What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
The April-June 2015 IMC Newsletter is now available.
The Winter-Spring 2015 IRC Newsletter is now available.
Memorial Day Weekend Family Retreat: K- 8th Graders and Parents Saturday May 23- Monday May 25. Jikoji Retreat Center, Los Gatos. Practice together as a family during a relaxed weekend that will offer structured retreat practice and small group sharing with other parents, teens, and children, along with hiking and appreciation of the forest, grasslands, and views from the top of the Santa Cruz mountains. The site features camping and a limited number of shared dorm rooms. . Registration by lottery…
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“RETREAT FULL, WAITLIST” Noon Sat. May 28 to Noon Mon. May 30, 2016 with Richard Shankman, Andrea Castillo, Liz Powell & Bruni Dávila During this weekend we will meditate together as families, as well as in separate groups for parents and children. There will also be plenty of time to enjoy hiking, arts and crafts, and spend free time relaxing outdoors. Everyone will also share in doing simple chores. Please click on the 3 links below to carefully review detailed…
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Fundamentally, Buddhist practice is a training in peace—and Buddhist ethics serve as a protection of this peace. As our sense of ease, harmony, and calm deepen with our practice, we begin to understand how our ethical choices impact our experience of peace, and we see that the five Buddhist precepts safeguard our well-being. Because we so frequently talk and communicate with others, the fourth precept—avoiding false speech—is particularly relevant in our daily lives. Living by this precept protects us, and…
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7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on 5 Wednesday evenings, January 14 to February 11, 2015 Insight Meditation or Vipassana, is a simple technique, beginning with focusing the attention on the breath. The practice concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of Insight Meditation is the practice of Mindfulness, a practice of moment-to-moment observation that 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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1:00pm – 2:30pm on 5 Tuesday Afternoons, January 13 – February 10, 2015 Insight Meditation or Vipassana, is a simple technique, beginning with focusing the attention on the breath. The practice concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of Insight Meditation is the practice of Mindfulness, a practice of moment-to-moment observation that 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 life, it…
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The October-December 2014 IMC Newsletter is now available.
The avoidance of sexual misconduct is the third of the five cardinal Buddhist ethical practices. Sexual feelings and behavior are deeply rooted in our biology, psychology, and social life. After puberty, many people spend significant amounts of time thinking about and involved with their sexuality. Even celibate monastics can devote much energy addressing their sexual feelings. As an ethical precept, the avoidance of sexual misconduct means striving to refrain from causing harm through our sexuality, even unintentionally. Rather than defining…
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The Summer 2014 IRC Newsletter is now available.
Aspects of Concentration in Mindfulness Practice Five Thursday evenings Sept 18 – Oct 16 7:30pm – 9:00pm The Buddha taught that one who has cultivated samadhi, usually translated as concentration, see things as they are. This five-week series of talks and guided meditations will explore the practice of samadhi and how it relates to vipassana practice. Topics will include: the benefits of concentration practice, factors that support the deepening of concentration, how concentration relates to vipassana, and the role for…
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4 Wednesday evenings, November 5, 12, 19, and 26, 7:30 – 9 pm For beginners who have taken an introductory mindfulness meditation class and would like to take the next step in building and supporting their practice. This is a 4-week series on developing mindfulness practice with a 20-minute meditation, review of basic instruction and introduction to further teachings that support mindfulness practice. Led by Chris Clifford and others.
Thursday, November 26, 2015, 8:30 am – 10:30 am Thanksgiving Day invites us to reflect upon the good in our lives, and to appreciate our good fortune. Even if we are feeling sad, low, grumpy or just not particularly fortunate, coming together in the stillness of meditation and the movement of yoga can revitalize our acceptance, gratitude and joy. Appropriate for beginners to yoga or meditation, as well as those with more experience. Bring a large towel and sticky mat, if…
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Saturday, October 25 2014, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm In this retreat we will develop a continuity of awareness in movement and in stillness. Our focus will be on the first three foundations of mindfulness: mindfulness of the body, of feelings or sensations, and of mental processes. We will integrate guided and silent meditation, moving meditation (yoga poses), breath work, and relaxation, and let the synergy of these practices inform and deepen one another to open heart and mind. The retreat…
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Saturday, January 3, 2015, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm After the busyness and external focus that often accompanies the holidays, this mini-retreat offers a quiet and grounding place where we can slow down, deepen our meditation, connect with our bodies, and perhaps help clarify what is important for the coming year. Appropriate for beginners and experienced yogis and meditators – you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga; you only need to be as you are. Bring a large…
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