding Teens’ and Children’s Courses.