Monthly Calendar

The Ten perfections are spiritual ideals (generosity, patience, etc...) that when matured, it is said, can lead to the pinnacle of spiritual attainment and its expression in the world.  In this 12 week series, stories and classical teachings on these qualities will be presented, and together we will explore their power to energize our long-term practice. Moving beyond the power and limitation of spiritual ideals and into the place of mindful curiosity, we will systematically explore our actual relationship to individual qualities as they function (or seemingly don't!) in our lives.  Balancing these aspects of ideals, and being with things as they are, can provide a powerful foundation for living a more fulfilling spiritual life in the present moment, the only moment we have.

This class series runs from April 6th to June 22nd.  You must be registered for the entire series; there are no drop-ins.

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

We are sorry, but this class series has been cancelled.  There will be a new five-week series beginning on July 14th.

Insight meditation is a time tested method of mind training that enables us to change our relationship to each moment’s experience, and thus our lives. In this seven week series we will systematically explore how to calm and steady the mind and see with more clarity into our lives.  As we strengthen this capacity we begin to move from suffering and reactivity to responsiveness, freshness and ease.  We learn to touch and live in the mindful moment.  

The class will include sitting instructions and shared silent practice, as well as instruction and practice of walking and other forms of mindfulness practice designed for application in daily life. Although this series is designed for beginners, all are welcome and students may choose to repeat this series as new material will be introduced each time. 

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Rebecca's Friday evening talk is being cancelled, however, her Saturday Half Day Retreat is going forward but with a time change of 9:30am - 1pm.  

This weekend we will continue our four month exploration of the five hindrances, five challenges that arise in our practice that block us from fully settling into life as it is.  We explore engaging with these energies with mindfulness and friendliness, allowing them to liberate themselves within spacious awareness. 

This weekend we will continue by meeting doubt and skepticism, perhaps the slipperiest of the five challenges! Skeptical doubt causes us to pull back and can paralyze our practice. We doubt our abilities, the teachings, or our own inner capacity for freedom. Doubt can even manifest as an inner critic that attempts to sabotage our efforts. We will learn to befriend and tame this energy through the five mindfulness tasks: noticing when it’s present, when it’s absent, what leads to its arising, what helps us to disentangle, and what discourages it from arising again.

This weekend we will continue our four month exploration of the five hindrances, five challenges that arise in our practice that block us from fully settling into life as it is.  We explore engaging with these energies with mindfulness and friendliness, allowing them to liberate themselves within spacious awareness. 

This weekend we will continue by meeting doubt and skepticism, perhaps the slipperiest of the five challenges! Skeptical doubt causes us to pull back and can paralyze our practice. We doubt our abilities, the teachings, or our own inner capacity for freedom. Doubt can even manifest as an inner critic that attempts to sabotage our efforts. We will learn to befriend and tame this energy through the five mindfulness tasks: noticing when it’s present, when it’s absent, what leads to its arising, what helps us to disentangle, and what discourages it from arising again.

These drop-in sessions will be held once a month.  A 25-35 minute mindfulness meditation will be followed by individual sharing.  Everyone will have a chance to talk about how they are working with being present to the realities of this unique and difficult time.  Together, we have the opportunity here to create a much needed community of support, based on mindfulness and compassion.  New and experienced meditators alike are welcome to attend.  Registration is not required, and donations are always welcome.

Matthew or Effie Stavrulaki will lead a Loving Kindness drop-in session once a month as well.  Together, these mindfulness and loving kindness sessions take place bi-weekly and may support a skillful balance of kind intention and clear seeing for our practice.

If you have Zoom, click on the link below just before class to join.

Join Zoom Meeting - Video Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82847776617?pwd=ZldoUE9EOUYxSjhxOXJxUE9sSW9rQT09
Meeting ID: 828 4777 6617
Passcode: 365026
OR join by phone: 
Dial by your location
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
With this Meeting ID: 828 4777 6617

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

Registration is closed for this offering.  It has reached the maximum number of registrations.

Our book for the next session is The Wakeful Body, Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom, by Willa Blythe Baker.  This book shows us how to tap into the wisdom of the body with down-to-earth practices that allow the body to become the source of mindfulness. Willa Blythe Baker introduces meditation practice as the cultivation of a way of being that is self-aware, self-compassionate, and embodied.  By diving deep into the body, readers will find that they already have what they need. Concentration, wisdom, compassion, kindness, and joy are waiting there.

The Ten perfections are spiritual ideals (generosity, patience, etc...) that when matured, it is said, can lead to the pinnacle of spiritual attainment and its expression in the world.  In this 12 week series, stories and classical teachings on these qualities will be presented, and together we will explore their power to energize our long-term practice. Moving beyond the power and limitation of spiritual ideals and into the place of mindful curiosity, we will systematically explore our actual relationship to individual qualities as they function (or seemingly don't!) in our lives.  Balancing these aspects of ideals, and being with things as they are, can provide a powerful foundation for living a more fulfilling spiritual life in the present moment, the only moment we have.

This class series runs from April 6th to June 22nd.  You must be registered for the entire series; there are no drop-ins.

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

We are sorry, but this offering has been cancelled.

In this workshop for parents and caregivers, we will reflect on and reconnect to our parenting journeys. We will explore the power of bringing awareness into our relationships with children. 

What happens to our experience of parenting if we bring into it an intention of being non-judgmentally present and patient? What shifts on the parenting path if you build it on the foundation of mindfulness practice? Can the experience of conscious parenting alter your reactive patterns?

In the serene setting of the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport we will explore ways of finding harmony between giving and receiving in relationship to our children. We will discuss the possibility of morphing the energy drain you may experience as a caregiver into a fuel for your joy and peace.

