Talks, Classes, and Retreats 2025
Rebecca teaches regularly at the Insight Meditation Society, Forest Refuge, Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts, and other Dharma Centers.
Events are scheduled both in person and online. All times listed are Eastern.

Down to Earth Dharma Online Book Group
IMS Online is hosting this Tuesday night eight session bi-weekly book group exploring the meditation techniques and themes presented in Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart. Each session we will practice together and share our experiences related to cultivating a more receptive, heartfelt, intuitive and embodied dharma. More info at Down to Earth Dharma: A Book Exploration Group

Practice at the Forest Refuge
Join Rebecca and Devon Hase in an atmosphere of quiet and kindness for a practice period of one week up to the whole month. Practice support will be offered for both Vipassana meditation and metta jhanas. More information at Forest Refuge Schedule 2025 – Insight Meditation Society (dharma.org)

Vipassana and Loving Kindness Weekend Retreat
A weekend retreat is a perfect opportunity to initiate a meditation practice, jump-start a practice that has lost steam, or enjoy two days of settling into the simplicity of presence. Exploring the Buddhist teachings of mindfulness infused with lovingkindness, this weekend silent meditation retreat, open to all, will cultivate our connection to ourselves and to life itself through body-centered awareness. Developing down-to-earth intimacy with our life as it unfolds, we will increase our ability to open our hearts to this vibrant wild world we live in.
A great retreat for beginners, for experienced students who want to refresh their practice, or in combination with the seven day retreat that follows.
The course will be supported by insight and lovingkindness meditation instructions, talks about the teachings and Q & A sessions with the teacher. There will also be the opportunity to practice walking meditation outdoors on IMS's beautiful grounds.
Join Rebecca at the Insight Meditation Society in the lively energy of springtime. More info and registration is available at Retreat Center 2025 (dharma.org). The retreat is currently full but you can be added to the waitlist.

Vipassana and Loving Kindness Weeklong Retreat
Join Rebecca, Dawn Scott, and Roxanne Dault for a week-long retreat at the Insight Meditation Society. Exploring deeply the Buddhist teachings of mindfulness infused with lovingkindness, this silent meditation retreat, open to all, will cultivate our connection to ourselves and to life itself through body-centered awareness. Developing intimacy with our physical, energetic, and emotional bodies, we will touch essential truths about life and gain the stability of heart that helps us move through this world with greater wisdom and compassion.
The course will be supported by insight and lovingkindness meditation instructions, talks about the teachings and Q & A sessions with the teachers. An optional daily period of gentle mindful movement (yoga and qigong) will be offered by Lissa Edmond to support body, heart, mind awareness and care. There will also be the opportunity to practice walking meditation outdoors on IMS's beautiful grounds.
More info and registration at Retreat Center 2025 (dharma.org).

Intimacy with All Things: Animism in Buddhism
Join us for a Wednesday night dharma talk in person or online with Insight Meditation Community of Western Mass. We will explore how mindfulness brings us into a more alive relationship with all beings. More info at Insight Meditation Community of Western Mass - Home

Insight and Loving Kindness Weekend and Weeklong Retreat in Milford Ohio
Join Rebecca, Candace Cassin, and Robert Pryor for either a weekend, weeklong, or nine day retreat at the Jesuit Center in Milford, Ohio. The Yellow Springs Dharma Center (YSDC) is pleased to announce two residential Vipassana retreats in 2025 with Rebecca Bradshaw from the Insight Meditation Society. The retreats will be held on May 9-11 and May 11-18, 2025. Both retreats are appropriate for those new to residential retreats, as well as those who are more experienced. With support and inspiration from the beauty of nature surrounding us, we will explore meditation from a receptive orientation, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging in this world. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and down into the body, we will establish a relationship of heartfelt intimacy and respect both with our own experience and in connection with the world around us. These retreats will include sitting and walking meditation, loving-kindness meditation, optional qi gong, talks, group and individual meetings with teachers, and question and response sessions. More info at: https://www.ysdharma.org/vipassana/vipassana-retreat-321/

Down to Earth Dharma: Healing Our Relationship with Ourselves and the Earth, A Three-Day Weekend Retreat
Rebecca and Zeenat Potia will lead this three-day weekend sponsored by Western Mass Insight Meditation Community. With support and inspiration from the beauty of nature surrounding us, we will explore the Buddha Dharma from the paradigm of receptivity, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging in this world. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and down into the body, we will establish a relationship of heartfelt intimacy and respect both with our own experience and in connection with the natural world around us. This retreat will include sitting meditation, movement and walking meditation practice, guided and solitary outdoor practice, talks explaining the teachings, and question and response inquiry sessions.
This retreat will be held at the beautiful Wonderwell Mountain Refuge (WMR) in Springfield, New Hampshire.
More info at Insight Meditation Community of Western Mass - Home

Nine-day Loving Kindness and Nine-day Vipassana Retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Join Rebecca and other East and West Coast teachers for a nine day loving kindness retreat or a nine day vipassana retreat, or, for a more in-depth retreat, why not do both? In the beautiful hills of Spirit Rock, we will deepen concentration through the beautiful quality of metta and explore depths of understanding life and our own hearts through vipassana. More info and registration at Homepage | Spirit Rock.

Down to Earth Dharma Five Day Retreat: Healing Our Relationship With Ourselves and the Earth
With co-teacher Chas Dicapua and support and inspiration from the beauty of nature surrounding us at the Seven Oaks Retreat Center in Madison, Virginia, we will explore the Buddha Dharma from the paradigm of receptivity, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging in this world. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and down into the body, we will establish a relationship of heartfelt intimacy and respect both with our own experience and in connection with the natural world around us. This retreat will include sitting meditation, qi gong and walking meditation practice, guided and solitary outdoor practice, chanting, talks explaining the teachings, and question and response inquiry sessions. More info to come in late April at Welcome to the Insight Meditation Community of Washington

IMS Three Month Retreat Part Two: a Six Week Retreat
For those wishing to enter more deeply into the silence and depth of heart and mind, a six week retreat is a wonderful opportunity for immersion. Not for the faint-hearted, this retreat provides structure and guidance to lead us into ever deeper contact with reality in the here and now. This presence then teaches us to develop greater insight and compassion. For more information, contact Retreat Center 2025 (dharma.org)

Down to Earth Book Reading and Discussion in Newburyport, MA
Come join us in the beautiful seaside town of Newburyport, MA, for a book reading, discussion, and signing. (Make a day of it and visit the ocean!) More information at Down to Earth Mindfulness with Rebecca Bradshaw — North Shore Insight Meditation Community.

Cambridge Insight Meditation Book Reading
Join us in person or online at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a book reading and lively interactive discussion. More information at Wednesday Evening Dharma (cambridgeinsight.org)

Twin Cities Vipassana Collective Annual Winter Retreat
Join Chas and Rebecca on the shore of Lake Koronis at Koronis Ministries in Paynesville, Minnesota, for our annual vipassana and loving kindness retreat. In the stillness and silence of winter we will explore the depth and vastness of our hearts and minds, discovering for ourselves the keys to deeper peace and compassion. more information at Twin Cities Vipassana Collective | Mindful living in the greater Twin Cities area (tcvc.info)

Common Ground Meditation Center Book Reading
Join us in person or online (time is central time zone) at the Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for meditation and a book reading and discussion from Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart. More information at Common Ground Meditation Center | Calendar & Registration

Vermont Insight Half Day Retreat and Book Reading
Join us in person or online at Vermont Insight in Brattleboro Vermont, for “receptive’ meditation, a book reading, and an interactive discussion about Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart. more information can be found at Vermont Insight Meditation Center-Brattleboro-Buddhist Retreats-Groups-Courses.

Smith College Book Talk
Join Rebecca at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts as she talks about how her need for a softer dharma prompted her to write Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart. Open to the public. More info at "Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart" (you may need to copy and paste)

Odyssey Bookshop Reading and Signing
Join us at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley MA for a book reading and discussion. More info at Rebecca Bradshaw in Person | The Odyssey Bookshop

Down to Earth Dharma: Online Weekend Retreat
Please join us at IMS Online for a weekend retreat exploring Rebecca’s book Down to Earth Dharma. Together we will explore the Buddha Dharma from the paradigm of receptivity, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging in this world. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and down into the body, we will nourish awakening from the heart. We will play with protection and openness, boundaries and boundlessness, vulnerability and invulnerability.
More information at https://ims.dharma.org/courses/down-to-earth-dharma

