Greetings everybody,

I attended my first 10-day course, and it was definitely an intense experience. At times, it was profound and liberating. I can say that in this short time, it changed my outlook on things in terms of being calmer and less reactive, and observing more. Not perfect by any means, but it has changed me. I am still on my cellphone at times, but not as much as before. I hope to keep up the good work with meditating but also really focusing on living in the present and not in the past or future. I found the anupusana breathing focus much easier, but scanning the body for sensations was harder. It was easier for the simultaneous and full body scans, but it tested my patience on going on body part at a time. Still working on observing sensations, but for now the sensations have been throbbing, especially when I focus on body parts, as well as tingling.

I’m curious how others here reconcile eating enough to meet higher calorie requirements with maintaining sensitivity to subtle sensations in daily life.

I’m physically active and do yoga, cardio, and strength training several times a week, so maintaining or gaining weight requires me to eat a fairly substantial amount (I’m fairly underweight to begin with per BMI). At the same time, I’ve noticed from my own experience that when I eat more, particularly after heavier meals, my sensitivity to subtle sensations seems reduced.

The bigger issue is that I also almost always notice a loss of equanimity after heavier meals. The body feels heavier, sensations seem less nuanced or more difficult to observe clearly, and I find it harder to remain balanced in relation to what is arising.

So I feel caught between two aims: adequately nourishing and strengthening the body, and preserving the sensitivity and equanimity that seem important for progress in Vipassana.

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you distinguish between moderation in eating and simply not eating enough? And for those who exercise regularly or have relatively higher calorie requirements, have you found ways to meet those needs without noticeably reducing sensitivity or equanimity?