There are numerous opportunities to learn, practice and deepen in Insight Meditation online. The following are online resources by Gaia House teachers or those who teach within the Insight Meditation tradition as practised at Gaia House.
Offers an online course giving you an overview of Insight Meditation and the Buddha’s teaching of the Four Noble Truths. For each week there is a video introducing the theme, notes that highlight key teachings, and an audio meditation for you to practice daily.
Who it’s for: Beginners
Cost: Offered freely and supported by dana.
Offers an online ten-week course called Everyday Mindfulness which is available to access.
Who it’s for: Beginners, and those with some experience
Cost: Free for those who are members of Conscious2 (free trial membership is available)
Online workshop called ‘The Compassionate Mind’, on how to develop “beautiful, healthy, positive states of mind”.
Who it’s for: Beginners and experienced practitioners alike
Cost: Free for those who are members of Conscious2 (free membership is available)
Tricycle, the US-based Buddhist magazine, has an online learning platform, which offers a range of courses including some by Gaia House teachers. They include teaching, practice guidance, and prompts for reflection.
Who it’s for: Various
Cost: The courses are offered for a fee, but there is a scholarship scheme to ensure that they are available to all, regardless of means.
Sangha Live (previously Worldwide Insight):
Offers many online courses and practice sessions, including a weekly live interactive 90-minute session with a wide range of Insight Meditation teachers, with guided meditation, Dharma teachings, and time to ask questions. The session takes place at 11am Pacific US Time, 2pm Eastern US time, 7pm UK time, 8pm European time, 4am Monday Australia time (AEST), for 90 minutes.
Who it’s for: Everybody
Cost: Offered freely and supported by dana.
Offers a six-week online course specifically designed for integrating practice into everyday life after a retreat (or if you haven’t sat a retreat). It includes talks and guided meditations, led by Jaya Rudgard and Oren J Sofer, along with others. Mentoring is available in the form of regular live Q&As with Oren and other guest Dharma teachers.
Who it’s for: Anyone interested in bringing practice to life.
Cost: Sliding scale, $189/$149/$129/$99/dana (donation)
Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
is developing a number of online courses.
Who it’s for: Various
Cost: Various
Online courses taught by Shaila Catherine (from Insight Meditation South Bay in California) on various themes such as mindfulness, metta, or jhana practice. The courses include online talks, guided meditations, readings, an online forum, and interactive Q&A with the teacher.
Who it’s for: Various
Cost: Sliding scale
Spirit Rock Meditation Centre:
An Insight Meditation centre near San Francisco, which runs a number of online courses.
Who it’s for: Courses are designed for beginners and for those with experience
Cost: Registration fee with sliding scales and bursaries for some courses
An online course created by James Baraz, an Insight Meditation teacher and co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Centre near San Fransisco.
Who it’s for: Everybody
Cost: Registration fee
Who are occasional teachers at Gaia House and were previously monastics in the Theravada tradition offer an online course.
Who it’s for: Those with some experience of meditation and who “place contemplative practice as central to their life”.
Cost: Offered freely and supported by dana.
Is an occasional teacher at Gaia House offering Insight Dialogue practice and Dharma talks, who offers online practice opportunities.
Who it’s for: Both people with experience of Insight Dialogue/Dharma contemplation, and those new to Insight Dialogue.
Cost: Offered freely and supported by dana.
Offers an e-learning course, with lectures based on early Buddhist texts. Audio files of the lectures can be downloaded as mp3 files, together with the respective lecture notes as pdfs.
Who it’s for: People with an interest in the early Buddhist texts.
Cost: Free
There are also hundreds of Dharma talks and guided meditations (by teachers from Gaia House and elsewhere) available on Dharma Seed.