A Vipassana meditation retreat is coming to Yellowknife

Yellowknife is hosting a meditation retreat this week where participants take a vow of silence for 10 days and disconnect from the outside world.

Kristel Derkowski, organizer of the retreat, described it as an intensive meditation course rather than a wellness retreat or religious event.

“It’s more like a boot camp in some ways, of just learning how to practise meditation in order to receive the benefits of meditation,” Derkowski said.

“I found it immensely beneficial for my life, and a lot of people I know [who] have taken this course as well found that it’s at the very least an extremely useful tool for your overall emotional and mental well-being.”

Vipassana, which means “to see things as they really are,” is an ancient meditation technique that originated in India and was later rediscovered and taught by Gautama Buddha more than 2,500 years ago.

The Yellowknife course, being held aboard the Arctic Duchess next to Jolliffe Island, follows the same format used at more than 270 Vipassana centres worldwide.

Derkowski said limited space on the boat meant the retreat could only accept 10 people. Spots filled quickly when registration opened. She also said organizers decided to make this a women-only retreat, adding that people can still join the waitlist in case of last-minute cancellations before the retreat begins on Wednesday.

She said participants should avoid coming into the experience with specific expectations because every person’s experience is unique.

Participants begin with a vow of silence before the first full day of the course and maintain it until day 10. Their days start around 4:30am and include roughly 10 hours of meditation, with breaks for meals, rest and evening instructional talks.

During the retreat, participants will also use walking trails on the east side of Jolliffe Island. Derkowski is asking the public to help maintain a quiet environment while participants observe their vow of silence.

Derkowski said she hopes bringing the course to Yellowknife will give residents access to a meditation technique that has already helped many people.

The course is free to attend and is supported by volunteers from Yellowknife, the Vipassana Meditation Centre of BC, and volunteers travelling from Ontario.

Shannon Beighley of California cancelled her registration for another meditation course so she could take part in the inaugural retreat in Yellowknife.

Beighley first learned about the retreat while attending a workshop at Dhamma Vipassana in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, where organizers from emerging meditation communities shared updates on new courses in remote regions. She said a presentation by Derkowski about the Yellowknife course caught her attention.

Beighley herself has been practising Vipassana since taking her first 10-day course in Myanmar after hearing about the meditation technique while living in Cambodia.

“It really ultimately changed the trajectory of my life,” she said, adding she hopes participants in Yellowknife will find the course equally meaningful.

“The impact of it is hard to really put into words.”

Once the retreat ends, Beighley plans to stay in the city for several days to help volunteers clean up before returning home.

Beighley hopes this year’s retreat will be the first of many in Yellowknife. She said she would like to return in future years as a volunteer, helping run the course while allowing more residents to participate as students.

“This will be the farthest north I’ve been on the planet,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to what it’s like to experience all that there is in Yellowknife. The local community already with my interactions has been pretty phenomenal, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the town a little.”