About us
What we do: We are a community that offers instruction related to mindfulness meditation, including classes, day long workshops, extended courses (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) and occasional weekend retreats. Instructions are designed for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
Most classes and workshops are free for all participants. Although a donation amount is suggested, donations are not required for participation. The MBSR courses are not free, but some scholarship is available.
While the forms of meditation we practice are rooted in Buddhist teachings, the study and practice of mindfulness and insight meditation is applicable to anyone from any background or religion, and all are welcome.
We are affiliated with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) and the teaching of Tara Brach, Jonathan Foust and Hugh Byrne.
Each class will include: guided meditation, instruction, opportunities to practice, and time for discussion, questions and answers.
When and where: Our ongoing drop-in class meets every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on days the school is open at Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD, 21042, room 406. (See the individual event posting for summer locations) Please arrive early to settle into your seats - we start right at 7:00 p.m. If you arrive late, please enter as quietly as possible.
Other classes, workshops and courses are provided on an occasional basis. We hold tuition-based 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course several times per year, and daylong workshops every month or two. We also teach Mindfulness for Teens, Deepening MBSR, and Meeting Chronic Pain and Illness. To access our schedule, please follow this link:
http://www.meetup.com/Columbia-Insight-Medi...
We practice Insight Meditation, a style of meditation that helps the mind attain deeper levels of calm concentration through sustained attention on the breath, then combines this with the crucial aspect of insight through contemplation of the mind and body and all of their changing and impermanent senses, emotions and thoughts. Insight Meditation trains us to live more fully in the present moment, enables us to experience life from a greater stillness, and aids us in relating to both ourselves and others with increased clarity, compassion, calmness and creativity, and less fear, anxiety and stress.
Along with these and a long list of other psychological benefits, meditation has also been shown to reduce stress hormones in the body, lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, alleviate depression and boost the immune system.
What we offer: Our ongoing drop-in Wednesday evening classes generally consist of a half hour semi-guided meditation, followed by a talk on Buddhist principles and their application to daily life, followed by discussion and/or practice.
We offer workshops (typically day long) to help deepen practice. Some of our workshop topics are: Deepening Insight, a Daylong Silent Workshop; Insight Out Loud (working with partners to deepen insight); A Day of Heart Practices; Deepening Presence; and a Relationship Workshop.
Our 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses help students initiate and develop an ongoing daily mindfulness meditation practice. These 8-week courses are designed to help students develop strategies to reduce stress and to relate to their day-to-day experiences in a more calm and creative manner. These courses are tuition-based, with
Other courses that are offered are based on MBSR and applied to particular populations. These include Mindfulness for Teens, Meeting Chronic Pain and Illness, and Deepening MBSR - For Graduates of MBSR.
We also sponsor Kalyani-Mitta (KM) groups. These are groups that meet outside the normal class hours to discuss Buddhist principles more in depth and to share about how these ideas apply to their personal lives. These groups also help foster deeper connection to other members of the community (sangha).
Teacher:
Stan Eisenstein, a former high school physics teacher who has been meditating for over 25 years and has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2004. Stan is a full teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) and is a graduate of the Meditation Teacher Training Institute, a two-year certification program with senior Insight teachers Tara Brach, Jonathan Foust, Hugh Byrne, and Pat Coffey. He is a mentor for various Tara Brach led online courses, including Power of Awareness. He also teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Deepening MBSR, Mindfulness for Teens, and Meeting Chronic Pain and Illness.
Questions: Please feel free to contact Stan Eisenstein at IMCWColumbia @yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Address: Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD, 21042, room 406 (note - we have a different location during the summer)
Parking:
Park in the bus loop at the front of the building or in the main lot, enter the building, and then follow the Columbia Insight Meditation Class signs to room 406.
Suggestions:
1. There are plenty of chairs, but if you prefer to sit on the floor, which is not carpeted, please bring a hard pillow or zafu, since, when meditating, it is recommended that your hips be higher than your knees. If you have never tried sitting on the floor during meditation, it is highly recommended that you try the chair first, then practice sitting on the floor at home until you are comfortable.
2. If you have any back issues, please bring a pillow or cushion to place behind you.
3. Please remember to turn off your cell phones before entering the room.
4. Please try not to wear any perfume to the class, as it can be quite distracting to others. Also, with respect to those who may be allergic, we do not use incense.
5. The group is not recommended for those under age 13.
6. If you arrive late, please enter the room as quietly as possible.
Featured event
SILENT WEEKEND RETREAT: Deepening Into the Mystery - In-Person and Online Hybrid
[NOTE: An RSVP to this Meetup event is not sufficient for registration. To register and pay for the event, please follow this link.]
ABOUT: The rhythms of Spring invite us, to tune into the deeper currents of life, to sense our deeper spiritual roots, and to experience unity. We tend to identify ourselves with our separateness: our personalities, our achievements or failures, our beliefs, our worldly selves. Yet there is something more fundamental about ourselves that we can explore, both in our minds and in our bodies, in our beings. As we cultivate a letting go of clinging to a worldly identity, we can begin to explore who we are at a deeper level. This shift in identity has the capacity to bring a great deal of freedom, peace, and joy.
