What’s New At Insight Meditation Center

January 14 – February 11: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Tom Fenner

January 14 – February 11: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Tom Fenner

Tuesdays Afternoons from January 14 – February 11 — 5 Tuesdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm In-Person: Insight Meditation Center, 108 Birch St, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA Mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation or vipassana, is a simple technique that concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of mindfulness meditation is the practice of moment-to-moment observation which cultivates a clear, stable and non-judgmental awareness. While mindfulness practice can be highly effective in helping bring calm and clarity to the…

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Jan 23-26: Non-Residential Insight retreat with Ying Chen, Kim Allen, Diana Clark, and David Lorey

Jan 23-26: Non-Residential Insight retreat with Ying Chen, Kim Allen, Diana Clark, and David Lorey

Keeping It Simple: A non-residential Insight retreat with IMC teachers Ying Chen, Kim Allen, Diana Clark, and David Lorey Thursday – Sunday, January 23 – 26, 2025: 8:30am – 5pm Location: Los Altos Community Center, Sequoia Room Registration required This retreat offers an intensive retreat experience in a non-residential retreat format. The retreat will include alternate sitting and walking meditation periods, morning instruction, work meditation, and Dharma talks. Teachings will focus on the deep simplicity available in the practice and…

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Saturday Jan 25: Earth Care Meeting: COP29 Outcomes with Ram Appalaraju

Saturday Jan 25: Earth Care Meeting: COP29 Outcomes with Ram Appalaraju

Topic: COP 29 outcomes and What’s next for us! Saturday, January 25, 2025: 8:30 am — 10:00 am Presented by: Ram Appalaraju On 11/24/2024 the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 29) closed after two weeks of intense discussions on issues relating to climate change and how it has been disproportionately affecting poorer countries. At the end of the meeting participating countries agreed to a set of outcomes. One of the headlines that describes the outcome is “COP29 UN…

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Saturday Feb 1: Mindfulness Meditation and Practice Half-Day with Tanya Wiser

Saturday Feb 1: Mindfulness Meditation and Practice Half-Day with Tanya Wiser

Saturday, February 1, 2025: 9:30am – 12:15pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Tanya Wiser This half-day of mindfulness practice will include guided or lightly guided meditations, a brief dharma talk, group discussion, and mindful activity. This is an opportunity to deepen your meditation practice and daily life practice, ask a teacher questions and practice with other sangha members. Mindfulness meditation half-days are appropriate for beginners and those with more experience. Registration is not required. Bring lunch. 9:30 – 10:15…

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February 5 – March 6: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal

February 5 – March 6: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal

Five Wednesday Evenings, February 5 – March 6, 2025: 7:00 to 8:30pm In-Person: Insight Meditation Center, 108 Birch St, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA Mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation or vipassana, is a simple technique that concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of mindfulness meditation is the practice of moment-to-moment observation which cultivates a clear, stable and non-judgmental awareness. While mindfulness practice can be highly effective in helping bring calm and clarity to the pressures of daily…

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Saturday Feb 15: Live & Love Daylong with Ying Chen

Saturday Feb 15: Live & Love Daylong with Ying Chen

Saturday, February 15, 2025: 9:00am – 4:30pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Ying Chen In this daylong we will practice Dhamma by bringing qualities of mindfulness and heartfulness together. We will learn how to live wisely and lovingly through our practices. The day will include sitting and walking meditation, instructions, a dharma talk, and an opportunity to ask questions of the teacher. Recommended for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Bring lunch. The program is offered freely, with no registration…

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Sunday Feb 16 — Offsite Daylong with Matthew Brensilver

Sunday Feb 16 — Offsite Daylong with Matthew Brensilver

Offsite Daylong: Importance of Equanimity: A Day of Practice with Matthew Brensilver in Berkeley Sunday, February 16, 2025: 9:30am – 4pm Location: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Education Building Upper Floor, Connie Barbour Room,1606 Bonita Ave, Berkeley, CA Registration required. Simply using attention doesn’t generate wisdom. In other words, attention isn’t wholesome in itself. Wise attention is connected to wholesomeness; it is conjoined with, among other things, equanimity. Equanimity is a kind of inner balance. It is not the absence…

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February 22; Saturday Daylong Insight Retreat. with Gil Fronsdal Saturday

February 22; Saturday Daylong Insight Retreat. with Gil Fronsdal Saturday

8:30. a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In-person only at IMC Offered by: Gil Fronsdal Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period.This particular daylong retreat is meant for people who already understand the basic practice of…

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March 9- 15 Daily Life Retreat (Online Zoom format)

March 9- 15 Daily Life Retreat (Online Zoom format)

Awareness and Wisdom Integrated Home Retreat (Online Zoom format) Taught by Andrea Fella Assisted by Dawn Neal Inspired by the teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. March 9-15, 2025 (Sunday through Saturday) with two online sessions daily Registration is required: To register: Register here.  After registration, you will receive the retreat details, including Zoom link information.  For questions, contact Yosh Haggerty at yosh@insightretreatcenter.org. This retreat is designed to integrate our mindfulness practice with our everyday activities. During this weeklong online retreat we…

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Seva: The Dharma of Volunteering

Seva: The Dharma of Volunteering

by Gil Fronsdal Some years ago, early in IMC’s growth, I asked if anyone was interested in volunteering for our center. To my surprise, many people expressed a strong interest. While I was happy with the reply, I was troubled that we did not have enough volunteer roles to meet the big interest. I knew from personal experience that volunteering at a Buddhist center can be a significant form of Dharma practice and a means for a deeper connection to…

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Saturday Dec 28: Earth Care Meeting: Global Climate Solutions with Elaine Salinger

Saturday Dec 28: Earth Care Meeting: Global Climate Solutions with Elaine Salinger

Saturday December 28, 2024: 8:30 – 10:00am on Zoom Elaine Salinger will demonstrate a global climate solutions simulator, En-ROADS Climate Interactive, a website created by MIT and Sloan. This website will compare the effectiveness of global solutions. And Elaine will discuss possible legislation in the US, as well as simple actions we can take personally, locally, and nationally. And we will also discuss hope and a path forward. Elaine leads the Citizens Climate Lobby San Mateo County chapter and is…

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Yearend Letter from Gil

Yearend Letter from Gil

Dear Friend, Thank you for your participation in IMC and IRC’s offerings,  in person and online. Your engagement—whether it’s listening to our talks, participating in our meditation and training sessions, attending our retreats, or meeting with a teacher or mentor—is invaluable to our success. Your engagement in our programs has inspired and encouraged us to continue to expand what we offer. We founded IMC with the motto, “Donations follow the practice.” This guiding principle has led us to prioritize creating…

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Nov 16: Daylong Retreat with Gil Fronsdal

Nov 16: Daylong Retreat with Gil Fronsdal

In-person at Insight Meditation Center Saturday, November 16⋅8:30am – 5:00pm, with  Gil Fronsdal   This silent daylong retreat is meant for people already familiar with the basic practice of mindfulness; no instruction will be given. The schedule consists of alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. At the end of the day Gil gives a Dharma talk. Brief one-on-one practice discussions to talk about the practice will be available with Gil. Previous experience is recommended. Practicing mindfulness on retreat is…

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