Fundamentals of Insight Meditation A 6-week long class that will cover concentration meditation and insight meditation instructions, mindfulness, working with difficult emotions and mental processes, and how to establish and continue with an on-going practice. For those new to meditation or looking for a refresher on the fundamentals of insight practice; suitable for all levels of experience with meditation. DATE: Wednesdays, Sept.  25, Oct. 2, 9, (skip Oct. 16) 23, 30, Nov. 6 ...

Developing Inner Spaciousness: from Reactivity to Equanimity  When we come to a practice, we are often pushed by the stress caused by our thoughts, feelings, circumstances and perceptions. Practice helps us find a little space around our reactions and not be so pushed and pulled by the desire to avoid or have things go a certain way. A space begins to develop and grow inside that can watch the ups and downs with equanimity. In time, we find ourselves more and more centered here. What helped t...

Abiding in Awareness Big Mind, or living beyond the waking dream of the seemingly separate, or ego identified false ’self’, has several aspects: The first is finding and then increasing abidance within the clear, formless, and unconditioned awareness that is your most direct experience of Being, closer to you than either your experience of mind or body (nama/rupa). Moving to the awareness that is prior to the abstract constructs of the mind, find your true nature as formless being, the ever...

Working with difficult emotions By request after the Sunday dharma talk in April on working with big difficulty.  A morning workshop on the tools in the Insight practice for finding presence and healing around difficult emotions. DATE: Saturday, June 22 TIME: 9:00 am – 11:30 LEVEL: all meditators TEACHER: Susan Weir LOCATION: Insight Meditation Ann Arbor This workshop is full.  

Working With the Inner Critic All of us occasionally bump up against our inner critic. It is only too happy to tell us what we did wrong and how we can do better. Although it is a part of our “normal” psychological makeup, it often speaks in a coercive, demanding tone. As we go through our lives, we subtly and not so subtly orient ourselves to abide by the wishes of this power. Usually it operates unconsciously, like a hidden rudder. The purpose of this class will be to bring more awareness to ...