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International Meditation Centre: Vipassana meditation courses
A tranquil sanctuary for deep Vipassana meditation and personal transformation in Sunshine.
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A tranquil sanctuary for deep Vipassana meditation and personal transformation in Sunshine.
The International Meditation Centre offers immersive Vipassana meditation courses in a serene bushland setting in Sunshine, NSW. This centre provides structured 10-day silent retreats with guided meditation sessions, comfortable accommodation, and nutritious vegetarian meals. Focused on the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, it caters to both beginners and experienced practitioners seeking mindfulness and inner peace. The supportive environment, knowledgeable teachers, and modern facilities ensure a profound and rejuvenating experience for all attendees.
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Immersive silent meditation retreats with guided sessions, discourses, and noble silence for deep practice.
Daily meditation sittings totaling up to 10 hours, with personalized check-ins for new students.
Comfortable lodging and delicious vegetarian meals provided in a climate-controlled, tranquil setting.
Access to knowledgeable instructors for guidance on meditation techniques and tradition insights.
A peaceful bush property with separate facilities for men and women, fostering focus and relaxation.
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Overall rating
Htet Aung
Very quiet and peaceful! A perfect place for meditation. All people looking after the place are very kind and helpful.
Walter Kaan
The ten day course - all in complete silence - was a marvel. When do we ever give ourselves such an opportunity? Each day there are two teaching sessions, called discourses, which blew me away every time. It was a great chance to really learn meditation, and look more deeply at my own impermanence. With a really supportive environment, comfortable accommodation and wonderful meals. I'm coming back for another 10 days!
Lachlan Dale
I can't recommend this centre enough. It's a beautiful location, with knowledgeable teachers and great facilities. Very much looking forward to doing another 10 day meditation retreat!
Jendi Kepple
I really enjoyed the 10 day course here - the course teacher & admin looked after me very well and made sure I was well cared for so that I could achieve the maximum benefit from meditation. Overall I managed to meditate upwards of 8 hours daily. There are discourses in the mornings and evenings to help explain and deepen the meditation practice.
James F
I completed the 10 day course in winter 2019 as a ‘new student’ (36 year old man) with no previous meditation experience whatsoever – it was one of the most interesting, challenging and beneficial things I’ve done in years. At times it was a huge test of my patience and ability to allow myself to slow down, relax and just go with the flow for a whole 10 days…In the end it was time well spent. I attended for the mindfulness meditation but also found the tradition/history of Sayagyi U Ba Khin and Mother Sayamagyi very interesting. Waking up to the 4am gong and shuffling into the modern, cosy, climate-controlled meditation hall at 4:30am was actually quite a nice way to start each day. For ten days in a row I really enjoyed seeing the day evolve from night, to dawn, to sunrise. The daily timetable includes almost ten hours of guided meditation evenly spaced between 4:30am and 9pm – most sittings are for an hour, some are a little less, some a little longer. I managed about six or seven full days and on the days I needed a few hours extra rest during the day or an early night that was not a problem at all. There are no roll-calls or names ticked off clipboards here… As a non-vegetarian, I have to say the vegetarian food prepared by the kitchen staff was surprisingly good (delicious, healthy, plentiful, good variety etc.) and the dining hall was accessible 24/7 and well stocked with tea, coffee, juice, soft drinks, fruit, ice cream and snacks. The centre is located on a tranquil bush property and the Pagoda is beautifully lit at sunset until everyone takes rest at 9pm. I enjoyed many cups of tea overlooking the Pagoda at dusk before the final meditation sitting of the day. In summary, as a full-time worker with a go-go-go demanding life, I’m really glad I carved 10 days off my calendar to attend this meditation course at IMC, Sunshine NSW. This is the first time I’ve done something like this ‘for myself’ in many years and I feel refreshed and generally calmer in everyday life… Other hints and tips for new students: *Men and women sit on their respective sides of the meditation and dining halls and enter/exit through separate doors – the staff will point these details out when you arrive late on the Friday afternoon. *Noble Silence (no talking between students) begins after dinner on the first evening (Friday) and is maintained until mid-morning on the ninth day (Sunday). I really liked the noble silence aspect of the course and the instructor was very approachable to briefly ask any questions about the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, the meditation or the Buddha’s teachings (note: I’m not religious, but was interested in understanding the ethical and historical aspects of the tradition). *The meditation and dining halls are cooled or heated to suit the season, so don’t worry about doing a course in the height of summer or mid-winter. *New students are called up to sit together in the front row of the meditation hall for a few minutes each morning and afternoon so the teacher can check in with how they're progressing with learning the meditation technique. *I got by just fine with an ‘airline carry on’ size suitcase (i.e. 4 changes of clothes) and I did some handwashing midway through the course. *The informal dress code in winter was modest/ nothing loud or outlandish/ full length comfortable pants / shoulders covered – I wore long sleeve shirts and light pullovers most days and plain t-shirts on some days when I was a little warm in the meditation hall. *Dark coloured/ respectable looking pyjama bottoms were super comfortable and were fine in the meditation hall. *I chose to switch off and hand in my mobile phone for safekeeping for the duration of the course - the other new students and I were really glad we did so. Don’t worry - in an emergency, family can always phone the centre to reach you!
