Self discovery with meditation at Pa Pae

I had always told myself (and others) : meditation is not for me, I am unable to stay still for more than 5 minutes... And not flexible enough to seat in the lotus position !
During this travel in Asia, I met many people having done a "Vipassana", that is to say 8 to 14 days of silent meditation, with restrictions on food, male/female separation and no access to any "distraction" such as phones, music and even reading or writing ! 😰
This arose my admiration but I was hesitant to do this myself... I decided instead to go to a 3/ 4 days semi-silent retreat. This led me to the village of Pa Pae, between Chiang Mai and Pai.

The retreat center was rustic but charming, with no less than 12 meditation halls scattered in the jungle forest. Most of them, in wood and bamboo, were semi open, so that you can enjoy the sounds of nature (hum and the presence of mosquitoes too...). We also went meditating next to some waterfalls and were well-integrated in the village's life, with a good habit of consuming local products, carefully organized by our coordinator Mali.
Well, the experience is hard to sum up but I would say it was ... mind and soul transforming... at least for me ! I left the meditation center lighthearted and filled with "inner joy", as they say. Many of the memories or relationships that were still worrying me seemed to move to a more distant location, where I could quietly observe them, in a less emotion-laden way. Without mentioning the cool physical sensations and visions that I experienced. Meditation is like being on drugs, but without the cost and side effects of it !

I totally recommend that kind of short retreat for a start. The rules were neither too harsh nor too loose : you have to follow a certain "way of life" for a few days : dress in simple white clothes, wake up early, help with gardening, cooking or other tasks, keep silence for one day and a half, etc.. But it was open and tolerant. We were guided by a witty "teaching monk", a former doctor, who would elegantly quote Jesus, Buddha or Steve Jobs, mingle day-to-day anecdotes with Buddhist wisdom and ponctuate his speech with adorable little giggles ! He was also at our disposal for any further questions. But I'm not trying to convince anyone. I think this practice will appeal to you if you need it... And as the Buddha told his disciples : "Do not believe what I say. Just practice and you will discover by yourself." Or, as the teaching monk said to me with a large smile when answering one of my questions : "Do you know the Nike Slogan ? Just do it !".

Whether you start meditating or not, I recommend this book : "the power of now"/ "le pouvoir du moment présent", by Eckhart Tolle.
And for more information about Pa Pae and the middle way meditation : www.papaemeditation.orgRead more