What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
Wednesdays, November 17 to December 15, 2010, 7:30 – 9pm No class on 11/24/10 This series is for those beginners who have taken a basic mindfulness meditation instruction class and would like to take the next step in building and supporting their practice. Come to this five-week discussion group on developing mindfulness practice. There will be a 20 minute sitting, a review of the basic teachings, and lots of discussion. The class will review the basic instructions in mindfulness meditation,…
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Thursday Morning Yoga & Sitting Meditation for November 26, 2009 Canceled: Thanksgiving Day
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center September 10 – 17, 2010 The Buddha taught four foundations of mindfulness. While each tradition of practice has as a starting point one foundation or another, liberating mindfulness includes all four foundations without preference. This retreat offers instructions on the four foundations of mindfulness with particular attention to Awareness of Mind, and will be taught in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. The initial instructions will be given by Sayadaw U Tejaniya through pre-recorded sessions. Daily…
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August 16 – August 25, 2010 Concentration (samadhi) defined as the collection and unification of the mind, was emphasized by the Buddha as one of the aspects of the Eightfold Path. It can bring joy to your practice and develop the skillful use of pleasure in the meditative process. Whatever your level of practice, you can improve your Insight Meditation (Vipassana) by strengthening your concentration skills. Your ability to concentrate will develop in response to the attention you give it….
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Cloud Mountain Retreat Center July 16 – 21, 2010 With Andrea Fella and Greg Scharf This Vipassana and Metta retreat will emphasize how the understanding of wisdom in present moment awareness opens the heart to the beautiful qualities of love and compassion. We will explore how the wisdom teachings of Buddhism point us to directly touch and understand our experience. We will also offer the practice of Metta, or Lovingkindness, which brings kindness and compassion to our relationships, not only…
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June 28th – July 5th, 2010 With Philip Moffitt, Sally Armstrong, and Andrea Fella Further information about this retreat will be posted as it becomes available. For further information see: http://www.spiritrock.org/page.aspx?pid=561
Saturday and Sunday, April 10th and 11th, 2010 A two day non-residential retreat taught in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. During this non-residential retreat we will explore the meditation style taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya: a relaxed open awareness with an emphasis on exploring qualities of mind, and the attitude towards one’s experience. The schedule for the retreat will alternate periods of sitting and walking with instructions and discussion. Aside from the instruction and discussion periods, the days will…
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January 31 – February 28, 2010 with James Baraz, Carol Wilson, Sally Clough Armstrong, Howard Cohn, Andrea Fella An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained and dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, through a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, dharma talks and interviews. Prerequisite(s): Completion…
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Nov., Friday the 13th. At a local alley. Contact Don Kensil, 650/965-4112, for more information.
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 9am to 5pm and Sunday, January 24, 1 to 5pm How do we bring our spiritual practice into situations of conflict, whether inner conflict (“Should I stay in this job or relationship?”), interpersonal conflict, or conflict within an organization or community or society? By conflict, we mean a tension or contradiction between goals, intentions, or styles, which may or may not be connected with hostility. For most of us, conflicts are difficult and we often tend…
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Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 6:00 to 6:30 — Hungry Ghost Ceremony. 6:30 to 9 PM — Halloween party. ATTIRE Come dressed as one of your hungry ghosts (or a generic demon): a costume representing a personal character trait which haunts you. For example, we have had ghosts representing: fear of ending up a bag lady, craving for recognition or attention, indecision, and constant vigilance. BRING Food to feed our hungry ghosts which after the ceremony, we (dressed as our hungry…
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Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9am to 12:30pm In this mini-retreat, we will awaken our bodies, minds and hearts to the present moment. We will integrate yoga, breathwork, meditation, metta (loving kindness), and relaxation and let these practices inform and deepen one another. The morning is appropriate for beginners and those with more experience. Our aim is not perfect poses or perfect meditation, but to connect deeply with ourselves and allow the emergence of our innate wisdom, capabilities, joy, tranquility and…
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Friday, December 31, 7:30pm to 12:15am, January 1, 2011 Bring poetry or reading and treats to share. Sitting and walking meditation, time to share, refreshments about 9pm, ritual to bring in the new year. See Newsletter for contact information.
Saturday, December 12, 9am to 4:30pm This is a daylong retreat with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, instruction in mindfulness practice and a dharma talk. It is recommended for both beginners and experienced practitioners. No interviews.
Monday Evening Sitting, November 9, 7:30 to 9pm Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. Stephen considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. IMC is fortunate to have Stephen spend an evening with us. Stephen Batchelor, a former Buddhist monk, studied under the guidance of Tibetan lamas and completed a three-year Zen training in…
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