I was introduced to Vipassana meditation in 1990 when I took an undergraduate class on the “Social Psychology of Consciousness.” I meditated on my own until 2003 when I began sitting with the Flagstaff Vipassana Sangha and attending retreats. As a professor of sociology at Northern Arizona University I integrate contemplative practices into my teaching and writing. I have written about Buddhist Sociology as well as about how contemplative practices may help us address environmental crises. More recently I have had the opportunity to facilitate “mindfulness circles” and offer workshops on “Mindfulness for Social Activists.” I live with 4 wild beings (my husband and 3 children) and find their presence a continual reminder to breath and experience the aliveness of the present moment.
In this dharma talk, Janine explores the power of receiving deeply — from each other, and from life itself. This talk focuses on the culture of giving, the gift of receiving, and deep receiving in our practice.
In this two-part dharma talk series, Janine shares ten insights that have emerged from 35 years of Vipassanā (Insight) meditation, offered in celebration of her tenth year of teaching at FIMC. These reflections are offered in a spirit of shared exploration and as an invitation to notice what resonates in one’s own practice.
Part II reflects on the following themes and insights: Recognizing Our Relationships with Practice, The Paradox of Goals in Practice, Different Ways we Direct Our Attention, No-Self (AKA: This is not a self-improvement project), Compassion and Self Compassion.
In this two-part dharma talk series, Janine shares ten insights that have emerged from 35 years of Vipassanā (Insight) meditation, offered in celebration of her tenth year of teaching at FIMC. These reflections are offered in a spirit of shared exploration and as an invitation to notice what resonates in one’s own practice.
Part I reflects on the following themes and insights: The present moment, noticing patterns, impermanence, everything is part of the practice, and suffering arises through grasping.
In this talk, Janine reflects on how we can remain steady amid constant change, exploring what it means to rest in the still center of our lives. She invites an exploration into balance and peace even when the world feels chaotic.
In this talk, we’ll explore what it really means to be in the present moment—not as an idea, but as a lived experience. Through a few short meditations and one longer guided practice, we’ll turn our attention toward the immediacy of now. After all, if we find ourselves asking, “What even is the present moment?”—that’s not something to figure out by thinking, but a timeless presence to sense and discover directly.
In this talk, Janine explores the difference between desire, craving, and grasping, and how freedom from suffering begins with simply noticing these patterns. Janine offers reflections and practices for meeting craving and grasping with awareness and compassion, opening a path to greater ease and freedom.
This talk explores the restless, chattering mind and how it pulls us from the present moment. With humor and reflection, Janine considers how to meet our thoughts with curiosity, compassion, and awareness. We end with a guided meditation that invites us to rest in the awareness that holds everything, even a mind crowded with thoughts.
In this talk, we explore a resilient kind of okayness — one that can embrace our heartbreak, anger, and hope simultaneously. This talk isn't about pretending everything is fine, nor is it about fixing or escaping difficult emotions. Instead, it's about cultivating the capacity to stay present, aware, and grounded in the midst of it all, allowing us to hold our experiences with acceptance and clarity.
In this talk, Janine delves into the Buddhist concept of Anatta, or No-Self, highlighting how, while the other two "marks of existence" — dukkha (suffering) and anicca (impermanence) — seem self-evident, the idea of no-self can seem perplexing. However, it doesn't have to be that way. Join Janine for a clear and accessible exploration of no-self and discover what lies beyond our usual understanding of who we are.