New Year’s Day Reading and Book Signing: Down to Earth Dharma at IWM
Join us in person or online for an evening of meditation exploring Rebecca’s book, Down to Earth Dharma, to be released by Shambhala Publications on November 26, 2024. The evening will end with book signing. For more info, contact Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts

New York Insight Half Day Retreat - Down to Earth Dharma
Let’s settle in together for some quiet time at New York Insight with a half day retreat exploring the practice of receptive mindfulness, allowing ourselves to be touched by life and recognizing our deep belonging in this world. By practicing dropping out of our usual mind-oriented relationship with the world and down into the body, we will nourish awakening from the heart. Rebecca will be teaching from her new book, Down to Earth Dharma, Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart, to be released by Shambhala Publications on November 26, 2024. (Available for pre-order now!) The morning will end with book signing for those who wish. Find more information at New York Insight Meditation Center | Where Hearts & Minds Awaken (nyimc.org)

IMS Book Club: Down to Earth Dharma
Come explore Rebecca’s new book, Down to Earth Dharma, Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart, with IMS’s book club. More information to come.

Retreat for 18-32 Year Olds
Join us at the Insight Meditation Society for this vibrant annual retreat specifically geared towards younger adults. For more information, contact IMS at www.dharma.org.

Wednesday Evening Dharma Talk: Transforming Delusion to Truth at IWM
Join us in person or online for an evening of meditation, a dharma talk, and discussion. For more info, contact Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts

One Day Retreat on the Cape: Receptive Mindfulness
Join us for a one day retreat focused on receptive mindfulness, letting ourselves touch and be touched by life. For more info, contact Insight Meditation Community of Cape Cod

Wednesday Evening Dharma Talk: Transforming Aversion to No Complaints at IWM
Join us in person or online for an evening of meditation, a dharma talk, and discussion. For more info, contact Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts

Yellow Springs Annual Weekend and Weeklong Meditation Retreats: Listening to Life: Meditation from the Receptive Heart
Join Rebecca and her assistants Candace Cassin and Robert Pryor for either a weekend or weeklong Insight Meditation retreat at the lovely Jesuit Center in Milford, Ohio. With meditation we receive our embodied experience, letting it teach us the way life is and how to hold the vast range of joy and sorrow that comes with being human. This retreat will focus on listening to our life moment by moment, letting go of demands of how it should be and resting fully in how it is. This receptive meditation takes us deeper into the truth of things, helping our heart orient towards wisdom and compassion. Our daily schedule will include guided insight and loving kindness meditation instructions, talks on the teachings, meeting time with teachers, and optional qi gong. For more information, contact Yellow Springs Dharma Center

Vipassana and Loving Kindness Retreat at IMS
Join Rebecca, Roxanne Dault, and Greg Scharf for a week of meditation practice in the vibrant energy of springtime. Talks and instructions will focus on body and heart oriented practice. For more information contact Insight Meditation Society

An Afternoon with Insight San Diego: Active and Receptive Mindfulness
Join us in person or online for sitting meditation, a dharma talk, and discussion. For more information, contact Insight San Diego. The zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84387910779?pwd=YkxJQmoyVzNvQnBseHN2dHoyY3g0Zz09

Wednesday Evening Dharma Talk at IWM: Grasping and Freedom
Join us for an evening o meditation, a dharma talk, and discussion. Hybrid or online. For more info, contact Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts

Wednesday Evening Online Dharma Talk for Cambridge Insight
Join us for an exploration of the Buddha’s teachings. More information at www.cambridgeinsight.org.

Forest Refuge One Month Practice Period
Join Rebecca and Devon Hase at the Forest Refuge at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, for one week or longer, to fit your schedule. Instructions and talks will center on body and heart oriented practice. For more information, contact Insight Meditation Society

Twin Cities Vipassana Collective Winter Retreat: Listening to Life: Meditation from the Receptive Heart
Join Rebecca and Chas DiCapua for our annual one week Vipassana and Lovingkindness meditation retreat held in Minnesota. With meditation we receive our embodied experience, letting it teach us the way life is and how to hold the vast range of joy and sorrow that comes with being human. This retreat will focus on listening to our life moment by moment, letting go of demands of how it should be and resting fully in how it is. This receptive meditation takes us deeper into the truth of things, helping our heart orient towards wisdom and compassion. Our daily schedule will include guided insight and loving kindness meditation instructions, talks on the teachings, meeting time with teachers, and optional qi gong.
For more information or to register, contact Twin Cities Vipassana Collective

