What we’re about
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: Currently, this Baltimore-based class is paused. Alternatively, there are other drop-in classes with IMCW, including Wednesdays, 7:00PM in Columbia with teacher, Stan Eisenstein. Visit www.IMCW.org for more details.
Other classes, workshops and courses are provided on an occasional basis. Typically we hold an Introduction to Insight Meditation series, an 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses, and occasional daylong and weekend workshops and retreats. To access our schedule, please follow this link:
https://www.meetup.com/Insight-Meditation-Community-of-Bal...
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 Tuesday evening classes generally consist of one or two half hour semi-guided meditations, mindful movement, 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.
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).
TEACHERS:
For more about Mira, visit:
https://events.imcw.org/teacher/?speakerId=134
http://www.wellspringhealingarts.org/main.htm
Contact: Mira@wellspringhealingarts.org
For more about Tawanna, visit:
https://events.imcw.org/teacher/?speakerId=155
http://www.innerresourcesproject.com/
Contact: bemindful@earthlink.net
For more about Silvia, visit:
https://events.imcw.org/teacher/?speakerId=104
Questions: Please feel free to contact Mira Tessman at wellspringhealingarts@gmail.com
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Insight Meditation Class ONLINE ONLY at this timeZoom Video Conference, Maryland, MD
NOTICE: For the foreseeable future we will be ONLINE ONLY.
Online: Subscribe at this link to get the weekly Zoom link in your email 30 minutes before the class begins.
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.
What to Expect: Each class will include mindful movement, guided meditation, instruction, opportunities to practice, and time for discussion, questions and answers.
When and where: We meet every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
In-person: Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD, 21042, room 406. Please arrive early to settle into your seats - we start right at 7:00 p.m. [Note: Class will be online only on days that the school is closed.]
Online option: Join Zoom Meeting (click on link or copy URL and paste in browser)
https://zoom.us/j/569956674
What We Practice: 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.
TEACHERS:
STAN EISENSTEIN, is a full teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW). He teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other mindfulness-based courses. He is a mentor the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program run by Sounds True. He also works with individuals in instruction on using meditation and mindfulness to bring a greater sense of peace and freedom in daily life. Stan is a former high school physics teacher (32 years) who has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2004. Stan earned a Masters of Social Work in 1998.
LINDA NAINI: Linda is a full teacher with IMCW. She developed a deep appreciation for Tara Brach’s teachings and the practice of mindfulness in 2009 during her father’s terminal illness and later working through her own depression after his death. Linda is a certified Health and Wellness Coach through the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She has received Reiki II certification, and is certified to teach mindfulness meditation to children and adolescents through the .b program. As an Iranian-American, Linda has studied Rumi and Hafiz in both Persian and English.
Contact: Please feel free to contact Stan Eisenstein at IMCWColumbia@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
- SILENT WEEKEND RETREAT: Cultivating Ease and Joy - In-Person and Online HybridWellspring Conference Center, Germantown, MD
[NOTE: An RSVP to this Meetup event is not sufficient for registration. To register and pay for the event, please follow this link.]
ABOUT: Join us for a weekend dedicated to practices designed to help move into a greater sense of tranquility and well-being. The heart of the Buddhist teachings is to move beyond suffering and stress--dukkha--and into a state of well-being or joy--sukkha. Removing ourselves from daily stresses, coming home into the body, learning to stay with present-moment experiences, and practicing relaxation and lovingkindness meditations all serve to enhance our capacity for peace and happiness.
Through dharma talks, guided and unguided meditations, group meetings with the teachers, and mindful movement, we will practice cultivating a deeper sense of ease and joy.
TEACHERS: 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.comLINDA NAINI developed a deep appreciation for Tara Brach’s teachings and the practice of mindfulness in 2009 during her father’s terminal illness and later while working through her own depression after his death. A certified Health and Wellness Coach through the Maryland University of Integrative Health, In 2013, she received Reiki II certification and participated in the .b Teacher Training, where she received a certification to teach mindfulness meditation to children and adolescents. As an Iranian-American, Linda has studied Rumi and Hafiz in both Persian and English. She loves sharing their poetry in her weekly mindfulness classes at Flow Yoga Center, extendYoga, Equinox, and with children and adolescents through MINDS and The Village Youth.
LOCATION: Wellspring Retreat Center in Germantown, MD or Online via Zoom Video Conferencing.
RETREAT FEES:
Single room (sold out): $700.00
Shared room: $560.00
Camping: $440.00
Online: $250.00
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 9 and online participation is May 21.
QUESTIONS : Contact manager at imcwretreatmanager@gmail.com
TESTIMONIALS
I have no words at this moment to describe what I learned or how I benefited from attending this retreat other than to say I will carry the truths Stan so skillfully taught, the people I met, and the deep knowing found during our meditation periods with me for the rest of my life. I am profoundly changed, and grateful. ~Melanie
This was a much needed respite from the craziness of the world around us. Stan is a wonderful guide, teaching with love and kindness how to be loving and kind to ourselves during difficult times. His practices gave me a sense of calm and clearing out, and being in community with others (even over Zoom) felt so supportive. Many thanks ~Julie
- Insight Meditation Class ONLINE ONLY at this timeZoom Video Conference, Maryland, MD
NOTICE: For the foreseeable future we will be ONLINE ONLY.
Online: Subscribe at this link to get the weekly Zoom link in your email 30 minutes before the class begins.
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.
What to Expect: Each class will include mindful movement, guided meditation, instruction, opportunities to practice, and time for discussion, questions and answers.
When and where: We meet every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
In-person: Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD, 21042, room 406. Please arrive early to settle into your seats - we start right at 7:00 p.m. [Note: Class will be online only on days that the school is closed.]
Online option: Join Zoom Meeting (click on link or copy URL and paste in browser)
https://zoom.us/j/569956674
What We Practice: 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.
TEACHERS:
STAN EISENSTEIN, is a full teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW). He teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other mindfulness-based courses. He is a mentor the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program run by Sounds True. He also works with individuals in instruction on using meditation and mindfulness to bring a greater sense of peace and freedom in daily life. Stan is a former high school physics teacher (32 years) who has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2004. Stan earned a Masters of Social Work in 1998.
LINDA NAINI: Linda is a full teacher with IMCW. She developed a deep appreciation for Tara Brach’s teachings and the practice of mindfulness in 2009 during her father’s terminal illness and later working through her own depression after his death. Linda is a certified Health and Wellness Coach through the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She has received Reiki II certification, and is certified to teach mindfulness meditation to children and adolescents through the .b program. As an Iranian-American, Linda has studied Rumi and Hafiz in both Persian and English.
Contact: Please feel free to contact Stan Eisenstein at IMCWColumbia@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
