Dhamma Sukhakari - Vipassana Meditation Centre

I initially didn’t want to post a review although my experience has been very unpleasant and also the months to follow after retreat. I have asked from the first days to sit on a chair due to my leg pains during the hall meditations and I was refused based on the answer to the lady teacher questions: “did you had a spine surgery”, did you had a knee surgery which for all was “No”. Which obviously was not my case as I have blood circulation problems and a month and half before I had a procedure done on my heart. But that I couldn’t say because that lady teacher does not listen to what you have to say but only of what she is expecting to hear from you or to the answers to their pre-learned pre-set questions. So I was said to continue to sit on mattress and to move during my meditations, which I did a lot and was distracting me, having to loose my focus. On day 4 I was called and questioned why I put on form that I do Reiki and that I am a healer and why I didn’t put the same info as my original application form ( where I put my profession that I am an Engineer). Which were all true. Anyway again that lady assist teacher, who was shouting and shaking in anger, she didn’t let me speak, to answer to her questions. Didn’t allow me to ask any questions and she said if I don’t stop moving I better go home. Honestly after that in the evening I tried not to move or shake and the next morning also, but my level of pain was so unbearable that tears start flowing on my face and I said I cannot take this anymore. I am not here to torture myself in year 2022. This are not Middle Ages times. So I decided to tell them that I cannot stay that I need to move so I better go home as I have been asked to a day before. Obviously having to leave in day 5 is a terrible idea because even as Goenkha says in his videos not to leave during the 10 day process as it will be very difficult afterwards. And indeed it was, as depression followed and I had to have a lot of support from different therapists who helped me to recover. My purification process during the retreat was left unfinished so it continued in a badly manner afterwards. Now I do not have strong issues as other people but I heard cases of people having committed suicides after Goenkha retreats. And now I understand why.Now the point that I am trying to highlight that is although Goenkha’s teachings are amazing, unfortunately these places are having unqualified assistant teachers who have their own pre-conceived ideas and have no real understanding of the human mind and individual needs of each person. Most sadly is that they don’t even bother to listen to you because they already have their own pre-judgements. Later I spoken with some other people who have done a Goenkha retreat and apparently they have some sort of aversion towards people who practice any form of healing. It is such a pitty that Goenkha’s pure teachings have been lost or miscarried by unqualified teachers. Goenkha’s was welcoming and treating equal everyone no matter from which background they were coming.I hope whoever reads this review will find it helpful. I defiantly should have done more research before coming to this retreat and find out how judgmental they can be and how an unfinished retreat can be so detrimental to mental health.What is more staggering is that the so called assistant teacher asked me to leave in the middle of the process of purification of my mind because I was not following her misunderstandings.It should be up to each individual to choose of how much pain to endure during a retreat. As I said we live in year 2022 not in year 1300 somewhere in a Burmese temple where rules have to be very strict.

