This weekend (which will likely take place on line) we will continue our four month exploration of the five hindrances, five challenges that arise in our practice that block us from fully settling into life as it is.  We explore engaging with these energies with mindfulness and friendliness, allowing them to liberate themselves within spacious awareness. 

 This Friday night (7-8:30 PM) and Saturday morning (9-12:30) we will continue by meeting doubt and skepticism, perhaps the slipperiest of the five challenges! Skeptical doubt causes us to pull back and can paralyze our practice. We doubt our abilities, the teachings, or our own inner capacity for freedom. Doubt can even manifest as an inner critic that attempts to sabotage our efforts. We will learn to befriend and tame this energy through the five mindfulness tasks: noticing when it’s present, when it’s absent, what leads to its arising, what helps us to disentangle, and what discourages it from arising again.

The sections can be taken individually or together.

This retreat will take place in person at Newburyport Insight. Vaccination and masks required indoors. (Update: this retreat may take place on line. Please check on Monday, May 30 for final decidion.) We will do as much practice outdoors as possible. For more information, contact Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport