Jill Shepherd's most recent Dharma talks (Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center)

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Inviting the knowing of pleasant bodily sensations to uplift the heart-mind into appreciation or even joy, which might settle into tranquility then samādhi

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Looking at how tranquility can support a less effortful settling into samādhi, mental absorption

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) An invitation to incline the body, heart and mind towards tranquility

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) In the context of the Buddha’s teachings, sangha or community is known as one of the three jewels and we’re invited to “take refuge” in sangha as an aspect of the path to freedom. This talk will offer some reflections on what this might mean, and explore what conditions support the establishing and maintaining of healthy practice communities.

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Exploring pleasant feeling-tone as a support for skilful mental qualities to arise

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Looking at some of the common obstacles to experiencing balanced energy or effort and opening to joy, with some suggestions for softening these obstacles

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) An invitation to notice how any sense of identification with our meditation practice can create a subtle pressure that interferes with the development of the awakening factors

(Auckland Insight Meditation) Bringing awareness to the quality of mindfulness itself, and as needed, infusing it with kindness, compassion, appreciation or equanimity

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Short instructions and guidance for investigating mindfulness of mindfulness itself

(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge) Exploring how these two work together to strengthen discernment about what's skillful, and what's unskillful. Includes some ways of working with more entrenched or intense afflictive mental states, bringing wisdom and compassion to them to help them release.