Podcast Episode Recommendation: Mindfulness and Vipassana, Not Being Overcritical of Mistakes

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

Listen to this episode on Spotify here

This is a podcast I have listened to for a long time. They've recently changed their format for the "live interpretations" to only have the English (it used to be an English translation over the monk actually speaking, so you could hear his teaching at a lower level, which I preferred; but it's still an incredibly helpful service, nonetheless), this one is about how the monk came to understand "correct practice." I have been practicing Vipassana meditation for a number of years now and have gone on a couple 3-day retreats, which have served me immensely in both my mind and in understanding how that practice pertains to Muay Thai. This podcast episode really struck me because of how the monk talks about the natural states of the mind needing to be observed for "correct practice." Many mistakenly believe that the mind wandering, creating images, or getting distracted is wrong or a lack of concentration, but for the purposes of becoming the "knower" and observing the mind as it is, you have to observe it in these natural states. Bring it back, don't let it wander off, but don't control it. This is directly related to the principles of "Self One and Self Two" in the Inner Game of Tennis (my #1 recommended reading source) for how natural learning takes place. Mistakes have to occur; be wrong, be right, know it and keep going. Don't judge it, "know it," and keep going.

My blog post on my first Vipassana retreat a few years ago, I'll post other resources further down.

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

Here is a vlog I did on Vipassana and Muay Thai:

 

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

Here is the intro Reading Group discussion on The Inner Game of Tennis and Vipassana: 

 

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

My vlog on how to feel a kick: