by April Koester | Aug 4, 2026 | Classes, News, Retreats
A basic Buddhist concept acknowledges that the mind is in a constant flow state, changing from moment to moment. This day of practice provides support for training the mind to more skillfully manage how these changes occur, interrupting unwholesome self-creating processes and building new processes that are more wholesome, through practicing mindfulness of breathing meditation. The retreat is suitable for beginning as well as more practiced meditation students.
Please bring your own lunch. There is a refrigerator and microwave on-site. A limited number of meditation cushions will be available; it is recommended that if you have your own, please bring it. There will also be chairs available.
The retreat will be led by Peter Carlson who has been teaching meditation for over 30 years. For more information about Peter, click here.
When: Saturday, September 19th, 2026 9:00am – 5:00pm
Where: Oneness Yoga Retreat Center located at 218 W. Lewis Road, Apopka, FL (not far from Kelly Park)
Fee: $60 to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group; the fee will be split evenly between OIMG and the retreat center. (NOTE: The teacher takes no fee. Those attending will have the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to him at the end of the day to express gratitude for the teaching and what was learned.)
For questions: please email April.
by April Koester | Apr 16, 2026 | Listen to Dharma Talks
April Koester discusses the hindrance of Sloth and Torpor, how to recognize it, and some remedies.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:43 — 87.5MB)
by April Koester | Mar 30, 2026 | Classes, News, Study Resources
Proposal for September 2026 Study Group
From Peter Carlson:
Hi Fellow Travelers—I’ve decided that the next study group will continue to focus on Pema Chodron’s work, using “The Places That Scare You—A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times”. As I have said previously, we live in trying times, and I anticipate the cultivation of kindness and compassion will be very useful for keeping our balance going forward, with the cultural and environmental stressors that are occurring.
The book provides a structure for developing the theme of the study of compassion for oneself and others. Even if you participated in the previous group that used Chodron’s “Start Where You Are—A Guide to Compassionate Living”, the cultivation of mindfulness and compassion is a central theme of Buddhist study and practice, which I found to be worth revisiting. I look forward to conversations organized roughly through this format: The first two meetings will focus on chapters with an emphasis on cultivating an unhindered and tranquil mind. The next two meetings will focus on chapters that emphasize the cultivation of lovingkindness and compassion, and the remaining four meetings will focus on other chapters of the book that emphasize integrating these capabilities into your life, particularly bringing compassion to the way we cope with the challenges of contemporary life. The Lojong training points listed at the end of the book support this integration.
The format of the series is as it has been previously. I want folks to commit to daily meditation practice of 45 minutes, as one of the most valuable aspects of Buddhism is the emphasis on the direct experience of meditation. If you ever learned how to play a musical instrument, you understand the value of practice, even if the results are not up to the standard you set. If you struggle with the 45 minute goal, developing this capability might be the most beneficial and compassionate outcome for you aside from the contents of the book. I want to have a dialogue with every person participating in the group during each meeting focused on integrating the contents of the book with your meditation experience—sort of like a music coach. I have practiced and taught meditation for over half my life and I can help you develop these important skills. I might spend more time in one discussion during a meeting because I think the topic will benefit everyone participating but generally, I have been able to talk with everyone during each meeting.
I plan for the first Zoom meeting to be the weekend of September 26-27, and the last of the 8 meetings is scheduled for November 14-15. As previously, one can choose either a Saturday or Sunday group, and the Zoom meetings will be from 3-4:30 PM. I will not expect any payment but request a donation to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group of $160. OIMG is a nonprofit organization, and the money will be used to further develop access to Secular Buddhist concepts and practices going forward.
Here’s how to commit to the meetings: Email your commitment to peter@orlandoinsightmeditation.org along with your phone number, indicating your preference for either Saturday or Sunday; if you are open to either day, let me know, as this flexibility will help me organize the attendance. I will limit the number of participants in each group to 7, so space is limited, therefore hesitation about committing could prevent your participation. I will email a more detailed prospectus for the series of meetings to the participants about a week before the first weekend of the meetings.
I wish you well. Peter
As in previous groups, the fee for the series is recommended to be $160, payable to OIMG, either through the website or via check sent to Peter Carlson, 1818 Carrigan Avenue, Winter Park, FL, 32789. If you don’t have $160, pay what you can afford, knowing that this contribution is a core funding project for our Sangha’s activities. Peter is offering facilitation services freely, as has been the case for a few years now. Participants can make their payment after receiving confirmation from Peter about their application.