Through dharma talks, group meetings with the teacher, meditation instruction, personal meditation, and gentle movement practices, you will be guided toward a sense of who we are more fundamental than our experience of our personalities, our ego, or our worldly selves.
TEACHER: Stan Eisenstein has been guiding self-inquiry and other meditation practices since 2012. He is a teacher for the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, with founder Tara Brach. Stan is a an instructor for various courses: Mindfulness-Basted Stress Reduction; Inviting Chronic Pain and Illness to Tea; Self-Inquiry. He is also a mentor for the international Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, and run by Sounds True. You can explore Stan's bio and recordings of Stan's teachings at his website: staneisenstein.com
LOCATION: Seven Oaks Retreat Center in Madison, VA or Online via Zoom Video Conferencing.
RETREAT FEES:
Single room (sold out): $8500.00
Shared room: $670.00
Camping: $580.00
Online: $270.00
Please note that retreat fees only cover direct expenses for this event, such as room, meals, and administrative costs. In keeping with the Buddhist tradition, the teachers and retreat managers receive no payment. Donations offered by students at the end of the retreat are appreciated and support the teachers and retreat managers in continuing to make the teachings available to all.
REGISTRATION : The registration deadline for in-person participation is May 11 and online participation is May 23.
QUESTIONS : Contact manager at imcwretreatmanager@gmail.com
TESTIMONIALS
I have found this Deepening Into the Mystery retreat a refuge into myself and the wider world around me. I discovered and rediscovered Truths with a capital T. Truths that cannot be sensed, as my scientific training so desperately wants to do - to observe. But truths that can only be experience in the quiet stillness of consciousness. When thoughts and emotions have melted away, and the only thing left is the territory itself. There we find the mystery which words cannot explain or even describe. - Kris
This retreat gave me the special opportunity to sit with and touch the embodiment of no-self. The practices presented worked in a systematic and congruous way that, both rationally and subconsciously, helped us to touch deep into our being and be with the emptiness and awareness that is our true nature. ~Ari
A moving an insightful retreat--even over Zoom I felt connected to Stan and to the larger group. It helped me to feel "unstuck" in my life and feel into where my life choices could be in better alignment with what I really want/need. ~Beth
Upcoming events
106
Columbia Insight Meditation Class ONLINE ONLY at this time
·OnlineOnlineNOTICE: For the foreseeable future we will be ONLINE ONLY.
Online: Register with this link to gain access to our weekly Zoom room.
WHAT: This is an open ongoing drop-in mindfulness meditation group for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
While the forms of meditation we practice are rooted in Buddhist teachings, the study and practice of mindfulness and insight meditation is applicable to anyone from any background or religion, and all are welcome.
Donation: These teachings are available to all. Although a $10 donation is suggested, donations are not required for attendance. Donation information will be provided by each teacher in the class, and via their personal email lists.
What to Expect: Each class will include guided meditation, instruction, opportunities to practice, occasional mindful movement, and time for discussion, questions and answers.
When and where: We meet every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Online meeting: Join Zoom Meeting (click on link or copy URL and paste in browser)
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DHvJJK9vSmKvxkMy8jU5Kg
What we practice: Insight Meditation, a contemplative approach that cultivates steady attention and deepens calm through the breath or another chosen anchor. From this foundation of concentration, the practice opens into insight—an intimate exploration of the mind and body, and the ever-changing nature of sensations, emotions, and thoughts.
Insight Meditation trains us to live more fully in the present moment. It supports a growing capacity to meet life from greater stillness and steadiness, and to relate to ourselves and others with increased clarity, compassion, creativity, and ease—while gently reducing fear, anxiety, and stress.
Our work weaves together several complementary practices:- Mindfulness — cultivating present-moment awareness
- Meditation — supporting dialogue between the conscious and subconscious minds
- Embodiment — bringing awareness into the body to access its intelligence, strength, and wisdom
- Metta (Loving-Kindness) — recognizing our shared humanness and nurturing compassion for ourselves and others
- Self-Inquiry — gently exploring subconscious patterns and beliefs, loosening the “psychic knots” that keep us feeling stuck
- Inner Guidance — reconnecting with a deep, intuitive wisdom beyond the rational mind
Alongside these personal and psychological benefits, meditation is also associated with measurable physiological effects, including reduced stress hormones, lower blood pressure, decreased anxiety and depression, and strengthened immune function.
TEACHERS:
MELANIE SCHWINDT: is a graduate of the Awareness Training Institute in collaboration with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She combines evidence-based mindfulness training with a deep respect for the body’s wisdom, inner guidance, and the human capacity for resilience and healing.
With professional experience spanning Early Childhood Education, Suicide Prevention, and Corporate Management, Melanie has a nuanced understanding of how mindfulness and meditation support well-being across the lifespan and in diverse settings—from individuals and families to workplaces and community groups.
