A Path for Every
Sincere Seeker

Courses available for beginners to advanced practitioners. All courses are free.

The Starting Point

Courses for Every
Stage of Practice

Vipassana Meditation is offered through a variety of residential courses, each designed to serve students at different stages of their journey. Whether you are stepping onto the path for the first time or deepening a practice you have carried for years, there is a course suited to where you are now. All courses are offered entirely free of charge — food, accommodation, and instruction included.

S.N. Goenka giving a Vipassana discourse
The Foundation Course

The 10-Day Course —
The Foundation

The 10-day residential course is the essential starting point. It is the only introduction to Vipassana meditation and must be completed before attending any other course. Students live on-site, observe Noble Silence, and meditate for approximately ten hours each day. Evening discourses illuminate the technique and its purpose.

The course is not a retreat in the ordinary sense. It is demanding, disciplined work. Most students find it one of the most challenging experiences of their lives — and one of the most rewarding.

Duration
10 days residential
Daily Practice
Approx. 10 hours of meditation
Cost
Free of charge — supported by past students
Who Can Attend
Open to all — no prior experience needed
A Day in Silence

The Daily
Timetable

  • 4:00 a.m.Morning wake-up bell
  • 4:30 – 6:30 a.m.Meditate in the hall or in your room
  • 6:30 – 8:00 a.m.Breakfast break
  • 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.Group meditation in the hall
  • 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.Meditate in hall or room per teacher's instructions
  • 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noonLunch break
  • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.Rest and interviews with the teacher
  • 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.Meditate in the hall or in your room
  • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.Group meditation in the hall
  • 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.Meditate per teacher's instructions
  • 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.Tea break
  • 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.Group meditation in the hall
  • 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.Teacher's discourse in the hall
  • 8:15 – 9:00 p.m.Group meditation in the hall
  • 9:00 – 9:30 p.m.Question time in the hall
  • 9:30 p.m.Retire to rooms — lights out
The Inner Journey

What Happens
During the 10 Days

I

Days 1–3
Anapana — Concentration

Students practise Anapana meditation: observing the natural breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils, without controlling or regulating it. This practice, sustained over three and a half days, produces a level of mental sharpness sufficient for the next stage.

II

Days 4–9
Vipassana — Insight

Beginning on Day 4, students practise Vipassana: the systematic observation of physical sensations throughout the body, from head to feet and feet to head. The key is equanimity — observing each sensation without reacting. This penetrates deep into the structure of the mind, dissolving conditioned patterns of craving and aversion.

III

Day 10
Metta — Loving Kindness

On the morning of Day 10, Noble Silence ends and students practise Metta Bhavana — the sharing of merit and goodwill with all beings. This completes the course and prepares students to re-engage with the world from a place of greater openness and compassion.

Available Courses

Choose Your Path

3-Day Course — For Returning Students

The 3-day course is a condensed residential retreat available to students who have completed at least one 10-day course. It follows the same structure of Noble Silence, group meditation, and evening discourses, but in a shortened form suited to those wishing to refresh their practice without taking extended leave.

Duration: 3 days residential Eligibility: Old students (10-day completed) Cost: Free of charge

Satipatthana Sutta Course — For Serious Practitioners

This 10-day course, open to old students who have sat at least three 10-day courses, is a deeper exploration of the foundations of mindfulness as taught by the Buddha in the Satipatthana Sutta. It combines the practice of Vipassana with close study of this pivotal discourse, offering a richer theoretical and experiential understanding of the path.

Duration: 10 days residential Eligibility: Old students — minimum 3 prior 10-day courses

Longer Courses — 20, 30, 45 & 60-Day

For experienced meditators wishing to deepen their practice, longer courses of 20, 30, 45, and 60 days are available at certain centres. These immersive retreats allow for profound stillness and sustained inquiry, and are open to old students who have sat multiple 10-day courses and whose practice is well-established.

20-Day — Available to old students with a consistent daily practice 30-Day — Deeper immersion; requires instructor recommendation 45-Day — For advanced practitioners 60-Day — The most intensive residential offering

Children's and Teen Courses

Anapana — the first stage of Vipassana — is taught to children and teenagers in age-appropriate, shorter courses. These are non-residential day programmes offered at certain centres, and are open to children aged eight and above. The practice builds concentration, emotional regulation, and a natural foundation for lifelong mental health.

Ages 8–12: 1-day Anapana course (non-residential) Ages 13–17: 3-day Anapana / introductory Vipassana Meditation course
S.N. Goenka in prayer before a golden shrine
Before You Arrive

How to
Prepare

Apply in advance — courses fill quickly and applications close weeks before the start date
Read the Code of Discipline carefully before applying — it explains all requirements
Inform the management of any medical conditions, medications, or dietary restrictions at the time of application
Arrive with an open mind and a sincere intention to follow the schedule and technique exactly as taught
View Course Dates & Apply

You will be directed to dhamma.org — the global course registration system for all Vipassana centres.