Northwest Vipassaana Center offers students new outlook thru 10 days of strict discipline, silence, meditation

The Northwest Vipassana Center - Dhamma Kunja - celebrated its 20th anniversary in August. Located in rural Washington, just 90 miles north of Portland, the center has offered dozens of 10-day meditation courses on a donation-only basis every year, and shorter courses for children and teen-agers. Vipassana, as taught by S.N. Goenka, is a non-sectarian meditation technique that aims at self-transformation and the healing of suffering through self-observation. To produce this month's show, Stephanie Potter spoke with four "old students" who share their experiences with the practice: Eric Sedlacek, Briana Winterborn, Christopher Marquardt, and Jenna Abernathy.