Awareness+Wisdom:
An 8-Week Insight Meditation Course
Logistical Info
Dates: Wednesday evenings, 9/4/24 to 10/23/24, from 7-9pm
Cost: Gift Economy (see below)
Registration: RSVP required; email me at Da***@pa*************.com to sign-up
Location: 2926 NE Flanders Street, Portland, OR @ The Flander’s House
Brief Summary
This course will guide you step-by-step into one of the most ancient and proven meditation approaches, Buddhist Insight Meditation, aka Vipassana.
In a nutshell, it uses mindfulness to steady ourselves in the present, where we can see what’s actually happening beneath the veils of our stories and reactions, and through that, develop a profound ease & peace in our own skin.
In turn, the central aim of this course is to help you develop or deepen a consistent meditation practice that allows you to realize this clear-seeing wisdom & peace for yourself, as much in moments of quiet as in your relationships, work, and everyday life.
Each class will feature a dynamic mix of Q&A, guided meditation, brief lectures, journaling exercises, and group discussion. You will also receive a recording of each class, 10+ guided meditations on mp3, and follow-up emails with optional readings.
Everyone from total beginners to seasoned meditators is welcome to join.
Cost & Commitment
As with nearly everything I do, I’m offering this course on the gift economy; aka on donation, as a practice of mutual giving and receiving!
As donation-based offerings are a bit foreign in our culture, I would love for you to read over this article on how I think about the financial part of donation-based courses. I trust that whatever you donate will be the perfect amount! No one will be turned away or judged for lack of funds!
Also, just as importantly, offered-on-donation doesn’t mean “come when you feel like it” or “only participate halfway.” While of course life happens and you may have to miss a week, I’d request that you make a genuine commitment to showing up and doing the practices — that’s the only real way to turn these teachings from a good idea into something you truly live and embody.
Space is limited — email me at Da***@pa*************.com to register!!
Week-by-Week Summary
WEEK 1 – FRAMEWORK & FOUNDATIONS
- An overarching approach to developing mindful awareness, wisdom, and inner freedom
- Practical considerations, such as posture, habit formation, when/where, and for how long
- How meditation fits into the greater context of the Buddhist path (and your life)
WEEK 2 – WORKING WITH OBSTACLES & THE MEDITATIVE SPIRIT
- What it means & feels like to radically allow what is
- How to bring a spirit of kindness into your meditations, as opposed to it being dry, rote, or disconnected
- How to handle common obstacles, such as the thinking mind, sleepiness, physical discomfort, and random sounds
WEEK 3 – TECHNIQUE & METHOD
- A framework to understand all methods & techniques
- Try out four of the best methods and learn how to choose the best one for you
- Two pro tips for making the most of any method
WEEK 4 – FEELINGS & EMBODIMENT
- The three types of feelings the Buddha particularly emphasized
- The keys to embodiment and not dissociating or spiritual bypassing
- How to feel your feelings without resistance, grasping or ignoring
WEEK 5 – THE ESSENTIAL ATTITUDE
- What true equanimity looks and feels like
- How to become more aware of and adjust your hidden attitudes, especially the reactive ones!
- How wisdom and concentration support equanimity
WEEK 6 – DEMYSTIFYING AWARENESS
- How awareness is not a metaphysical idea or rarified state, but rather a tangible & simple experience (which you’ll learn how to access anytime, anywhere)
- How to stabilize awareness so that the mind becomes “concentrated” in the present
- How to bring more awareness into our daily lives (and a key technique to do it)
WEEK 7 – INSIGHT & MEDITATIVE WISDOM
- Shifting from mental stories to natural processes
- The in-the-moment impermanence of everything
- The liberating perception of not-self
WEEK 8 – CONCLUSION
- The direct path to inner freedom
- Bringing it all together and answering unresolved questions
- How to sustain and deepen a meditation practice beyond this course
Lineage & Background
The material for this course is rooted in the Theravada-Vipassana Buddhist tradition (I more or less use Vipassana, Mindfulness & Insight Meditation synonymously).
Although, more specifically, the primary orientation comes largely from my core teacher, the Burmese monk, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, who coined the phrase “awareness+wisdom” as a way to describe the essence of the practice. We will also draw upon the insights of the early Buddhist texts (suttas) and other contemporary teachers.
To register, please email me via da***@pa*************.com
Final Notes & Testimonials from Prior Course Participants
I’ll limit the group to 20 people, to ensure a more intimate container. Please feel free to email me any questions you might have. Here are a few more testimonials from previous participants:
“After taking the Awareness+Wisdom course, I now know how to slow myself down, separate myself from the swirl of daily life, and find beautiful acceptance with what is. I am so much more aware and able to step back from situations even when emotions are high. And, I am a better listener!”
– C.N., previous course participant
“The ability to share the Buddha’s teachings with accuracy and ease is an incredible gift. David possesses that gift as well as a manner of sharing with others, that encourages them to use the very tools brought forth in the teachings. It was a pleasure to have David as a teacher and guide.”
– M.D., previous course participant & decades-long meditator“
“I enjoyed this course immensely. David’s approach made it easy for me to apply the teachings to my own life. I gained a lot of insights and it was like a light switch turned on for me and for some of my ways of thinking. I can truly say I came out of this course a kinder, wiser person.”
– B.D., previous course participant
I had been meditating for a little while, so thought I knew at least the basics. But whatever I thought I knew, it was really only the tiny tip of a giant iceberg… I highly recommend this class to everyone. Learning how to meditate and practicing daily has been huge. For me, already there’s a lightness and more space for joy.”
– G.P., previous course participant
“The pacing of the class, the way the material unfolded, and the reinforcements David compassionately offered us effectively helped me start a meditation practice, and I’ve been enjoying a slow but very noticeable positive effect in my life from it. This class truly has made my life better.“
– R.Z., previous course participant
“Taking David’s course was definitely the right jump start I needed. David’s presentation style is engaging and informative. His honesty and sense of humor come through every time he talks. I highly recommend this course if you are interested in increasing your meditation practice and learning in a caring down-to-earth way.”
-K.C., previous course participant
“The Awareness+Wisdom course was an excellent overview and I am surprised at how my ability to sit and become more aware of my thoughts improved over the course. I would recommend trying it too if you are looking for a teacher with a sense of humor that speaks in plain English.”
-J.M., previous course participant
“For the first time ever, I was able to meditate every single day during the period of this course, and I’ve meditated every day since! It’s a perfect combination of teaching, guided meditation, readings, and practical advice for habit forming.”
-J.S., previous course participant
“David’s teaching helped me shift my perspective on what meditation is. I learned to release judgment, and how to use meditation as a tool to cultivate deep peace, compassion, kindness, trust and surrender in whatever is arising. His teaching is really down-to-earth and simple, and he presents multiple perspectives in a very compassionate way, so anyone entering the spiritual journey can take something from his teachings.”
-S.T., previous course participant
“Through David’s guidance through awareness and truly turning in without tuning out, I have a deeper appreciation for the multi-layered approaches to meditating. Make it your own, utilizing different resources, and remaining consistent, are all ideas that I can now keep with me for a long time.”
-C.A., previous course participant
“I love David’s simple and powerful approach. He has figured out how to make meditation accessible for anyone where they are. Meditators of all levels, from first-timers to long-timers, will benefit from David’s guidance into experiencing awareness. I feel that my practice of meditation has taken on a new dimension of application every day. Thank you for sharing your gifts and passions David!”
– another C.A., previous course participant
To register, please email me via da***@pa*************.com