10 Days in Silence: How Vipassana Meditation Rewired My Brain

---

What happens when you remove all distractions—no talking, no reading, no phones, no eye contact, no music—for ten full days?

I recently completed a Vipassana meditation retreat, a practice rooted in deep self-inquiry and mindfulness, and it rewired the way I think, react, and engage with the world.In this episode of the Play It Brave podcast, I take you behind the scenes of my silent retreat experience: the unexpected lessons, the emotional highs and lows, and how 10 days of stillness revealed patterns in my life I had never fully seen before.

What Is Vipassana Meditation?

Vipassana, which means “insight” or “clear-seeing,” is one of the oldest meditation techniques in the world. Rooted in the teachings of Gautama Buddha, it’s designed to cultivate awareness, equanimity, and liberation from suffering.

During the retreat, I followed the traditional Vipassana rules, including:

• Noble Silence – No speaking, no eye contact, no gestures.
• No technology – No phones, books, or journaling.
• No intoxicants or distractions – Just meditation, walking, and sitting.
• Complete surrender to the schedule – Wake-up bells at 4 AM, over 10 hours of meditation per day.

But what I thought would be a peaceful experience turned into one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

---

Lessons I Didn’t Expect from 10 Days of Silence

Facing the Wild Cobra: Fear & Presence

One afternoon, I learned that a cobra had slithered through the meditation hall and almost bit my silent neighbor.

The old me would have freaked out. But in Vipassana, you’re trained to observe everything—without reacting.

💡 Lesson: Fear is only as powerful as the reaction we give it. The more we resist, the stronger it grows. But when we sit with it, it dissolves into pure awareness.

---

The Chair That Wasn’t Pushed In: Judgment & Ego

Every day, the same woman sat next to me at meals. Every day, she took all the papaya. Every day, she never pushed in her chair.

And every day, I felt a little righteous anger rise inside me. Why was she so inconsiderate?

I started pushing in her chair, but not out of kindness—out of resentment.

Then the meditation teacher gave a lesson that hit me like a lightning bolt:

💡 Lesson: If you can’t do an action with love, don’t do it at all. Pushing in the chair with irritation was just another form of attachment—to the idea that people should behave as I think they should.

I never reached the point of pushing it in with love. But I did learn that true peace means releasing expectations of others.

---

The Fly in My Almond Butter: Suffering & Control

One morning, as I was about to take a bite of my simple oatmeal with almond butter (one of the only luxuries of the retreat), a tiny fly dove straight into my food.

Its wing was stuck. It struggled, trying to break free, but I knew—it would never fly again.

For the first time, I questioned:
👉 Would it be kinder to kill it?
👉 Who am I to decide the fate of another being?
👉 Is suffering something we’re meant to eliminate—or simply observe?

💡 Lesson: Not all suffering needs to be “fixed.” We are conditioned to resist discomfort, but in meditation, I learned to watch it, without reacting.

---

The Power of Vows: Keeping a Promise to Yourself

On Day 4, I wanted to quit.

The silence was suffocating. My mind was screaming at me. My body ached from sitting.

But I had made a vow to myself.

Vipassana teaches that when you make a vow, you must keep it—not because someone is forcing you, but because your integrity is your power.

💡 Lesson: Every time we break a promise to ourselves, we weaken our self-trust. And the reverse is also true—discipline builds freedom.

---

What This Experience Taught Me About Life & Business

Leaving the retreat, I saw everything differently.

✔️ I stopped reaching for distractions. Without social media, my mind felt quieter.
✔️ I became more present. I didn’t rush through moments—I absorbed them.
✔️ I redefined what matters. Productivity isn’t purpose. Silence revealed what truly fills me up.

For creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone feeling overstimulated by the modern world—Vipassana is a reset button for your mind.

If you’ve been craving deep clarity, stillness, and a way to reconnect with yourself, I highly encourage you to step into silence—whether through Vipassana, a personal retreat, or simply turning off your phone for a few days.

Listen to the full episode for my complete Vipassana experience and how it rewired my brain. 🎙️✨

---

🔗 Connect & Explore More:

📌 Follow me on Instagram → @darcybenincosa
📌 Interested in coaching with me? Let’s chat about how to integrate more intuition, mindfulness, and purpose into your creative work. Email me at hello@darcybenincosa.com