-
With Leslie Booker & Rashid Hughes
Leaning into the heart practices is a radical act of defiance in the face of separation and violence. Fear is rampant - leading to an influx of rash decisions that are directly impacting our communities, bodies, mental health and hearts. With the world being in a constant state of uncertainty, we can trust that the heart can hold all that we are feeling.
As practitioners who are Black, Indigenous, and People of color (including Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and/or Latinx people of color), practicing with equanimity and the rest of the heart practices of the Brahmaviharas, can be a salve, deeply restoring and healing the soul.
In this 4-day residential retreat, we will use silence not as a weapon, but as a place of refuge to tap into the wisdom of our hearts. We’ll spend time as a collective in nature, in restorative silence, genuine connection and living together in Beloved Community.
-
With Leslie Booker & Teresa Todoroff (Movement Teacher)
Toni Morrison wrote, "I know the world is bruised and bleeding. And though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge, even wisdom. That is how civilizations heal."
Greed, aversion, and delusion—collectively known as the three poisons—are mind states that create separation by clouding the heart. Yet these energies also contain information that can lead us toward deep healing, helping us meet the chaos of the world with greater wisdom and care.
In this intimate, slower-paced retreat, we’ll take time to meet these three poisons with their antidotes: generosity, mettā, and wisdom.
Generosity can expand our sense of connection and remind us that we belong to one another. Mettā opens the heart, protecting us from both inner and outer harm, while wisdom helps us see things as they are and in right proportion.
-
With Leslie Booker, Ian Challis and Calvin Burnap (Assistant)
For nine years, queer practitioners have gathered in the California desert in October for silent meditation, community, and refuge. In this, our 10th year, we carry that spirit and history to a new home in the mountains.
“Rooted, Not Planted” is a silent Buddhist insight meditation retreat for the queer community, which includes all who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and agender. Led by Leslie Booker and Ian Challis, with Calvin Burnap assisting, this retreat will offer Vipassana and metta practice, dharma talks, and the rest of shared space and community with people who don’t have to explain themselves to be fully present.
This retreat was born at Dhamma Dena, shaped by Ruth Denison’s lineage and Arinna Weisman’s teaching, and held by a community that has shown up year after year to practice together and welcome new family. We bring our history, our love, and our commitment with us. The container has moved, the practice continues.
All queer-identifying practitioners are welcome, new and experienced alike. You don’t need a history with us to belong here.
-
With Leslie Booker, Howard Cohn, Erin Treat, and Teresa Todoroff (Movement Teacher)
The Buddha’s teachings and meditation practices remind us of the ever-present possibility of waking up to a sense of well-being, presence, and true nature that does not depend on circumstances. This silent Insight Meditation (vipassanā) retreat is designed for both new and experienced meditators, and will include systematic instructions in vipassanā meditation following the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The retreat will also include lovingkindness meditation, meetings with teachers, and evening talks highlighting the central teachings of the Buddha and their practical application to our lives.
-
With Anne Cushman, Booker, Djuna Devereaux, and Rolf Gates
How do we stay rooted like a mighty oak, even when winds howl through our branches? How can our hearts hold our ever-changing lives like the sky holds the weather? In this retreat, we’ll offer teachings and practices from the Dharma and Yoga traditions for settling your nervous system, grounding your energy, and cultivating a felt sense of both stability and fluidity. Meditation in movement and stillness unfolds with ample time to rest, be in nature, and honor the natural rhythms of your own practice.
A full week of retreat offers time and space for deep places of gripping and bracing to release at their own pace, while nourishing the capacity to meet personal and collective challenges with wisdom and compassion. Each day includes gentle guided Yoga and somatic movement meditation; seated, walking, standing, and lying down meditation; Dharma reflections; and small group meetings with a teacher.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
-
Sitting on Sunday is an opportunity to practice with New York Insight’s Guiding Teacher in a more intimate setting. We practice together and then have time to get advice on fine tuning your practice, asking those questions about how to integrate it into the world, and gather with community, the first Sunday morning of each month. It’s a very sweet way to end your week, and to get your heart, mind, and body aligned and ready for the week ahead.
-
Although Buddhism is often seen as a solitary path, sangha, or community, is an essential part of meditation practice. However, cultivating this sense of community has been a difficult challenge in this day and age of social isolation and Zoom fatigue.
This series of in-person New York Insight community gatherings consists of guided meditation, a talk by one of our teachers, followed by group discussion, and opportunities to socialize and connect with like-minded practitioners.
Whether you are brand new to meditation practice, new to New York Insight, or are a longtime, experienced meditator, all are welcome to join us for this series of in-person community meditation gatherings.
-
With Leslie Booker & Lin Wang Gordon
It can often feel like we are rushing through our days, accumulating stress, missing out on meaningful moments, and making reactive decisions. And even though we know that pace isn’t good for us, it’s still hard to slow down.
Join us for a special in-person or online daylong silent meditation retreat for those who want to reconnect and deepen their practice.
This retreat day will be one of noble silence for those who want to deepen their practice. It will include sitting, walking, and select inspirational readings for contemplation. Individual interviews will be available. Participants are welcome to bring their lunch to maintain the meditative atmosphere and concentration.
Together we will pause, reset, and find some much-needed mental space and clarity.
-
Registration & Information coming soon.
Part of 31 Days of Practice
-
New York Insight is excited to launch our third annual 31 Days of Practice!
This benefit event is a special opportunity to support and sustain your meditation practice during the final days of summer.
Throughout the month, you’ll receive 31 daily emails delivered straight to your inbox, featuring pre-recorded practice videos designed to inspire and support. Each video will feature a different teacher, so you’ll get a chance to experience 31 styles and approaches to meditation.
These curated videos taught by world-class meditation teachers will help you stay committed and engaged with your practice, no matter if you’re at home or enjoying a summer getaway.
In addition, each Tuesday of the practice period, we will host a live online Zoom session from 6:30-7:15pm ET with a teacher for an enlightening talk and discussion on meditation practice. Live session teachers will include a variety of special guests, including Joseph Goldstein, Yong Oh, Mark Epstein, and Leslie Booker. These live sessions include a Q&A, offering you the chance to ask questions, share experiences, and deepen your understanding of mindfulness.
To culminate the practice period, we will hold a closing half-day retreat at New York Insight (115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor in New York City) on Sunday, August 30 with Leslie Booker and special guest teachers. If you can’t join us in-person, the retreat will also be livestreamed via Zoom.
-
With Djuna Devereaux, Booker, Anne Cushman, and Rolf Gates
The body has its own wisdom, and its own pace. Over four Friday mornings, this series brings together mindful Yoga and embodied Dharma teachings to explore what it means to slow down enough to actually arrive: in the breath, in the posture, in the present moment. No prior Yoga or meditation experience is required, just a willingness to come home to the body.
The Unreliability of Identity, and the Undeniability of its Impact
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.