I was so looking forward to my first serving experience after attending 10 days courses as a student. I arrived on the 4th day of the course. The environment felt stressful. I was informed that a few people had to leave due to testing positive for Covid (they could have informed me, but they didn’t..). I was showed around and bombarded with a lot of information in a fast pace. I felt overwhelmed. There was clearly a lack of organisation.I was informed that I will be joining the kitchen team. There was only one female (main chef) who hasn’t had any days off or half days off since the beginning of the course. There were 2 male servers and a male kitchen manager too. One of the males soon had to self isolate due to Covid. Another guy had to leave too.One lady arrived on the 6th day of the course (they haven’t informed her about the several Covid cases).The teachers kept saying that this is an extraordinary situation and that we have to do more in order for the students to get a good experience - such a massive pressure. Normally, this schedule would be filled with more breaks and slower pace, more people sharing duties. In this case we were doing a double job and had to run around like headless chickens. The teachers and the kitchen manager were using phrases like: ‘would you be happy to do…’; ‘Are you happy to help…’; ‘X had to cover hall duty even though she has been here longer and she is tired, would anyone else be happy to let her rest’. I could see they were guilt-tripping to manipulate us. They were not taking their responsibility. They kept saying they’d like to help, but they never did. They kept saying that more people may join, but no one did. For a while the female teacher hasn’t acknowledged me at all and kept praising the chef. Some people thrive on this type of praise. The kitchen manager convinced the chef lady to bake a cake at the end of the 7th working day (during her rest hours). Afterwards they received a lot of gratitude from the teachers and were made to feel like heroes. I figured that’s how they operate. As I was tired, had a lack of sleep and felt confused, I started thinking maybe I am not doing enough! This is pure manipulation… The teacher guilt-tripped me into covering the 4:30am hall duty, yet she never appreciated or acknowledged that after as if it was nothing special…One night I struggled to sleep and only had a 1.5h sleep, plus my period started. I was exhausted… I informed the kitchen manager, but he just shrugged his shoulders. I shared with a kitchen chef lady that I am starting to feel angry and that we should set some boundaries. She gave me the advice to observe my anger in my body (practice Vipassana)...I came back home traumatised. I was sobbing for a few days. There was so much tension, so much stress in my body from all the running, working, constantly on the move, no proper breaks.I explored this in my therapy and processing my anger helped a lot. Therapy helped me to get rid of shame as I was blaming myself and I couldn’t believe I allowed this to happen. Therapy helped me to realise that this was an abuse and that I wasn’t in the right frame of mind after all this exhausting work and manipulations.They used their authority.This experience brought a lot of sadness too.. I don’t trust these retreats anymore. I loved the experience as a student, but now I wouldn’t feel comfortable staying there as I’d question if the servers are being treated right. I also don’t trust an institution that allows these type of people to become teachers. Daniel and Jane or Judy(?) disrespected, mistreated and manipulated us. The course should have been cancelled earlier (so many Covid positives tested and with such shortage of servers) or they should have asked some old students to join the serving team. This was an extraordinary situation and they used our kindness. Any sane person would see that it is way too much for 3 women and 1 man (who had other duties, not only kitchen) to serve over 60 people from early morning to late evening without proper sleep and a proper rest.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

Vipassana meditation is life changing. It is very hard to spend 10 days in silent meditation without any distraction - but you get to the root of every issue and gain the most valuable tool for life. This Centre is specifically designed to help you in this endeavour and is properly non-profit and spiritual - as with vipassana centres everywhere, there are no charges or fees for instruction, accommodation or food - no one is paid for their teaching or support work - sustained only by donations of past meditators. There are no religious demands, requirements or attempts to convert to anything. They won't come after you when you have finished the course but will always be there when you need more. This is the real deal.

A profound experience, but retreatants must have an open mind and follow the program.Is wasn't all happiness and bliss, but I came home a much more dedicated meditator and much more responsible in general.The sukhakari team were great. The food was tasty, the teacher was an inspiring presence and the management was thoughtful.I can't thank you all enough

This is a truly lovely meditation centre, which offers a wonderful opportunity to anyone from any walk of life to progress along their spiritual path.The courses are superbly run and managed by a fantastic team of hard working volunteers.I would thoroughly recommend this centre to everyone, both as a student and as a server.

I'm so glad that I was able to serve in this center. Really nice place that require a bit of trust. You share your room with other servers and students share their room with other students. Students and servers also share bathrooms and showers. It was different experience compare to serving in Poland. In one of my meditations I saw that I need to go to UK and yes it was good decision. Let everyone be happy./Best regards with mettaMichał (read Michaw or similar to Meow Meow)

Suggest taking your Vipassana course elsewhere, if you have decided to do it. On several fronts, facilities here cross the line from the simple (facilitating silence of the mind) to the miserable/insufficient (which does the opposite). This may improve in the future as the center is still in construction.

Feb 2023 took this life changing 10 day vipassana journey. As this review is for the center , following was summary of my experience.1) connectivity : taxi in normal working hours are quite frequent at stowmarket station.£ 11 for a trip to center but often u get someone to share trip with.2) center is very easy to find as its on forefront of a main road3) Ambience very serene and center is covered on three sides by open fields and on one side there’s main road.4) bunk beds and toilet and in really good condition.5)enough blanket and duvets are provided.6) dinning hall is adequate and food was vegetarian , nutritious and yumm7) plenty of walking area and spacious green area to relax8) might have to walk often times to meditation hall (250 steps one way) for group sitting but i found it helpful physical exercise9) Any lodging/food issue is immediately dealt with10) on last/leaving day u will find plenty of lift options

I’ve been at 4-day service period in October, helping to set up for the first meditation course here. Dedicated vipassana team, beautiful autumn nature decorations, organic apples and walnuts from the trees, lots of memories and insights about private purpose and collaborative work.