The Beginning of the Noble silence

So Im finally off to Igatpuri to the Vipassana mediation ashram!
After 3 years of wanting to try this form of meditation out, finally, things seem to be falling in together to be able to go!!
Some important things I need to keep in mind over the next few days:

What Vipassana is not:
It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

What Vipassana is:
It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.
It is a method of mental purification which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.

Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations.

5 precepts I need to observe at all times:
The Precepts
1. to abstain from killing any living creature;
2. to abstain from stealing;
3. to abstain from all sexual activity;
4. to abstain from telling lies;
5. to abstain from all intoxicants.


Might completely change my own outlook, Im curious, but also a little nervous to think if I can brave it out.The Noble silence begins today!
Let you know when Im back in 10 days.
Find out more abt vipassana here: