I’ve just returned from ten days of complete silence.

No phone. No speaking. No distractions. Just a structured Vipassana course specifically designed for executives and decision-makers — and it was one of the most grounding, clarifying experiences of my professional life.

But let me be clear: this is not a luxurious escape. It’s not a wellness retreat with green juice and soft meditation cushions. Vipassana is hard. Physically, mentally, emotionally. You sit cross-legged for ten hours a day. In silence. With no eye contact. No journaling. No movement unless it’s prescribed. It’s demanding, raw and revealing.

There are moments when the stillness feels excruciating. When your mind throws up old stories, unexpected emotions, even long-buried trauma. You’re not allowed to escape it — only observe it. And that’s where the transformation begins.

Through the practice of observing bodily sensations and focused breath (Anapana), you begin to see how emotion lives in the body. How pain and memory are stored. And how — with equanimity — you can face them without being swallowed by them.

There are slots in the day for mindful walking and rest. Its funny to watch 30 women analysing blades of grass while walking silently in the garden. Or how, in the absence of conversation, you start to narrate internal TED Talks to yourself just to pass the time. I even designed a five-year business strategy in my head… complete with launch timelines and structure. No pen, no paper. Just mental clarity and space.

What this year offered me, more than anything else, was integration.

The Real Leadership Work Is Internal

What I remembered — in the stillness, the structure, and the absolute absence of doing — is that much of what we call strategy is actually reaction.

True leadership doesn’t come from thinking faster or doing more. It comes from learning to observe clearly — without attachment, without aversion.

That’s what Vipassana trains you to do. Moment by moment. Breath by breath. Decision by decision.

In the executive format, the experience is designed for those of us navigating high-stakes, high-responsibility roles. It invites not retreat, but precision. Not disconnection, but deliberate observation.

This is the leadership most of us never get space to practice.

My Commitment Moving Forward

I’ve returned with a renewed clarity and a quiet conviction:

Vipassana is not something I step into and out of. It’s a discipline I bring into my daily rhythm — through continued daily practice of Anapana (focused attention on the breath).

Just for five minutes when I really need to focus. Not for productivity. Not for performance. But for clarity.

Because every client conversation, every strategic decision, every creative direction becomes more potent when it’s made from grounded awareness, not internal noise.

This isn’t about self-care. It’s about leadership hygiene.

For Other Women in Leadership

If you’re building something substantial… If you’re carrying more than most people see…

Make space.

Vipassana is not the only path — and it’s certainly not for everyone. Ten days of silence is not an easy commitment. It requires discipline, presence, and a willingness to sit with your own mental noise without distraction.

Not everyone is ready to fully declutter their mind or face what rises in stillness. It takes courage to meet yourself in that way. But when you do, the impact carries forward into everything — how you lead, how you respond, how you make decisions.

You cannot lead yourself — or others — from a place of constant reactivity. You must reclaim access to your own awareness.

Even ten mindful breaths can change how you lead a meeting. Even ten minutes of stillness can shift your next big decision.

What’s Next at Flourish & Lead

I’ll be integrating this clarity into how I coach, advise and build. There are updates coming to The Clarity Method, new spaces opening in my private coaching and deeper conversations already underway with clients who are ready to lead with intention.

But for now, I’ll leave you with this:

Your next level may not need more input. It may simply need more space.

Here’s to leading from clarity.

— Sharon