It was highly recommended by my cardiologist. When it was first mentioned, I brushed it off. Who in hell would have 10 days to spare going to a retreat. If people can take 10 days off work, they’ll go to some beaches off Mexico, or Hawaii, or Europe, or wherever … We’re living in Silicon Valley, where vacation time is becoming a scarcity. I keep saying “We”, even though I no longer belong to that circle of “We, the working people of America” …

Dr. Irani is a kind soul. He’s a doctor in the Bay area. And doctors here don’t need to be kind. They rush through patients, because they too are in the rat race. I want to learn to be caring and compassionate like Dr. Irani. And I’m going through this phase where I have too many questions for life. So I signed up for the retreat, and really looked forward to it.

I’ve been practicing the Yoga way of life, which includes Pranayama breathing, meditation, and asanas. And I have dabbled in the Kundalini meditation. So naturally I was drawn into yet another method of meditation. Vipassana is the most authentic meditation technique used by Buddha. It means seeing things as they are, a method of mental purification to help you face life’s tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way. All sounds good …

The North Fork Meditation Center is located south of Yosemite, 3.5 hours of driving east from San Francisco. It hosts one of the many Vipassana meditation centers in California. There are 2 10-day sessions conducted a month, and I believe it goes year round. The organization is totally based on work of volunteers, with donations accepted but never asked. The 10-day session is just an introduction to the technique, and is in no way a promise for enlightment. Ten days of vegetarian foods, instructions, and some meditation. 10 days, plus one day before to register and be admitted to the program, and one day after to clean up and leave. So a total of 12 days dedicated, June 1 – 12. I can do that, no problemo.