As a teacher, Melanie is committed to meeting people where they are—emotionally, mentally, and physically. Her approach is relational, inclusive, and deeply human, offering practical tools and contemplative practices that support navigating life’s challenges with greater clarity, steadiness, and care.ARI PLUZNIK: Ari Pluznik walks alongside his students as a spiritual friend on the path of mindfulness and creative expression. As a Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional (CMT-P) grounded in Buddhist lineage and trained in the lineage of Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Stan Eisenstein, and other respected teachers, he offers meditation guidance in the Insight tradition that helps practitioners navigate life's challenges with wisdom and compassion.
Through his music with Ari and the Buffalo Kings, he creates contemplative and joyful spaces where audiences can experience deep emotional connection and open-hearted creativity. Whether leading a meditation session or performing intimate concerts, Ari brings together traditional wisdom and artistic expression to foster genuine human connection and transformation—creating spaces where individuals can connect deeply with themselves, experience genuine community, and transform suffering into understanding.
Occasionally, guest teachers will also lead the sangha. Their bios will be provided before each class.
Contact: Please feel free to contact Ari Pluznik at adpluznik@gmail.com if you have any questions.
4 attendeesColumbia Insight Meditation Class ONLINE ONLY at this time
·OnlineOnlineNOTICE: For the foreseeable future we will be ONLINE ONLY.
Online: Register with this link to gain access to our weekly Zoom room.
WHAT: This is an open ongoing drop-in mindfulness meditation group for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
While the forms of meditation we practice are rooted in Buddhist teachings, the study and practice of mindfulness and insight meditation is applicable to anyone from any background or religion, and all are welcome.
Donation: These teachings are available to all. Although a $10 donation is suggested, donations are not required for attendance. Donation information will be provided by each teacher in the class, and via their personal email lists.
What to Expect: Each class will include guided meditation, instruction, opportunities to practice, occasional mindful movement, and time for discussion, questions and answers.
When and where: We meet every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Online meeting: Join Zoom Meeting (click on link or copy URL and paste in browser)
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DHvJJK9vSmKvxkMy8jU5Kg
What we practice: Insight Meditation, a contemplative approach that cultivates steady attention and deepens calm through the breath or another chosen anchor. From this foundation of concentration, the practice opens into insight—an intimate exploration of the mind and body, and the ever-changing nature of sensations, emotions, and thoughts.
Insight Meditation trains us to live more fully in the present moment. It supports a growing capacity to meet life from greater stillness and steadiness, and to relate to ourselves and others with increased clarity, compassion, creativity, and ease—while gently reducing fear, anxiety, and stress.
Our work weaves together several complementary practices:- Mindfulness — cultivating present-moment awareness
- Meditation — supporting dialogue between the conscious and subconscious minds
- Embodiment — bringing awareness into the body to access its intelligence, strength, and wisdom
- Metta (Loving-Kindness) — recognizing our shared humanness and nurturing compassion for ourselves and others
- Self-Inquiry — gently exploring subconscious patterns and beliefs, loosening the “psychic knots” that keep us feeling stuck
- Inner Guidance — reconnecting with a deep, intuitive wisdom beyond the rational mind
Alongside these personal and psychological benefits, meditation is also associated with measurable physiological effects, including reduced stress hormones, lower blood pressure, decreased anxiety and depression, and strengthened immune function.
TEACHERS:
MELANIE SCHWINDT: is a graduate of the Awareness Training Institute in collaboration with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She combines evidence-based mindfulness training with a deep respect for the body’s wisdom, inner guidance, and the human capacity for resilience and healing.
With professional experience spanning Early Childhood Education, Suicide Prevention, and Corporate Management, Melanie has a nuanced understanding of how mindfulness and meditation support well-being across the lifespan and in diverse settings—from individuals and families to workplaces and community groups.
As a teacher, Melanie is committed to meeting people where they are—emotionally, mentally, and physically. Her approach is relational, inclusive, and deeply human, offering practical tools and contemplative practices that support navigating life’s challenges with greater clarity, steadiness, and care.ARI PLUZNIK: Ari Pluznik walks alongside his students as a spiritual friend on the path of mindfulness and creative expression. As a Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional (CMT-P) grounded in Buddhist lineage and trained in the lineage of Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Stan Eisenstein, and other respected teachers, he offers meditation guidance in the Insight tradition that helps practitioners navigate life's challenges with wisdom and compassion.
Through his music with Ari and the Buffalo Kings, he creates contemplative and joyful spaces where audiences can experience deep emotional connection and open-hearted creativity. Whether leading a meditation session or performing intimate concerts, Ari brings together traditional wisdom and artistic expression to foster genuine human connection and transformation—creating spaces where individuals can connect deeply with themselves, experience genuine community, and transform suffering into understanding.
Occasionally, guest teachers will also lead the sangha. Their bios will be provided before each class.
Contact: Please feel free to contact Ari Pluznik at adpluznik@gmail.com if you have any questions.
2 attendees
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