A Life on the Brink: The Catalyst for Change
Alison Weihe was 60 years old when she made a single decision that would irrevocably alter the trajectory of her life. At the end of 2018, she was co-leading a manufacturing and design company, working exhaustingly long hours in a male-dominated industry. Her role as the public face of the business kept her constantly on a knife's edge, grappling with immense delivery pressures.
Simultaneously, she was navigating the complexities of parenting two teenagers, a task fraught with perpetual guilt. She felt torn between her children's needs and supporting her husband in building their business, a lifelong dream. Both responsibilities were paramount, and she found herself stretched thin, always giving 100 per cent in every area of life.
Compounding this pressure was the recent death of her mother, a grieving process that resurfaced deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. With life perpetually on 'go' and no time for herself, her body eventually rebelled. In the final three months of 2018, she fell seriously ill with shingles, a clear signal that something had to give.
The Journey into Silence: Facing the Fear
Her daughter, who had previously attended two silent retreats, recognised the toll stress was taking and suggested Alison try the same. Alison was terrified; the prospect of turning inward and unpicking her past was daunting. She feared reopening old wounds she believed had healed.
However, driven by a desire to bond with her daughter, she committed. Alison signed up for a ten-day Vipassana silent retreat at the Dhamma Pataka centre, a 90-minute drive from her home in Cape Town, South Africa. Vipassana is an ancient meditation practice focused on the objective observation of one's thoughts and bodily sensations, fostering a non-judgemental awareness.
She gave her word she would stay for the entire ten days, no matter how difficult it became. Upon arrival, she surrendered her phone—the first time she had been without it in years—along with all other distractions. The rules were strict: no talking, no exercise, no reading, and no writing.
A Profound Transformation: Finding Clarity in the Quiet
The initial days were a struggle. As an extrovert, the silence was challenging, and the physical agony of sitting still for prolonged meditation sessions was intense. Her back throbbed, and she missed her usual coping mechanisms like exercise and reading. With all her familiar structures for survival stripped away, she was left alone with her thoughts.
A breakthrough came around the sixth day. She found she could sit unmoved for three hours at a time, her mind becoming quiet and focused. The incessant internal chatter of questions, memories, and critiques eventually emptied out, leaving a space of pure nothingness.
In this profound silence, she connected with a deeper, more authentic part of herself. She shed the emotional baggage, anxiety, and depression she had carried into the retreat. By the tenth day, her body and mind were quiet, a state she had never before experienced.
She emerged with a crystal-clear understanding of her life's purpose: to tell her story. This newfound clarity has since become the foundation of everything she does, profoundly influencing her work and relationships. The ten days of silence gifted her not just peace, but a completely new perspective on life.
