I’ve been listening to a confronting podcast. It started with everything I already knew, but took things way further.

An investigative series unpacking the horrifying effects some people experience after attending the Goenka-style Vipassana Meditation Retreat.

Before I go further

This is not a takedown of Goenka or Vipassana.
I’ve attended Vipassana retreats. I’ve chosen to return multiple times.
There were elements I loved, and for a season of my life, the structure suited me.
I think Goenka is a beautiful and sweet man.
BUT when people ask me now if I recommend it, my answer is usually: No. 

My Early Experience

When I first attended, I was in my early 20s. An immature stage of both life and spiritual practice. I already had a regular and deep meditation practice, and nothing sounded better than sitting for 10 hours a day and being fed for free/donation 😅.

The silence. The discipline. The pain. Fasting after 11am.

It worked for me at that time.

What the Podcast Uncovered

The podcast shared research showing that:
One-third of people benefit greatly from meditation.
One-third see little to no effect.
One-third can actually be harmed by it.

The stories they featured were from that last category; people who left with anxiety, panic, dissociation, or FULL blown murderous and suicidal psychosis.

This risk is magnified in settings like the Goenka retreats, where the approach is rigid, dogmatic, and dismissive of individual needs.

No matter what symptoms you present, panic, flashbacks, emotional breakdowns, the advice is the same: “Meditate more. Don’t leave. This is the cure for any and all suffering.”

 HAVE YOU GOT THE ULTIMATE TRAUMA THERAPY CHECKLIST YET??--

Why This is Dangerous

It’s not just outdated language about “purifying the mind”. It’s the belief that any discomfort is proof that the method is working.

Modern science tells us otherwise. We now understand that meditation affects not just our “spirit” but our biology.

Our brains, hormones, and nervous systems are deeply impacted, and those effects are not universally positive.

Without proper screening, support, and flexibility in the method, extreme meditation retreats can traumatise rather than heal.

My Stance Today

I was this teacher.
I was uneducated and just regurgitating my teachers traditions. I was dogmatic.
Dare we ask the question?
Was helpful for 1/3 of my students.
Did nothing (except waste time, motivation and money) for 1/3.
And was unhelpful for the other 1/3?
I don’t think its too far off…
I was rigid in the way I created the containers, and the way I held them.
This was the very thing that destroyed me.
My retreats, classes and courses now take on a new approach.
A new way of being trauma-informed, healing or spiritual.
 

They are regulated, flexible, heartfelt containers. Grounded in nervous system science, lived experience and discernment. Meditation and yoga need to be handled with care, wisdom, and compassion.

If you’ve had a difficult experience with meditation or are curious about a gentler, more embodied approach, I invite you to reach out. 

Alternatively, you can explore my courses with TCFH.

They blend rest, integration, and deep practice.

Without forcing the body or mind into a battle it’s not ready for.

(for reference you can listen to the podcast that sparked this writing HERE)

Written by Ava Irani
(Meditation Instructor & Trainer) - [email protected] 

Trauma-Informed Meditation Instructor Training INFO HERE

Foundations of Trauma-Informed Meditation short course

Explore our courses and trainings at The Centre for Healing HERE