About this episode
In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what happens when everything goes quiet.
Rocky Donati shares her experience attending a 10-day Vipassana silent retreat—a meditation practice centered on awareness, equanimity, and learning to see reality exactly as it is. With no phone, no speaking, no reading, and more than 11 hours of meditation per day, the retreat created an environment designed to strip away distraction and invite a direct encounter with the self.
What unfolded wasn’t bliss—it was pain. Intense, sustained physical pain that became the gateway to something far more transformative: a deep reconnection to the body, an understanding of sensation versus reaction, and the realization that presence isn’t about feeling good—it’s about being fully with what is.
Rocky opens up about what it means to sit with discomfort instead of trying to escape it, how chronic pain and dissociation can disconnect us from ourselves, and why learning to observe without reacting can change how we move through every part of life.
Together, we unpack
- What a 10-day Vipassana silent retreat actually looks like (schedule, structure, and expectations)
- Why Rocky experienced intense physical pain while others did not
- The difference between sensation, reaction, and equanimity
- How chronic pain, dissociation, and healing are deeply connected
- What it means to witness yourself without trying to fix or change anything
- Why presence creates now benefits—not just future ones
- How this practice continues beyond meditation and into daily life
This episode is honest, embodied, and deeply human—an invitation to explore presence in whatever way meets you where you are.
Resources Mentioned
Vipassana Meditation (as taught by S.N. Goenka):
https://www.dhamma.org
https://www.pasava.dhamma.org/
Disclaimer
This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Everyone’s body, nervous system, and healing journey is different. We encourage you to consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your physical or emotional health.
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