I completed my first 10-day Vipassana retreat in 2008 after I graduated in Cognitive Science at McGill University in Montréal and studied neuroscience research on meditation practitioners. I then slowly began integrating meditation in my life and completed other retreats either as a student or a volunteer. In 2011-15 I completed a degree in biomedical engineering and have mostly worked in this field since then. Overall I sat 5, 10-day Vipassana retreats and have felt like my understanding and practice deepened each time I spent time at the center. I have been practicing Vipassana daily since 2016 and considering the many benefits I have gained (increased concentration capacity, heightened alertness, greater emotional balance) I wish to maintain it for the rest of my life.