Insight Dialogue Retreat - Nov 6, 2021

Half-day Retreat, via Zoom

Cultivating Ease and Release in Turbulent Times: An Insight Dialogue Retreat

with Janet Surrey and Florence Meleo-Meyer

Saturday, November 6, 2021; 8:30am-12:30pm ET
This retreat will take place via Zoom.

In this half day retreat, we will introduce and practice with the first two meditation guidelines of Insight Dialogue: Pause and Relax.  Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice in the Insight tradition with three foundations: the cultivation of meditative awareness, the investigation of the wisdom teachings of the Buddhadharma, and the wholesome potential of our relational nature.  In our practice together, we will cultivate states of body, mind and heart which incline toward calm, tranquility, and the release of stress.  Even in the midst of these turbulent times, we can establish a practice of the kindness of release, internally, and together within our relationships.

There will be periods of silent practice, short dharma talks, Insight Dialogue contemplations in dyads and small groups, and the sharing of the fruits of our practice in the whole group.

Time plan:
8:30-9:  Intro and silent practice
9-10:40:  ID session one
10:40-11:  Stretching and body care
11-12:30:  ID session two

Suggested donation: $15-30 registration + teacher donation (we encourage you to consider giving teacher dana equal to or greater than what you gave for registration)*

Teacher dana will be evenly divided unless specified otherwise.

Janet Surrey, PhD, is an Insight Dialogue Teacher. She teaches Insight Dialogue retreats worldwide and leads a monthly practice group in the Boston area. Jan has been a faculty member of Metta’s Relational Insight Meditation Program and serves on Metta Programs’ Teachers Council.

Jan has studied with a number of Vipassana teachers for over 25 years, and has worked with Gregory Kramer since 2007. Her original teacher was Vimala Thakar, but Jan has also done many retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and Joanna Macy. In 2008 she completed a two and a half year Community Dharma Leader training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Jan is a practicing clinical psychologist and founding scholar of the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute at the Wellesley Centers for Women. She is on the faculty and board of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Jan is dedicated to a lifelong exploration of the power of relationships to create suffering and the power of relationships to liberate and transform suffering. Jan lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

​Florence Meleo-Meyer is an Insight Dialogue Teacher. She teaches courses and retreats in Interpersonal Mindfulness, which is based on Insight Dialogue.
Florence has taught meditation for over 30 years. She is certified as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher as well as a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction teacher. She has studied in India and the US with meditation masters, S.Muktananda and S.Chidvilasananda. Since 2003 she has studied Insight Dialogue, trained and taught with Gregory Kramer. Florence holds degrees in education and psychotherapy and is a licensed family therapist. She is a senior teacher at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where she also directs Oasis, An Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Education and Innovation. She has trained and taught with Saki Santorelli EdD and Jon Kabat-Zinn,PhD. Florence lives and works in central Massachusetts.

*In keeping with the Buddhist tradition of dana (generosity), the suggested registration amounts for our classes and retreats do not include any payment for the teacher. The teachers are paid entirely out of the students' generosity. Please consider giving a donation to the teacher in order to support their ability to continue to share the dharma. We encourage you to consider teacher dana equal to or greater than the amount you gave for registration. You may give a donation at the time of registration and give later donations through our teacher dana link. Everyone is welcome to all of our events regardless of ability to donate.

You can give online or send checks to InsightPV, 116 Pleasant Street, Suite 242, Easthampton, MA 01027.

ZOOM LINK:  https://zoom.us/j/9431561684?pwd=YVQ1N1VzNWE3dGR4RERSZ1l3Zks0Zz09  

Dial in by phone for audio only: Call (646) 558-8656. Meeting ID: 943 156 1684. Password: 242.