Insight Dialogue

When:
@ 5:00 pm – @ 6:30 pm America/Denver Timezone
2015-08-03T17:00:00-06:00
2015-08-03T18:30:00-06:00
Where:
Bozeman Dharma Center
1019 E Main St #202
Bozeman, MT 59715
USA

Insight Dialogue

Mondays, 5:00 – 6:30 pm through April
moving to Tuesdays in May 

ID leaves

facilitated by Danica Jamison and sponsored by the Bozeman Insight Community

 SCHEDULE: 
5:00pm-5:30pm sitting meditation
5:30pm-6:15pm dialogue practice in dyads or group
6:15pm-6:20pm group reflection
6:20pm-6:30pm sitting meditation, guided metta (loving kindness) practice

All are welcome to join us and try this interactive way of meditating.
No prior experience in Insight Dialogue necessary, but some experience in basic meditation is needed for establishing a basis of awareness of present experience.

 Q’s: Please contact Danica at danica.jamison.wolf@gmail.com for more information.

What is Insight Dialogue? 

Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice that brings together meditative awareness (e.g. mindfulness, concentration, and tranquility), the wisdom teachings of Buddhism and the power of relationship to support insight. It may be helpful to keep in mind that Insight Dialogue is not a form of psychotherapy nor is it technique intended to improve communication or relationship skills; these benefits arise naturally on the path towards human maturity and awakening. Fundamentally, Insight Dialogue is a meditation practice aimed at freeing the heart-mind. Although Insight Dialogue retreats draw on the Buddha’s teachings, people of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome.

 Like many silent meditation practices, Insight Dialogue has a set of instructions or guidelines to support the cultivation of insight. The six elements of Insight Dialogue practice that generate this awareness and release of habitual patterns are:
Pause, Relax, Open, Trust Emergence, Listen Deeply and Speak the Truth.
Each of these helps us pay attention to our bodies, thoughts, emotions, and storylines. The first steps calm us and allow us to focus on what emerges in the moment. As we move into dialogue, our spoken exchanges are part of the moment; moreover, we can remain aware of the thinking and emotional processes of body-mind even while we engage with one another.

The six guidelines help establish the meditative qualities of the mind and to sustain these qualities while participants engage in contemplations that encourage a direct and intimate inquiry into core human experiences.

At the start of an Insight Dialogue practice session, the facilitator will invite retreatants to find a meditation partner. Insight Dialogue is most frequently practiced in dyads, although practice as a group may take place depending on number of participants. During dialogue practice in dyads, meditators sit facing each other on a chair or cushion in close enough proximity that they can hear each other in a room where others are speaking. When speaking and listening in dialogue, meditators are encouraged to keep their eyes open, although there is no expectation for continuous eye contact. Retreatants are asked to keep what their meditation partners share with them in confidence. Periodically, the teacher may ring a bell to return the co-meditators to silence. This supports a deepening of mindfulness, tranquility, and concentration. During these interludes, the contemplation topics may be further developed or refreshed, helping meditators to focus and drop more deeply into the lived experience of the teaching that is being explored.

Links and Resources:

Insight Dialogue was developed by Gregory Kramer.
You may read more about the practice on his website here…
See video of him presenting it on YouTube here…
His book on Insight Dialogue can be previewed here…

Local Practice Groups 

The Insight Dialogue practice group is more of a meditation group than a ‘class’ with a teacher and students. Groups are offered on the basis of dana—generosity. These groups offer practice opportunities between retreats, and may serve as an entry portal for those who haven’t yet experienced Insight Dialogue and an Insight Dialogue retreat.

Local practice groups connect us and can deepen our understanding that participants are all part of a community dedicated to a path of wisdom and compassion. Group practice also reflects the Insight Dialogue principle of integrating this path with our interpersonal lives. It can remind us that we awaken together.