Recently, I attended a Vipassana Meditation course outside of Rockford, IL.  These meditation courses are offered all over the world & are free to any who would like to participate.  This course is 10 Days and asks you to observe Noble Silence, and to relinquish any of your regular activities (i.e. exercise, reading, journaling, etc.) to strictly focus on learning this meditation technique.  My experience is outlined is a revealing, candid, and really lengthy blog post titled, "Vipassana: Meditation Course or Prison Camp?" ... I hope you are intrigued.