Sylwia Willcox has been practicing in the Zen, Dzogchen, and Theravada traditions since 1994. Since moving to the United States in 2017 she has been practicing and volunteering at the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport. She has a certificate of Mindful Educator and Mindfulness Fundamentals from the Mindful Schools. For the past few years, she has been incorporating the mindfulness program into her kindergarten class curriculum. She has taught Aikido - a martial art emphasizing nonviolent conflict resolution - to children and adults in both Poland and the United States. She has a Master's Degree in philosophy with an emphasis on Buddhist studies. 

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

The Ten perfections are spiritual ideals (generosity, patience, etc...) that when matured, it is said, can lead to the pinnacle of spiritual attainment and its expression in the world.  In this 12 week series, stories and classical teachings on these qualities will be presented, and together we will explore their power to energize our long-term practice. Moving beyond the power and limitation of spiritual ideals and into the place of mindful curiosity, we will systematically explore our actual relationship to individual qualities as they function (or seemingly don't!) in our lives.  Balancing these aspects of ideals, and being with things as they are, can provide a powerful foundation for living a more fulfilling spiritual life in the present moment, the only moment we have.

This class series runs from April 6th to June 22nd.  You must be registered for the entire series; there are no drop-ins.

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

Thursday Half Day Retreats are designed to be flexible to personal schedules while offering the opportunity to deepen practice through periods of silent sitting and walking meditation. You may come for part, or all of this retreat.  While at the center, please adhere closely to the schedule and maintain silence.  Click here for retreat schedule.

Teacher Matthew Daniell leads the retreat and there will be minimal instruction offered as needed.  He will provide time for an optional teacher interview with each participant.  A bell will be rung to signal the rotation between silent sitting and walking meditation.  

These practice periods are not suitable for complete beginners: An introductory meditation class or equivalent experience is strongly recommended before attending. 

We are sorry but this offering has been cancelled.

We hear meditation instructions that say to be mindful of the breath (or body or sounds), and return the attention to the breath once we’ve realized it’s wandered off. This helps the heart and mind to begin to settle and be more at ease. 

This is the foundation of the practice, but not the whole story of Insight meditation. What is the whole story, and how do we do it? The morning will be primarily devoted to the foundational practice of establishing calm in the heart and mind. During the afternoon we will explore these questions in our sitting and walking practice, as well as in group discussion. 

These drop-in sessions will be held once a month.  A 25-35 minute loving kindness meditation will be followed by individual sharing.  Everyone will have a chance to talk about how they are working with intentions of goodwill (metta or loving kindness), as well as bringing mindfulness to the realities of this unique and difficult time.  Together, we have the opportunity here to create a much needed community of support, based on mindfulness and compassion.  New and experienced meditators alike are welcome to attend.  Registration is not required, and donations are always welcome.

Matthew Daniell will lead a Mindfulness drop-in session once a month as well.  Together, these mindfulness and loving kindness sessions take place bi-weekly and may support a skillful balance of kind intention and clear seeing for our practice.

If you have Zoom, click on the link below just before class to join.

Join Zoom Meeting - Video Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82847776617?pwd=ZldoUE9EOUYxSjhxOXJxUE9sSW9rQT09
Meeting ID: 828 4777 6617
Passcode: 365026
OR join by phone:
Dial by your location
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
With this Meeting ID: 828 4777 6617

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

Registration is closed for this offering.  It has reached the maximum number of registrations.

Our book for the next session is The Wakeful Body, Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom, by Willa Blythe Baker.  This book shows us how to tap into the wisdom of the body with down-to-earth practices that allow the body to become the source of mindfulness. Willa Blythe Baker introduces meditation practice as the cultivation of a way of being that is self-aware, self-compassionate, and embodied.  By diving deep into the body, readers will find that they already have what they need. Concentration, wisdom, compassion, kindness, and joy are waiting there.

The Ten perfections are spiritual ideals (generosity, patience, etc...) that when matured, it is said, can lead to the pinnacle of spiritual attainment and its expression in the world.  In this 12 week series, stories and classical teachings on these qualities will be presented, and together we will explore their power to energize our long-term practice. Moving beyond the power and limitation of spiritual ideals and into the place of mindful curiosity, we will systematically explore our actual relationship to individual qualities as they function (or seemingly don't!) in our lives.  Balancing these aspects of ideals, and being with things as they are, can provide a powerful foundation for living a more fulfilling spiritual life in the present moment, the only moment we have.

This class series runs from April 6th to June 22nd.  You must be registered for the entire series; there are no drop-ins.

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

We are sorry, but this offering has been cancelled.  The next beginners retreat is scheduled for August 6th.

Insight meditation is a time-tested method of mind training that enables us to change our relationship to each moment’s experience, and thus our lives. In this retreat, specially designed for beginners and those with limited meditation experience, we will systematically explore (through sitting and walking meditation periods, teachings, and discussion) how to calm and steady the mind and see more clearly.  As we strengthen this capacity we begin to move from suffering and reactivity to responsiveness, freshness and ease. We learn how to touch and live in the mindful moment.

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.  

This drop-in sitting meditation is offered in the simplicity of silence without instruction. An ending bell will be rung by a practice leader. There is no registration, nor fee.  Donations are always welcome.  Not suggested for new meditators.

Ongoing Covid precautions: In order to attend this workshop, you must be fully vaccinated.  You will have to show proof of vaccination at the door, or you may also email the Director with a copy of your proof of vaccination before the class.  Once you have shown your proof of vaccination, you do not have to show it again.  Masks are optional.  As an added precaution, if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, we ask that you do not attend any offering until you have had a negative quick covid test.