In-Person and Online: The Joy of Meditation – Vipassana and the Whole 9 Yards
with Jon Aaron
Saturday, December 7th, 2024 | 10:00am – 4:00pm ET
In-Person Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor
Even amid this chaotic and at times, frightening world, can we find joy in our meditation practice? Rather than experiencing it as an escape from these challenges, we can learn to see it as a way of transforming the world.
The Buddha’s teachings offered a range of meditation practices, which are generally Vipassana (Insight), Samatha and Samadh (tranquility and immersion), Metta (friendliness), and Jhana (Absorption). Many of these practices found their way into the later Buddhist traditions and are very much part of the modern mindfulness movement, although not always explicitly. Additionally, the practices themselves are taught in a very wide range of ways, depending on the individual teacher and cultural context.
This bounty can, paradoxically, lead to confusion and doubt, or to staying on the surface level in our practice. What is the relationship between these practices? How do we know when to turn to one or the other? There are ways to welcome depth, playfulness and creativity in practice to counter this doubt and confusion.
This day is meant as a support to all meditators regardless of experience. There will be instruction, practice, dharma talks and time for questions.
In-Person Registration:
Please register below. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)
If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.
Online Registration:
Please register below. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)
If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.
Volunteering
All of our programs rely on volunteers to support our teachers and staff with various tasks and responsibilities. Volunteering allows you to participate in our programs at no cost. To inquire about volunteering opportunities, please fill out our inquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Teacher(s)
Jon Aaron
Jon Aaron is a Dharma and mindfulness teacher based in New York and Chicago. Since 2006, he has taught at the New York Insight Meditation Center, offering Dharma and MBSR classes. He regularly leads retreats around the U.S. He is primarily grounded in the Theravāda tradition, alongside non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teaching emphasizes integrating Dharma and mindfulness into daily life to foster clarity in addressing personal and social challenges. His teachers include Matthew Flickstein and, more recently, Kittisaro and Thanissara through their Dharmapala program. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. He is a certified MBSR teacher and teacher trainer and a Somatic Experience Practitioner®. In response to the pandemic, he and his partner, Upayadhi, launched the Space2Meditate community, offering daily meditation since March 2020. Additionally, he co-hosts the podcast Diggin’ the Dharma with scholar Doug Smith, now in its third season. JonAaron.net