Murugan:
My name is Murugan. I’ve meditated for years, mostly sitting, but two years ago, a neck injury made that impossible. I couldn’t sit for even a few minutes, let alone do yoga or play sports like tennis and badminton. Walking was my only option, and I felt stuck—until I found standing meditation.
A Chinese coworker who practiced Buddhist meditation inspired me. He was always calm, never angry, and everyone admired him. Talking to him made me curious, so I searched for meditation centers near Milpitas. I found one with great reviews and joined their 8-day program.
At first, I didn’t know standing meditation (called GI) even existed. It uses mudras—hand positions that balance energy—along with breathing and focus. Surprisingly, it helped my neck pain over time. Now, after a year of daily practice, I can sit on the floor for hours, play sports again, and even my resting heart rate has dropped significantly.
My family used to tease me for meditating, but now that they’re here from India, I’ve brought my son to try it. Even if he doesn’t see benefits right away, I hope he’ll appreciate it someday.
This practice feels like a gift—something rare and powerful that came into my life just when I needed it. I’m grateful for the healing and peace it’s brought me.
Harsh:
Before joining this class, I had already been coming to this place for about two weeks. In just three to four weeks, I’ve noticed big changes—both physically and mentally.
First, my posture has improved. I used to stand hunched over, but now I stand straight without forcing it. Second, my neck and shoulder pain, which bothered me for a long time, has gotten much better. It’s not completely gone, but the difference is huge. Before, even sitting straight caused back pain, but now only a slight discomfort remains.
The biggest shift, though, is in my mind. At work, I used to feel an internal rush—like I was always racing, even when I looked calm on the outside. But recently, I’ve noticed a new sense of calm. Even when urgent tasks come up, I handle them steadily without that frantic inner pressure.
My sleep has also improved. I used to stay up late and wake up tired, but now I feel refreshed even if I sleep less. Some days, I’ve slept as late as 4 AM but still woken up at 7 AM feeling energized.
I’m still working on further improvements, but these changes—better posture, less pain, deeper calm, and better sleep—have made a real difference in my life.
Sindu:
I’m Sindu, and I want to share why I look forward to Bodhi meditation. The warm welcome and kindness shown to me and my energetic son mean a lot—I’m grateful for how accepting everyone is.
I’ve always been a busy person, but now, in my 30s (possibly facing a midlife crisis), my mind often races. The eight-day retreat helped me feel calm and positive, though maintaining a routine afterward was hard. When I finally set a fixed schedule (meditating from 4 to 5 PM daily), I regained mental clarity. Now, even at work, I close my eyes for a few moments to calm myself, imagining meditation—it really helps.
I also struggle with chronic spine pain (from a disc issue since school). Stress triggers sharp pain, affecting my movement. But after meditation, my pain drops from Level 10 to Level 2 for about two hours, giving me freedom to move without discomfort. Though the pain returns, those two hours of relief mean everything.
I’m deeply thankful for meditation’s impact and am excited to explore energy work next—hoping it brings even more healing.
Sunit:
I wasn’t aware of Bodhi Meditation before—I just returned from a trip to India, feeling jetlagged. While trying to settle back in the U.S., I saw a Meetup link and registered.
After the first class, I thought it was good but wasn’t sure I’d return. Yet, that night, I slept really well, and over time, I noticed subtle changes—better sleeping quality, jet lag was gone right away, and even how I interact with people. I can’t pinpoint everything, but the improvements are there.
I know meditation isn’t magic — it’s a process—but I hope to make it part of my routine and keep going, trusting it’ll benefit me more over time.
Sunjana
Hello, I’m Sunjana, and the 7-day retreat brought major changes for me. On the first day, just one round of the Gi session left me in pain—especially in my back and shoulders from my desk job as a software engineer. Sitting all day used to leave me exhausted and sore within hours.
But yesterday, after three rounds of Gi, I felt no pain—just energy! On Day 1, I could barely finish one round, but now I felt like I could do even more.
My sleep has also improved. Before, I’d wake up still exhausted, but now I feel refreshed and stay energized all day.
Most importantly, I used to stress and overthink constantly. After this course, I feel more confident, present, and less stuck in future worries.
