10 days of silence

What I recently learned from 10-day silent Buddhist retreat in Macedonia

Have you ever considered what would happen if you hit “pause” on everything—work, family, friends, your phone, even your voice? For 10 days, I did just that. I recently finished a Vipassana meditation course in Macedonia, a journey into silence and self-awareness, and what I experienced was nothing short of transformative. Don’t get me wrong—it was Mt. Everest-level hard to live like a monk for ten days.

Before the retreat, my life was like a browser with too many tabs open—every ping, task, and thought vying for my attention. So, I entered an experience where the only notification was the sound of a gong calling us to wake up at 4 a.m. to start our first of ten meditations or eat vegan meals twice daily. There was no talking, eye contact, reading, or writing, and 10 hours of meditation each day—just me and the practice of Vipassana.

Day 1: The Struggle is Real.
​Let me be honest—the first day felt like running a marathon with no training. Sitting in silence for hours, observing the natural rhythm of my breath, my mind wandered like a kid let loose in a candy store. Thoughts of work, family, and even what toppings I’d put on pizza (pepperoni and onions, of course) pulled me away.