b man:
I just came back today from my second 10 day vipassana retreat and am really struggling to process everything and feeling very down / fragile / sad - which is a complete contrast from the highs of yesterday and this morning.
Hi,
after my last 10-day retreat (noting) I left in very high equanimity with very high concentration. I had headaches, much sadness and was generally vulnerable to anything. The teacher had warned me before leaving that this would happen as a side-effect of high concentration. He told me that I'm much more sensitive to everything so normal life would likely feel as total overkill.
He advised me to just note whatever was there. I found his advice helpful - sometimes I would feel very vulnerable and incapable of dealing with reality, but then noting the feelings and other things made me more stable.