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Experiencing a 10 day SILENT retreat!

Posted by Janine Ogg on April 19, 2009 at 9:58 AM

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Post written by Jo Foster - thanks Jo!

Visit Holistica's Toolbox for more info and resources about meditation and retreat experiences.

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In Sept of this year I took part in a 10-day vipassana meditation course. Having dabbled in mostly self-taught meditation for a couple of years, I wanted to learn more about the why's & how's of the practice. I also wanted to experience the benefits (if any) of full-time meditation so I could decide if I wanted to carry on - and so I could respond to people's questions when they asked why or how I meditate!

A couple of friends has done Vipassana so I thought I'd give it a go. I did a lot of reading of their website, found a course in a country that suited me, and headed off to Sweden to start.

The course was very structured, both in the timetable each day and also the way in which the technique is taught, practiced and then built on. There are lots of 'rules' to follow, which some found a huge challenge, though everyone was able to see why those guidelines were in place.

Each day was the same - a very early start and a couple of hours of meditation, a break for breakfast, three more hours of meditation, a long, early lunch break, lots more meditation in the afternoon, an evening break, and then a discourse where we heard from Goenka, the teacher. The discourse was really interesting and an important part of the course, partly because it explained (on the intellectual side) the meditation we had been doing. It was also pretty humorous and offered some light relief! I found the discourses also gave me the motivation to carry on.

The Vipassana Retreat Centre in Sweden

I found the course hugely challenging -it was possibly one of the hardest things I have done

The physical and mental challenge of the meditation sessions, the 'silent' nature of the retreat, and the length of time all required huge determination. For this reason I would never encourage anyone to go unless they had chosen to do so for themselves! Having said that, I am so pleased I chose to take part. I feel clear on the practice of Vipassana meditation, and know how to carry it on in my life. I learned a lot, more than I would have expected, about myself, my mental and physical strength, and who I am! I met a great bunch of people - the shared experience we had together was pretty amazing, especially since we didn't communicate with each other for 9 or 10 days. I was also able to experience for myself the benefits of practicing meditation in the true vipassana sense for a number of days... this in itself was fantastic - I felt truly great, grounded, calm, positive and empowered following the course.

One of the things we all discussed on the last days was whether we would carry on the practice. I was pretty determined to do so given the benefits I had experienced, but I also tried to be realistic about how much I could / would do. Two months on, I am still really pleased I did the course, still feel the benefits and have kept up the meditation but to a much lesser degree than the recommended two hours per day. Sometimes it is a struggle to get into the space I want to be in while meditating, because its made so easy while on the course, but then I remember not to beat myself up - there is a lot to be said for sitting quietly and breathing!

I'm still in touch with a lot of people from the course, who have had varying degrees of success in continuing their practice. Not one of them regrets giving 10 days to learn so much, meet great people, and experience the true practice of vipassana meditation!

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For more on the philosophy, timetable, guidelines and locations of vispassana mediation retreats around the world visit the Vispassana Mediation Website.

Interested in learning more about meditation and retreats generally?

Visit Holistica's Toolbox

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2009!

Posted by Janine Ogg on January 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM

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For many of us this time of year heralds a series of heart-felt resolutions and goals for the New Year, all of which should be celebrated and voiced as we dream of the positive changes we would like to bring about in our lives.

Whether reflecting on relationships, family, careers, spirituality, health & balance or a myriad of the other aspects of our complex Self, we can be sure of one thing - change is and will continue to be a constant force in our lives.

Holistica's purpose is provide tools and resources for people & organisations to navigate through change in a meaningful and empowering way. Explore the site to find out more! My personal vision for Holistica in 2009 is to explore the growth of my leadership coaching and programmes and to continue learning how to plug the (rather large) gaps in my knowledge about how to create a sustainable and profitable business. It's going to be an exciting year... may all your intentions and desires for 2009 come true!

Best wishes, Janine

What is the Full On Programme?

Posted by Janine Ogg on September 19, 2008 at 3:24 PM

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The Full On Programme is all about helping folk discover more of their potential and get better results in their everyday life. The company is based in New Zealand but operates its unique personal development programme at five sites around the world - Australia, Wales, Italy and
our two sites in New Zealand.

Essentially, the programme is designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of the young people we work with, provoking thought and creating more questions than answers. Through the Full On experience the students are offered some pretty powerful tools and strategies aimed at supporting them to answer some of those questions.

Click here to watch a YouTube video made by students that experienced Full On Assisi in 2008
For more info on FULL ON check out their website

Another Season with Full On NZ - this year in Italy!

Posted by Janine Ogg on September 18, 2008 at 3:25 PM

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Yes, back for my third season with Full On's Youth Development Programme. This contract is always incredibly rewarding and so much fun that I just can't say no. After two years working in Australia in Programme Coordinator and Site Manager positions, 2008 saw me heading to Assisi, Italy in the role of Programme Coordinator at our biggest site. I first visited Assisi 13 years ago on my big OE and always had an inkling I would be back there - and I am glad that did!

The highlight for 2008 was being a part of the management team delivering a new improved crew training that went down a treat with crew and management alike. We implemented lots of the recommendations and ideas from 2007 crew feedback and it was a huge improvement on previous years. A lot of fun was had and there was plenty of time for self-directed learning which worked well. To top it all off, we were all thrilled to be training, living and working in the ancient village of Assisi.

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