There’s an itch on the end of my nose and I want to scratch it. Instead, I focus on slowly breathing in and out, noticing the sensation, but trying not to react. My feet feel numb and my hip is niggling from sitting still. I shift slightly on my cushion and try to concentrate on the air as it enters and leaves my nostrils.
It’s day two of a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation course at Dhamma Dipa, a centre in Herefordshire’s Wye Valley. I’ve dabbled in various forms of meditation before, but this course – a real deep dive with 10 hours of meditation each day – is on a different level. According to the website, this is the minimum length of time needed to master the technique, so I’ve signed up in the hope it will kickstart a long-lasting practice.
