All posts filed under: Urban

Sun. 10/25, 10-1pm, Pilgrimage in the City: A Contemplative Walk through Lower Manhattan

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Throughout history, pilgrimages have the power to deepen faith, offer spiritual renewal, and foster personal growth by journeying to sacred places for devotion, penance, and healing, providing opportunities for reflection, and connecting individuals to history and community. Join Lin Wang Gordon and Felicia Dickerson for a meditative walk through Lower Manhattan. Together, moving at a contemplative pace, we will visit sites of historical and cultural significance, including the African Burial Ground National Monument, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the 9/11 Memorial. As we visit these spaces, we will reflect on our ancestors, shared history, and explore what American history means to each of us—personally and collectively. Much of the walk will be held in silence, with periods of meditation at various sites, followed by gentle inquiry and discussion. Meeting Date/Time: Sunday, October 25 2026, 10-1pm ET; meet at 9:45pm Meeting Location: Southeast corner of Chamber St. and BroadwaySubway: R/W train at City Hall station Photo: 9/11 Memorial in York City (stock photo) Co-Teacher: Felicia Dickerson came to meditation through Mindfulness Based Stress …

Sun. 9/28/2025: Breathe Read Write and Potluck – Sunset at Brighton Beach, with Lisa Freedman, 4:30-7pm

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Date and Time: Sunday, September 28, 4:30 – 7:00pm Meeting Location: East end of Brighton Beach, Brighton 15th Street Riegelman Boardwalk, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Equinox season is about balance. Light and dark. Let go of summer and embrace fall with ocean time, meditation, writing, potluck, and friends. Join us on Sunday, September 28, from 4:30 pm until 7 pm or so. Here’s how our time will flow: Lisa & Lin guide all the activities. You can kick back and let your creativity flow. NOTE: It can get chilly on the beach, so please bring layers. Be sure to register if you want to join us. This way, we can send you detailed instructions to our spot on the beach, and we can get in touch with you if the weather is bad and we have to re-schedule. What’s this about a potluck? Bring your favorite yummy treat to share OR pick up some exotic food to share from shops on Brighton Beach Avenue, such as Tashkent Supermarket at 713 Brighton Beach Avenue near the B/Q train …

Sat. 9/6/2025: From Skyline to Soil: A Day of Nature Meditation and Ecology Exploration at Governors Island, with Maho Kawachi

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Join us for a joyful day of practice, exploration, connecting, and sharing on the splendid grounds of Governors Island.  Just minutes from Manhattan by ferry, Governors Island is one of New York City’s most treasured green spaces—a vibrant sanctuary crisscrossed with walking paths and expansive lawns, offering breathtaking views of the FiDi skyline and upper harbor. It is home to many environmental restoration projects such as the Teaching Urban Farm, Earth Matters, Billion Oyster Project and more, inviting opportunities to explore and contemplate our relationship as urban dwellers to the natural world. During our time together, we’ll enjoy guided walking, standing, sitting meditation, gentle movement, and inquiries. Along the way, we’ll also learn about the rich history of Governors Island, and tour the Urban Farm —a key site of ecological stewardship on the island. Learn how composting works on a city scale, discover the role of healthy soil in climate resilience, and deepen your awareness of our interdependence with the natural world. Meetup Location: Governors Island Ferry ticket office near Battery Park, Manhattan. Note: All …

Sat. 5/10/2025: Sunset Meditative Walk – Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park, 6:15-8:30pm

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Date: Saturday, 5/10/2025 Time: 6:15-8:30pm ET Location: Meet at 6:15pm, corner of Chamber St. and Center St. We often think of meditation as an indoor formal sitting practice, but it’s a practice we can integrate anytime and anywhere. Join us for an outdoor meditation as we walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and practice at Brooklyn Bridge Park during sunset. Together, we’ll immerse ourselves in the beauty of a cityscape sunset, fostering a deep connection with our body, mind, and the natural world. Amidst this urban backdrop, we’ll reflect on our interconnectedness with humanity and the environment. We will explore the rich history of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a testament to community activism transforming abandoned industrial space into a sustainable waterfront haven, blending recreation with ecological preservation. The meditative walk will start at the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan side and continue over the bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park. This experience will proceed rain or shine, barring heavy rain or severe weather threats. To reach the meeting location by Subway: Take 4, 5, and 6 trains to …

Sunset Meditative Walk – Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park – Sunday, 8/4/2024

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Date: Sunday, 8/4/2024 Time: 6:15-8:30pm ET Location: Meet at 6:15pm, corner of Chamber St. and Center St. We often think of meditation as an indoor formal sitting practice, but it’s a practice we can integrate anytime and anywhere. Join us for an outdoor meditation as we walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and practice at Brooklyn Bridge Park during sunset. Together, we’ll immerse ourselves in the beauty of a cityscape sunset, fostering a deep connection with our body, mind, and the natural world. Amidst this urban backdrop, we’ll reflect on our interconnectedness with humanity and the environment. We will explore the rich history of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a testament to community activism transforming abandoned industrial space into a sustainable waterfront haven, blending recreation with ecological preservation. The meditative walk will start at the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan side and continue over the bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park. This experience will proceed rain or shine, barring heavy rain or severe weather threats. To reach the meeting location by Subway: Take 4, 5, and 6 trains to …

Sunset Meditative Walk – Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park – Friday, 9/22

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Date: Friday, 9/22/2023 Time: 6-8pm ET Location: Meet at 5:45pm at the head of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side We often think of meditation as an indoor formal sitting practice, when we can meditate anywhere, anytime, on anything. For this fall evening, explore meditating outdoors by walking through the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park during sunset. We will discover how we can connect to ourselves and the larger community around us through awareness. We will experience the beauty of a sunset of a cityscape while deeply connecting to our body and mind, and appreciating the natural world and interconnection to humanity, all in the midst of a busy city life. We will begin a meditative walk from the head of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan side, then walk through the Brooklyn Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, and we will do a few nature practices in the park. Throughout the walk, we will practice open awareness meditation, metta, five elements, etc. Both beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. Hope to see …

New York Insight Community Meditation Gathering in Central Park – Sunday, 7/23

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Date: Sunday, 7/23/2023 Time: 5-7pm – group meditation, 7-7:45pm – optional community picnic after Location: Meet at 4:45pm at 100th St., Central Park West New York Insight Community Meditation Gathering in Central Park “Breathing in, I am part of a sangha and feel protected. Breathing out, I experience joy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh Join us for a special Harlem & Uptown community gathering, the first of four outdoor community events celebrating NYIMC’s diverse sangha across New York City. Connect with fellow sangha members from different boroughs, meditate outdoors, and enjoy the beauty of Central Park. I will be leading this event along with Harlem and POC Sangha Leaders, and New York Insight’s Friends Leadership Council. This event will feature guided nature meditation practices, community engagement, and interactive activities facilitated by our sangha members. After the event concludes at 7 pm, you are invited to join our optional BYO Picnic, bringing your own meal and something refreshing to drink or share. Feel free to bring a blanket, chair, or anything else you may need to support your …

Sat. 9/25/2021: Tending Grief in Nature – Jamaica Bay Wild Life Preserve

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Grief, if not attended, could often hold us hostage to life’s uncertainty and losses.  How do we open our heart and continue to let our life energy flow while facing and tending our grief intimately?  How do we establish a sense of connection with our loved ones when their bodies are no longer here? We will spend this day  outdoors to meditate, to free write, to experiment the elements, to share dreams…