Thank you for your interest. We wish you well.
by April Koester | Sep 11, 2025 | News
Proposed Topic for the October 2025 Study Group
As many of you know, we have enjoyed the benefits of an ongoing series of 8-week Dharma study groups for several years, and it is time to organize the next one. There have been several requests for a repeat of an excellent book, “Stepping Out of Self-deception”, by Rodney Smith, so we will again focus on it. During previous study groups, I have described the book as a series of chapters that invite repeated interested contemplation and discussion, so it is worth revisiting, even for those who have previously read it. I know of two well-respected committed meditators who gave themselves a year to read, contemplate, and discuss the contents.
For those of you who were in the most recent series of meetings, I regret not giving you “first dibs” on this series, as my email group addresses were lost when I had to transfer everything to the new computer, so this is a general announcement rather than in the past about the next series, which I plan to start on the weekend of October 11, ending the weekend of November 29. There are two options, Saturday or Sunday, from 3-4:30 PM, through Zoom meetings. The number of participants in each group is capped at 7, so if you want to participate, let me know which day you prefer via email, but understand that if attendance is low, the meetings will only occur on one of those days, and you may have to be more flexible if necessary. Don’t assume that because you were in the recent groups, that you are automatically in one of the next groups also—you must confirm the commitment via email, and include your phone number. I will respond to your email confirming your participation and send a document with more specific information about the group process and discussion trajectory.
My plan is to have a “mini-consultation” with every participant during each meeting. Circumstances may not allow that, but I will do my best to speak with each person. We can talk about a concept from the book or your meditation practice. I strongly encourage each person to commit to 45 minutes of meditation every day during the course—if that is challenging for you, that can be a fruitful opportunity to develop consistency of practice. Real success integrates the concepts we read or hear about with the direct experiential confirmation available through dedicated meditation practice.
As in previous groups, the fee for the series is recommended to be $160, payable to OIMG, either through the website or via check sent to me, Peter Carlson, 1818 Carrigan Avenue, Winter Park, FL, 32789. If you don’t have $160, pay what you can afford, knowing that this contribution is a core funding project for our Sangha’s activities. I am offering my facilitation services freely, as has been the case for a few years now.
Please contact me with any questions and email your commitments with your phone number ASAP in order to enroll even if I already have that information; I need the email address and phone number in case we need to reschedule a meeting.
I look forward to getting started with the meetings and I wish you well. Peter
For more information call 407 339-5444 or email peter@orlandoinsightmeditation.org
by April Koester | Apr 17, 2025 | News
I have decided that the recommended reading for the next intensive study group is “The Issue at Hand—Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice” by Gil Fronsdal. The book can be bought through Amazon or downloaded for free through this URL: https://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/the-issue-at-hand/. The book is not very long and is divided into small chapters, but what the author writes is very congruent with my views about the Dharma and meditation practice. I think it will be fun and quite beneficial to have a series of discussions regarding what you are reading and how it applies to your meditation practice. As usual for this series, I encourage you to commit to daily meditation practice of at least 45 minutes—if that is hard for you, let’s talk about it! I hope to have individual interviews with each participant during every meeting, with time for general comments and questions between the interviews.
The format for the series of meetings is well-established: 8 weekly meetings on Saturday or Sunday afternoons from 3-4:30. I suggest a voluntary donation to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group of $160, paid either through the OIMG website or by sending a check made out to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group, sent to Peter Carlson, 1818 Carrigan Avenue, Winter Park, FL, 32789. If that is not affordable, please donate as much as you can, as this is the primary source of income for OIMG. I am not asking for any personal donation to me for the series.
Please respond to peter@orlandoinsightmeditation.org, as I would like the meetings to begin the weekend after the one-day retreat on May 10, which means the first meeting weekend would be May 17/18, and the last meeting July 5/6. The preferred number of participants in each group is 7, with the expectation that some folks will occasionally have other commitments and will miss a meeting. Please let me know which day you prefer but be willing to attend on a different day if that seems valuable for the group dynamics. We will not schedule the first meeting until I decide we have an appropriate number of participants; if there are not enough commitments, the meetings will occur on either Saturday or Sunday
Please contact me with any questions and email your commitments with your phone number ASAP in order to enroll even if I already have that information; I need the email address and phone number in case we need to reschedule a meeting. I wish you well. Peter
For more information call 407 339-5444 or email peter@orlandoinsightmeditation.org
