It’s nine o’clock in the morning. A loud gong chime reverbs back and forth in the lush green valley, one hour outside Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. The long-anticipated sound gives me relief. At last, I can succumb to the screaming pain in my knees and raise up. For the last hour, I have been sitting completely still, in a cross-legged position, only focusing on sensations in my body. Now, it’s time for a fifteen minutes break before the next two-hour meditation session starts.

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