Hannes Huber is an experienced meditation teacher from Austria who has been practicing Vipassana since 1985. His teachers include Godwin Samararatne from Sri Lanka and Sayadaw U Pandita from Burma, who has given him permission to teach. He has also completed an intensive metta session under the guidance of Sayadaw U Indaka of Burma. Hannes has had training in Psychosynthesis under Sascha Dönges from Switzerland. He teaches Vipassana courses all over the world and is also involved in training future MBSR teachers.
His sessions could be described as classic Mahasi vipassana. Mindfulness is developed through sitting meditations, walking meditations as well as through daily activities. The 8 precepts and noble silence are observed at the zaeda (the only exceptions are during the evening dhamma lectures and during group and personal talks). The simple schedule of the day, during which sitting meditation alternates with walking meditation from morning to evening, contributes significantly to the development of the meditation experience. Once a day, meditators receive meditation instructions. While his teaching style is based on the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition, it is presented in a way that is accessible to the Western way of thinking.
An important part of the course is guided metta meditation (loving kindness), which contributes to an opening of the heart and a kinder attitude towards oneself and others. Personal conversations with the teacher are also important, creating space for individual instruction based on the personal experiences of each participant.
