The Vipassana Meditation Centre in Kaukapakapa offers 10-day

silent and strict retreats - no communication (including gestures or

sign language, except with the teachers), no reading or writing, no
electronic devices, no jogging or yoga practice, no eating after
midday (although they wake up at 4am), all of which is promoted
as a retreat from worldly cares.
But it is a select group who get to participate.
One of the teachers, Ross Reynolds, said centre staff don't like
accepting students who are currently battling mental illness or drug
use.
"We make sure people are mentally stable before they take the
course. It's very intense, 10 to 12 hours of meditation a day."
People from all over the country attend and most, he says, get a lot
out of it.
"It is very hard work. If you ran a marathon, you'd have to be fit for
it. Only two or three people leave (don't complete the course) out of
65-70 a year. But that's why we have this rigorous application
process [to keep that drop-out rate so low]...
"When you're on a course, you unearth what's inside and if that is
too much to handle..."
He said during his 25 years of teaching, he has only seen three to
five cases of psychosis - but he has seen them.
"It's a very small minority, but it's true. Not everybody is ready for
the course and we have to look after people's welfare.
"But I'd rather talk about the positive aspects."
He describes the beautiful land the centre is built on, the diversity of
the clients and the life-changing peace the vast majority experience.
But like all multimillion-dollar industries, if it worked for everyone,
we would all be skinny, rich and powerful. What is the use of
enlightenment if it puts you in hospital?

One found the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol, which can be
a factor in heart attacks, weight gain and decreased fertility, can be
increased in those who practise mindfulness for 20 minutes a day.