I recently became ill (and am still recovering) while working abroad, and needed to center and heal ASAP. My brain automatically brought Vipassana to mind, because as a student, I experienced sheer peace and happiness from the practice. However, I wanted to be on the other side, I wanted to serve at a course this time. I happened to be en route to Dallas, TX and was able to locate a center just 45 minutes outside of the city. I contacted them and applied to serve between the courses, as well as partly during a course.

I was so humbled when I was accepted to serve. As a student, I didn’t realize how much work the servers had on their shoulders, and how happy they were to be serving (the courses are donation-based after all). I also didn’t understand how the center functioned behind boundary lines. As a server, you are there to offer your services, your time, energy and to send Metta (loving-kindness) to all of the students sitting at the course, without expecting anything in return. You are there to ensure the students’ needs come first, and that they feel as comfortable as possible to have a successful sitting. I learned that everything in a Vipassana course is set up for a reason, and it made me appreciate the practice even more. Here is what I learned:

1. You are also working diligently.

As a student, your focus is to work hard on your meditation. You follow the gongs in order to wake up, meditate, eat, meditate again, eat again, meditate some more, drink tea, meditate yet again, and listen to the discourse. As a server, you are still doing a lot of that, but add in preparing meals and cleaning for sometimes hundreds of people, plus ringing the gongs. During the course, you are up at 4 AM and asleep at 10 PM. Between courses, you don’t have to wake up as early or go to sleep as late, and the focus may be less on cooking, and more on cleaning and maintaining the center. I never felt better mopping or scrubbing #workingmeditation

2. The practice of noble, or right speech

In addition to adhering to the same precepts as the students, you are allowed to speak in the kitchen, where students can’t hear you. This speaking is limited to “right speech,” meaning abstinence from false, slanderous, harsh speech or idle chatter. It is noted that right or noble speech, is considered more difficult than not speaking at all, and I completely agree. It can sometimes feel stressful in the kitchen, and it’s important to practice equanimity, and communicate with compassion.

3. Metta is so very important

As a student, I couldn’t understand why the servers would stay behind after we would finish with discourse. I soon learned, the servers remain behind to practice Metta and to send loving thoughts to the students in the course and to the world. How beautiful is that? I have made a great effort to focus more on Metta during my meditations.

4. How to Cook

Being a server is one of the best cooking lessons you will ever receive. I served alongside a few amazing women and men, who all, for the most part, knew how to cook with experience and skill. In attempting to show off my own skills, I would get a few head shakes, and then I would lovingly be shown a better way to chop or cut something. I was also given yummy ideas and recipes (the best meals you will ever eat are during a Vipassana course) to make at home.

5. You may still pass through storms

Storms are a common place for students in a course. Challenging emotions and physical sensations may surface. As a server, you may still experience storms because of the challenges and potential stresses in the kitchen, and because you are also meditating quite a bit each day. Anicha, anicha… The teacher is always there for the servers as well.

6. Dhamma brings amazing people together

I made a few lifelong friends while serving. Everyone I met was full of love and compassion. They were there for all of the right reasons and had such lovely energy and stories to share. Although we came from all walks of life, we seemed to share so much in common.

In Metta,

Christina K.

When preparing for a Vipassana retreat, you will definitely want to check out the list each center provides. For example, here is the list for the center in Joshua Tree (29 Palms), where I sat. After completing my sitting, I realized there are some items not listed, that I either wish I brought or am glad I thought of bringing ahead of time. Keep in mind, if you forget to bring essentials, such as sheets, shampoo, etc., the center will provide you with those necessities. The center I sat in even had a clothing closet.

In addition, if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, let the center know ahead of time, as you cannot bring food in. They accommodated me being gluten and dairy free, and most items were labeled as ‘gluten-free’ ‘vegan’ or ‘soy free.’ If you have any questions or concerns, simply call the center. They will do everything in their power to make your retreat as comfortable as possible for you.

I contacted some of the amazing dhamma sisters I sat with, and friends who sat in the past, and together, we came up with this comprehensive list of items to consider bringing with you on your retreat.

1.    One or two big canteens

I only brought one canteen with me, and wish I had an extra canteen for hot tea during the retreat. This meant that I often had to rush through drinking my tea in the dining hall, rather than having it to slowly sip on.

“I also wish I had my tea thermos — it was actually in my car but I didn’t realize I wanted it before handing over my freedom, err, I mean my keys.” Kim H., California

“I was so happy I brought a hot water canteen. Because of the cold, it was really nice to have hot water/tea throughout the day.” Allison S., San Diego

2.    Very comfortable clothing

Even though they mention this on the list, it should be in bold. You don’t realize how important comfy clothing is until you are required to sit and meditate in what you’re wearing for close to 11 hours per day.

“One thing I did bring that I was grateful for was really comfortable clothes. I had also brought a pair of flow-y, soft jeans, but ended up not wearing them after one sit because even though they were super comfortable, they weren’t comfortable enough. Hooray for soft, long, cotton skirts and cotton tops in various weights for layering.” Kim H., California

“I wish I had brought more cozy clothes, I needed to hand-wash my clothes a few times, and actually there is not enough time in between the sittings.”-Verena Z., Germany

3.    Shoes AND sandals

I personally brought one pair of sandals and no other shoe options. Although they were easy to slip on and off for meditations, they were not ideal for getting out my energy on the sandy nature path. I felt like a turtle, with the sand burying my every step. But maybe I was meant to walk slowly?

“Non-sandals for cold mornings; I just had my Rainbows.” Anon

“I’m glad I brought indoor slippers… I wish I had brought walking shoes that are easier to slip on and off (e.g. Toms) vs sneakers. It was a pain to have to lace them up each time I left the dorm to go for a walk.” Patty L., San Francisco

4.    Yoga Mat/Bolster

“I brought my yoga mat which was great for my room.”-Anon

“I also brought a yoga bolster, which was helpful to do some restorative stretches when my back was achy from meditating all day!” Allison S, San Diego

5.  Supplements/ Medications

This was an issue for me. I didn’t realize I had run out of my Oxy-Powder, which meant little to no BMs, which in turn meant very uncomfortable sittings (pun?). The center offered to go to the store and buy me my supplements, however, you can only purchase these online. So they provided me with laxatives until my mom drove all of the ways to the center to bring me my supplements (she knew I had run out/ugly crying).

“Also, did not bring my magic herbs and had an unfortunate lack of BMs per my usual.”-Juliana K., Los Angeles

“Extra pills”- Anon

6.    Watch

I wonder if I regret the fact I didn’t bring a watch. I would often try to peek at my neighbor’s watch (now a friend of mine) to see what time it was. I was at moments convinced it had been over an hour, only to find out we weren’t even half-way through the meditation. Womp. I do think it would be helpful when I was lost in thought on the nature trail, as we had to adhere to a semi-strict schedule.

“I wish I had brought a watch to have a better sense of time, how much longer we had a break, etc. I had a Fitbit but the battery died halfway.” Patty L., San Francisco

7.    Chapstick

The desert is a dry place, and even with my heavy application of chapstick, my lips continuously cracked. Don’t know what would have happened without it.

8.    Sun hat/Beanie

We had some cold morning, and some very warm/sunny afternoons. I was glad I bought a sun hat last minute at a store and regretted not bringing a beanie for my morning nature walks.

“I borrowed a Hat for sun-protection from the center.”- Anon

9.    Extra towel

I am glad I had an extra towel to use while my other towel was too wet, or drying from being hand washed.

“I borrowed an extra towel from the center.”- Anon

10. Shawl/scarf for meditation/sun protection

I brought a scarf with me, that I used to not only keep warm in the mornings, but as sun protection during my nature walks and as an extra cozy measure during our meditation sits. I borrowed a meditation blanket and kept it at my seat, however, I noticed there weren’t enough for everyone, and I felt bad about that. Next time, I will know to invest and bring a proper meditation shawl.

“I borrowed a scarf/shawl for sun protection and meditation from the center.”- Anon

“I wish I had brought a more heavyweight scarf for the hall meditations.” – Patty L, San Francisco

Some other items I am personally glad I brought with me…

11. Sunglasses – For our nature walks, as it got very sunny.

12. Meditation chair – I don’t think I could have survived the 10+ days of meditation without my meditation chair. The center did accommodate with extra cushions and seats for those who became uncomfortable. I ended up donating mine to the center at the end to make future sits more comfortable for others.

13. Eye drops – On top of the desert being a very dry place, my eyes tend to be on the dry side. I am thankful I brought eye drops.

14. Pillow – I have some back issues, and am very thankful that I brought my own pillow from home. Rest is extremely important during the retreat.

15. Essential oils – Although we aren’t supposed to wear anything with strong scents, I am happy I had lavender to aid me in resting at night, and peppermint to wake me up for the sittings. I didn’t need, or use much.

16. Moisturizers – Like I mentioned, the desert is a dry place, and my skin, like my eyes, runs dry. Having coconut oil on hand was helpful to prevent cracks.

17. Nail cutter – Because of the dryness, I kept getting hangnails. Glad I had nail cutters with me to take care of this nuisance.

18. Gloves – Wish I had a pair for the cold mornings.

19. Laundry bag – This was great to have, since there wasn’t much space in our dorm room, and because I was hand washing my clothing.

20. Robe – Totally not a necessity, but since we were all sharing a bathroom, it was nice to be able to slip into a light weight robe right after a shower.

21. Toaster Bags – The toasters are shared, and there is a risk for cross-contamination. These would’ve been nice to have, since some locations offer gluten-free bread.

Be happy, and as always,

Buen Camino!