The first 10 day course in Portugal was held in Algarve in 1990 for only 9 students. Two of the students were old students and they were not Portuguese. At that moment, there were only two Vipassana students in Portugal. Since then, one 10 day course was conducted every year, having increased later on to two/three courses a year. Until 1998 the courses were conducted in English and Spanish, but thanks to the efforts of several Brazilian students, the course was recorded in Portuguese, allowing more and more Portuguese students to learn the technique.
In 2011, the Vipassana Association of Portugal was formed (non-profit Association), which is responsible for the organization of courses and also the spread of this meditation technique that promotes self-knowledge, morality, mental concentration, the observation and profound understanding of one’s own physical and mental reality. The Association is constituted by old students who meet at least once a year and are appointed every 3 years.
Because the Association is not connected to any type of organization, the running of the courses is only made possible by the voluntary donations. These donations are only accepted from those who have completed at least one course and who wish that other courses may happen so that other people may benefit as well