Nauheed Cyrusi Recalls Her 10-Day Vipassana Retreat at 18: “The First Seven Days Were Miserable”

At 18, when most young people are busy discovering independence, friendships and new ambitions, Nauheed Cyrusi chose a very different experience. The actor signed up for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course in Igatpuri, Maharashtra, stepping away from everyday life to spend days in silence and introspection.

Years later, Cyrusi revisited the experience in an Instagram video, recalling how demanding the retreat was and the lessons she carried with her long after it ended.

“I was all of 18 years old when I went for my very first Vipassana course in Igatpuri. Of course I completed it,” she said.

According to her recollection, the retreat involved ten days without speaking and restrictions around eating after sunset. Far from finding the experience immediately peaceful, Cyrusi remembers the beginning as particularly difficult.

Nauheed Cyrusi says the first seven days were difficult

Looking back, Cyrusi described the retreat as a tough experience.

“The first seven days were miserable,” she recalled.

But she suggested that the experience changed significantly after that point, hinting at a deeper shift that she plans to discuss separately.

“After that, something magical happened. I’ll speak about that another time,” she said.

Her recollection highlights one of the central challenges of an intensive meditation retreat: remaining with an uncomfortable experience rather than immediately escaping it.

For Cyrusi, the retreat eventually became less about the external restrictions and more about what she was learning through the process.

The lesson she remembers most: detachment

The actor said the central message repeatedly emphasised during her course was detachment.

“All they taught us day in and day out was: detachment is your answer to true happiness,” Cyrusi said.

Her comments prompted interest among social media users, many of whom were surprised that she had undertaken such an intensive experience at only 18.

Others were curious about Vipassana itself and the structure of the retreat that Cyrusi described.

What is Vipassana meditation?

Vipassana is a meditation practice traditionally described as a method of observing one’s experiences and developing greater awareness of the mind and body. The Pali term is commonly translated as “to see things as they really are.”

The 10-day residential courses associated with the Vipassana tradition taught by S.N. Goenka and his organisation are highly structured. Participants generally follow a demanding daily schedule involving extended periods of meditation, limited communication and a disciplined routine.

Silence is a major component of the course. Participants are expected to observe “noble silence” and generally refrain from speaking or communicating through gestures during the designated period. Electronic devices, reading and writing are also restricted.

A typical course day begins very early — often around 4am — and includes several hours of meditation distributed throughout the day, alongside scheduled breaks and meals.

The purpose is not simply relaxation. The practice emphasises sustained observation and awareness, with participants encouraged to examine sensations and mental reactions without immediately responding to them.

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Why Cyrusi’s story continues to resonate

What makes Cyrusi’s recollection interesting is the age at which she chose to undertake the retreat.

At 18, voluntarily entering a highly disciplined environment with limited communication and a demanding meditation schedule would be an unusual decision for many people. Cyrusi’s description also makes clear that the experience was not effortless.

Her admission that the first seven days were “miserable” gives the story a more relatable dimension. Meditation retreats are often associated with tranquillity from the outside, but an intensive practice can also involve discomfort, restlessness and confronting one’s own thoughts.

For Cyrusi, the experience ultimately became something she continued to remember years later.

She has not yet revealed what exactly changed for her after those difficult first days, but her reference to a “magical” shift has left followers curious about the rest of the story.

At the heart of her recollection, however, is a lesson she says stayed with her: learning to detach rather than allowing every experience, emotion or expectation to determine one’s happiness.