Manjusha:
I’ve been practicing GI for the past two to three months, making sure to do at least one round every single day. It’s challenging with a full-time job, but I try my best. This class, especially the two-and-a-half-hour meditation sessions, has deeply impacted me—it opened my heart in an instant.
One big change. I stopped judging people. Just recently, at a ladies’ gathering, a close friend was venting about someone else’s actions. In the past, I would’ve joined in criticizing that person. But this time, I caught myself and told her, “Forget about them—focus on what’s happening within you.” She actually paused and said it made sense. That shift—from blame to self-awareness—never happened in my first 40 years of life. It came from this class, especially over the last seven days.
Ever since my eight-day retreat, people around me have been pointing out how different I seem. I’m not exaggerating—friends, colleagues, even acquaintances have asked, “You’re glowing! Did you get a facial?” But the most surprising reactions came from my family.
My teenage daughter, who usually makes parenting feel like an extreme sport, shocked me recently. When another mom asked what benefits I’d gained from meditation, my daughter casually called out from her room, “I got a B,”—and she was completely calm about it! That never would’ve happened before.
Then there’s my husband—a self-reliant guy who’s never been into meditation or spirituality. Yet even he’s changed. His whole attitude toward our family has softened, and nothing else in our lives shifted except my meditation practice.
Mariel:
I’m Mexican, so I hope you can understand me through my accent—it’s been a little hard for me at times too, since everyone here speaks differently.
But what I really want to say is thank you—from the bottom of my heart—to the instructors for letting me be here. My problems haven’t disappeared in these two weeks, but I feel more at peace with them now. Instead of being afraid, I feel stronger, like I can face them with courage.
I don’t expect miracles overnight, but I know this practice is helping me become a better, stronger person. So thank you… thank you for giving me the tools to keep fighting.
Daryl:
I joined this class about a week ago to recover from jet lag, and now I have too much energy! Last night, I only slept five and a half hours but woke up feeling more refreshed than usual—no zombie mode. I think my sleep quality was deeper because normally, that little sleep leaves me moody and exhausted.
Another big takeaway was the Dharma teaching about “gliding lightly”—like skiing with courage. It reminded me of my fearless 20s and 30s when I was self-taught (just like Grandmaster Bodhi!) and happily took risks. But I realized I’ve been giving too much without protecting my own energy, which led to stress and inflammation.
Vrinda:
My name is Vrinda, and I want to share how these seven days of standing meditation have deeply impacted me. When my friend Manju first told me about it, I was skeptical—I’ve done meditation before as part of my spiritual journey, but my severe knee pain made even walking difficult. I wasn’t sure I could handle standing for long periods, but she encouraged me to try.
Though my physical pain hasn’t disappeared, something shifted mentally. From the very first day, I felt an unexpected happiness during the sessions—so much so that I craved that inner peace more than relief from my physical discomfort. Three key changes stood out:
Better Sleep: I used to wake up every two hours, but now I sleep soundly through the night. The same hours, but far more restful.
Better work performance: I cleared a backlog of pending work effortlessly this week, tackling tasks I’d put off for a long while; this morning I also received an excellence award for my work in the last quarter.
Headache gone: Despite knee pain flaring up initially, by the third day, I noticed a difference—my headaches vanished, and I felt lighter.
Aron:
I only attended this class for two days—Wednesday and Friday—but the impact surprised me. While I regularly practice at home, being here felt completely different, much more powerful.
I used to hear people talk about “hope,” “magic,” and “miracles” in these sessions and wondered if it was too good to be true. But then something incredible happened with my mom. She recently had cataract surgery, and one eye wasn’t healing properly—her vision stayed blurry, and she feared going blind.
I started bringing her here, and every time she entered the Buddha hall, she’d tear up (not from sadness, just a quiet release). In my heart, I felt it was part of her healing. And now? Her vision has completely cleared. The blurriness is gone—what doctors couldn’t fix, this space somehow helped.
One more thing – though I’ve struggled with chronic pain and health issues for six months, the greatest gift has been finding hope. Just believing healing is possible has transformed how I see life. I’m not perfect yet, but I can picture myself a year from now – standing proud with my kids, smiling and feeling so much better. I know I’m on that path now, and that’s why I keep practicing every day.
After seeing this, I truly believe in the eight-day retreat’s power. Some changes defy explanation, but they’re real.