Vipassana, as others have said, is just a meditation technique where one concentrates on the sensations in the body. That may sound very basic, but one can deri

Vipassana, as others have said, is just a meditation technique where one concentrates on the sensations in the body. That may sound very basic, but one can derive some very profound observations from that simple experience. It is usually taught in 10-day courses because it's extremely difficult to learn otherwise. The 10-day courses I've attended (3 so far) have all devoted the first 3-4 days to anapana meditation, a different technique that develops the focus necessary to even attempt vipassana. Without that focus, it's very difficult to get any benefit from the vipassana technique. Even as someone who has been through the courses, I find that my daily practice doesn't come close to matching the depth that I'm able to achieve during the courses. The primary reason for this is the "noble silence" that's observed during the course. Students avoid communicating with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, for the first 9 days of the 10-day experience. This is, in a sense, another form of sensory deprivation. When your mind "turns off" the part that pays attention to what's going on for the purpose of figuring out what to say and how to respond, it changes the way you think and what you're capable of achieving during meditation. So yes, the technique can be used outside of the 10-day courses, but it's a very different experience from what you get in the 10-day course. Personally, attending these 10-day courses has been very beneficial to me. But I stop short of recommending them to anyone who isn't sure they want to attend. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Sitting 10+ hours per day can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. And many people aren't equipped to essentially be alone with only their thoughts to keep them company for that amount of time. But if all that doesn't scare you off, there's nothing else that should and it can be a life-changing experience.