In this episode I am taking you to the area of Dharamkot in Dharamshala around the Himalayas in the north of India.

It was here in June 2024 that I met Richa while I was doing a 10-day Vipassana meditation course. Richa was volunteering her time and energy as a server during the course.

This is not Richa's first time volunteering, and I quickly discovered the passion, peace and wisdom Richa holds from her path in practicing Vipassana meditation and volunteering in the courses with such love and joy.

For those who know me, you would know how much I love vipassana meditation and the benefit I have gained from this practice, so I hope you enjoy hearing Richa share her experience and wisdom.

For more information on Vipassana meditation:

Vipassana Research Institute - https://www.vridhamma.org/What-is-Vipassana

For more information on Vipassana courses:

https://www.dhamma.org/en/index

Documentaries about Vipassana taught in prisons:

Doing Time Doing Vipassana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkxSyv5R1sg

This is the story of an ancient meditation technique named Vipassana, which shows people how to take control of their lives and channel them toward their own good. It is the story of a strong woman named Kiran Bedi, the former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, who strove to transform the notorious Tihar Prison and turn it into an oasis of peace. But most of all it is the story of prison inmates who underwent profound change, and who realized that incarceration is not the end but possibly a fresh start toward an improved and more positive life.

Dhamma Brothers: https://youtu.be/phHib5VaCeE?si=sLZ-_H-36JA-zHF6

A documentary film about a group of prison inmates in the US who participate in a 10-day Vipassana retreat. The film asks "is it possible for these men, some of whom have committed horrendous crimes, to change?". This film has the power to dismantle stereotypes about men behind prison bars.