I Left a Buddhist Retreat in Handcuffs 7 years ago
The author doesn't mention where he went on retreat
Respectfully, did you read the article? Because both Vipassana and Mr. Goenka are mentioned.
In my experience nothing in Vipassana is particularly bizarre. Eating two meals a day with a snack in the evening isn't an ascetic practice, and neither is the sleep schedule which allows for 6.5 hours a night. The sleep I will admit is an adjustment, but it's a challenge, not an impossibility. And not a health risk. It's a great deal of meditation, but that's the idea.