Insight Western Massachusetts Winter Non-Residential Weekend Retreat
Join Rebecca and Jean Esther for this quiet lovely annual retreat at Pioneer Valley Cohousing in Amherst, Massachusetts. For more information or to register, contact Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts
Sharing Our Lineages Evening Online Program
Five sanghas from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta partnering with IMS Online have come together to create a special lineage story series. We offer a warm prairie welcome to all practitioners!
Our vision is to have our teachers share stories about their teachers, to honour our gratitude to the Asian roots of the practice; to give a sense of these teachings being handed down, generation to generation; and to give current practitioners a sense of carrying this precious gift forward.
On this evening Rebecca Bradshaw, devon hase, and Jessica Morey will share memories of their teachers, and also explore the connections between Theravada and Tibetan practices.
For more information, please contact Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community

Insight Western Massachusetts New Year's Online Retreat
We will gather as a sangha to celebrate community and plant wise intentions for the year to come. The afternoon will include sitting and walking meditation, optional qi gong,a short dharma talk, and time to connect. Everyone is welcome, including family and friends who are new to meditation. For more information, contact Insight Western Massachusetts

IMS Three Month Retreat - Part Two
This three-month course, including its six-week partials, is a special time for practice. Because of its extended length and ongoing guidance, it is an opportunity for students to deepen the powers of concentration, wisdom and compassion. Based on the meditation instructions of Mahāsi Sayadaw and supplemented by a range of skillful means, this silent retreat will encourage a balanced attitude of relaxation and alertness, and the continuity of practice based on the Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
For more information, contact Insight Meditation Society

Spirit Rock Summer Insight Meditation Retreat
The emphasis in this retreat will be on continuity of awareness in all activities, stabilizing the mind, and cultivating insight. Combining relaxation with clarity, we will explore the liberating teachings of the Buddha, including the foundations of mindfulness, the radical nature of impermanence, and the cessation of craving.
Practitioners are encouraged to combine the Summer Insight Retreat with the Summer Lovingkindness (mettā) Retreat, although this is not required. For those attending both retreats, the teachers will guide and integrate the retreats as one offering. Those who attend the mettā retreat will have the option to continue with formal mettā as their primary practice through the second retreat. This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
For more information, contact Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Spirit Rock Summer Lovingkindness Retreat
The Buddha’s liberating teachings on the four divine sanctuaries (brahmavihāra) include meditations on universal friendliness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), altruistic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā). Aimed at purifying our hearts and developing concentration (samādhi), these divine sanctuaries aid our ability to both find inner peace and powerfully engage with the world. This silent retreat will deepen our understanding of selfless love and its role in ending suffering. This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
Retreatants are encouraged to combine this 8-night lovingkindness retreat with the following 8-night Insight Meditation retreat, to further develop concentration, purify the heart, and learn to combine these two forms of Buddhist meditation. The combination of these two retreats give a unique opportunity to blend the two wings of Buddhist wisdom based in love and emptiness.
For more information, contact Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Insight Meditation Society: Retreat for 18-32 Year Olds
In this retreat dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of young adults in these difficult times, we will co-create a refuge from all forms of oppression, a nourishing refuge of rest and rejuvenation. With the Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion as our guide, we will cultivate a wholehearted attention to the present moment, waking up from worldly delusion and developing embodied ease, clarity and kindness.
The retreat format includes daily meditation instruction, group and individual meetings with teachers, and opportunities for questions and discussion. An optional daily period of mindful movement will be offered by Lissa Edmond.
The course will end with a day of optional activities centered on building relationships, supporting community, and integrating the practice into our everyday lives.
All are welcome to attend – this silent retreat is open to both beginning and experienced meditators. For more information, please contact Insight Meditation Society

Wednesday Evening Dharma Talk: Receptive Mindfulness
Join us on Zoom for an evening dharma talk exploring how receptive mindfulness opens us to the mystery and truths of life. Sponsored by Cambridge Insight. For more information, contact Cambridge Insight Meditation Center