What’s New At Insight Meditation Center

Annual Fundraising letter from Gil Fronsdal

Annual Fundraising letter from Gil Fronsdal

Dear friend of IMC, Twenty-five years ago a few people began to meet in Menlo Park on Monday evenings to practice mindfulness meditation and listen to Buddhist teachings together.  They planted the seed that grew to become IMC. Not only do we have an active center, we also have a “virtual community” of thousands who listen to our talks online through Audiodharma, iTunes and other websites.  This is remarkable given that all our programs, publications, and online Dharma talks are…

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Working With Pain In Meditation and in Daily Life wih Ines Freedman

Working With Pain In Meditation and in Daily Life wih Ines Freedman

Tuesdays, January 12, 19 and 26, 2010, 7:30 to 9pm A 3-week series Pain can color every aspect of our lives, but our relationship with pain can be retrained.  We will explore different methods of working with the physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects of physical pain both in meditation practice and in daily life.  The core principles of mindfulness training can be adapted to a practical process that can be effectively used for both intense and chronic pain. Contact Ines…

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Meditation Retreat with Gil Fronsdal and Heather Martin

Meditation Retreat with Gil Fronsdal and Heather Martin

Sunday, October 17 to Sunday, October 24, 2010 Hidden Villa Retreat Center, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Gil has practiced Zen and Vipassana since 1975 and has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford. He has trained in both the Japanese Soto Zen tradition and the Insight Meditation lineage of Theravada Buddhism of Southeast Asia. Gil was trained as a Vipassana teacher by Jack Kornfield and is part of the Vipassana teachers’ collective at Spirit Rock Meditation…

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Meditation Retreat with Gil Fronsdal – (Pre-requisite)

Meditation Retreat with Gil Fronsdal – (Pre-requisite)

Sunday, September 19 to Sunday, October 3, 2010 Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 This retreat is currently full.  New applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notified if spots open up. Application Information Flier For senior students, minimum pre-requisite two 10-day Vipassana retreats Gil has practiced Zen and Vipassana since 1975 and has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford. He has trained in both the Japanese Soto Zen tradition and the Insight…

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Mindfulness Meditation Retreat with Andrea Fella and Pamela Weiss

Mindfulness Meditation Retreat with Andrea Fella and Pamela Weiss

Wednesday, August 4 to Sunday, August 8, 2010 Jikoji Retreat Center, 12100 Skyline Blvd, Los Gatos CA 95033 Application Information Flier Andrea Fella has been practicing Insight Meditation since 1996, and, under Gil Fronsdal’s guidance, began teaching meditation classes in 2003.  She is particularly drawn to intensive retreat practice, and has done a number of long retreats, both in the U.S. and Burma. During one long practice period in Burma, she ordained as a nun with Sayadaw U Janaka. Andrea…

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Mindfulness Meditation Retreat with Andrea Fella

Mindfulness Meditation Retreat with Andrea Fella

Memorial Weekend, May 28–31, 2010 Jikoji Retreat Center, 12100 Skyline Blvd, Los Gatos CA 95033 This retreat is currently full.  New applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notified if spots open up. Application Information Flier Registration opens January 28, 2010. This is a silent mindfulness retreat with alternating sitting and walking meditation, as well as instruction, Dharma talks, and interviews with the teachers. It will be conducted at the rustic Jikoji Retreat Center on Skyline Boulevard in…

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Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Taught by Gil Fronsdal

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Taught by Gil Fronsdal

Six Wednesday evenings January 6 to February 10, 2010, 7:30 to 9pm 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 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 life, it is…

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Beginners’ Practice Group with Susan Ezequelle & Jim Bronson

Beginners’ Practice Group with Susan Ezequelle & Jim Bronson

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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Mindfulness of Mind Retreat with Andrea Fella and Heather Martin

Mindfulness of Mind Retreat with Andrea Fella and Heather Martin

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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Concentration Retreat at Spirit Rock with Philip Moffitt, Sally Clough Armstrong, Andrea Fella, Richard Shankman

Concentration Retreat at Spirit Rock with Philip Moffitt, Sally Clough Armstrong, Andrea Fella, Richard Shankman

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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Vipassana and Metta Retreat: Wise Attention and Opening the Heart

Vipassana and Metta Retreat: Wise Attention and Opening the Heart

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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Non Residential Retreat in Bellingham, Washington

Non Residential Retreat in Bellingham, Washington

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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Insight Meditation One-Month Retreat at Spirit Rock

Insight Meditation One-Month Retreat at Spirit Rock

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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