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The Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation

By Arinna Weisman and Jean Smith

Arinna Weisman and Jean Smith combine clear explanations of the Buddha's teachings on freedom and happiness with their personal stories highlighting some of the challenges and insights of practice. The Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation offers advice about going on retreat and help in choosing a teacher and a community to practice with. This is an enormously practical book that covers every aspect of the teachings a beginner needs to get started.
Arinna Weisman

Arinna Weisman has studied insight meditation since 1979 and has been teaching since 1989. Her root teacher is Ruth Denison who was empowered by the great teacher U Bha Khin. She is the founding teacher of Insight Meditation Center of the Pioneer Valley. Her dharma practice and teaching have been infused with her political and environmental activism. She was the first out queer teacher with Eric Kolvig to lead insight meditation retreats for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Queer community.  She also leads 'Uncovering the Heart Retreats' integrating the practice of awareness of the social dynamics of inequity with the dharma practice of liberation.

"The perfect starter kit for people curious about Buddhism-who may or may not adhere to another faith. A gentle, good-hearted primer whose first-person stories nicely support the how-to portions of the text."

– Publishers Weekly

"Highly recommended."

– Library Journal

"How wonderful to have such warmth and encouragement wrapped around such helpful, straightforward information!"

– Sylvia Boorstein, author of Don't Just Do Something, Sit There

"A thoughtful presentation and an open invitation to the reader to begin a meditation practice--a marvelous support to those new on the Path."

– Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

"A magnificent book that moves with graceful clarity."

– Steven Smith, guiding teacher and co-founder of Vipassana Hawai'i

The Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation

By Arinna Weisman and Jean Smith

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