NYI Teachers

New York Insight is led by Guiding Teacher, Gina Sharpe. In collaboration with all NYI Teachers and the Board of Directors, Gina leads the vision and spiritual direction of our community.

NYI designates teachers based on their years and depth of personal practice and training as well as capability in: pedagogy; study of Buddhist texts, meditation practices and techniques; a working knowledge of our Buddhist lineage and history; and teaching and embodying the application of Dharma in daily life.  Most NYI Teachers are graduates of the Community Dharma Leaders Program (CDL) of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and/or other training programs. Our Teachers continue as students themselves, dedicated to ongoing study and dharma practice and to deepening their understanding and embodiment of the Buddha’s teachings.

NYI Teachers offer ongoing classes and courses and weekend and daylong retreats. Since its inception, NYI has invited Visiting Teachers—beloved and often internationally known monastic and lay teachers from the Insight Meditation community as well as other Buddhist traditions—to offer teachings to the community.

NYI also has peer-led sitting groups led by senior students designated as Practice Leaders, who give basic meditation instruction and facilitate group discussions.

NYI Teachers are guided by an advisory board consisting of Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg. 

Gina Sharpe is the Guiding Teacher of NYI, which she co-founded in 1998. She has been studying and practicing the Dharma for several years in Asia and the United States across many traditions and has been teaching since 1994.

Jon Aaron is a teacher at New York Insight.  His principal teacher has been Matthew Flickstein of The Forest Way, with whom he has done teacher training, and participated in several two year training programs.  As well, he has completed teacher training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts.  He has also completed the Integrated Study and Practice Program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Foundations in Buddhist Contemplative Care at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

Devirose is a teacher at New York Insight and has taught meditation at Downtown Meditation Community, Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute, and Sadhana Maine Meditation Center. She has been a psychotherapist for nearly twenty years and, in this capacity, has taught in university settings and psychotherapy training institutes. 

Charmaine Henderson has taught insight meditation since 2000. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders program and other trainings. She has served on the Board of Directors at NYI and at an organization of LGBTQ practitioners in NYC from 1999 to 2006.

John McIlwain’s teaching integrates mindfulness and non-dual philosophies.  He teaches in New York, Maine, and Washington, DC, where he is a member of the Teachers Council and a former President of the Board of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC.  John has been a lifelong student of the dharma. He works with students to help them bring mindfulness and the teachings into all aspects of their lives. He is a former lawyer, government official, and investment fund manager; presently he is a Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute and consults in housing and urban development.

Lani Miller is a teacher at New York Insight Meditation Center.  She has been practicing Insight meditation since 1977 and teaching since 2009.  Lani is a graduate of the third Community Dharma Leaders Program. She is a Singer/ Songwriter who is interested in how music and other creative arts can be a vehicle for sharing spiritual truths and values.

George Pitagorsky blends Buddhism, systems thinking and non-dual philosophy.  He has practiced yoga and Insight Meditation since the early 1970’s.  He is a senior teacher at NYIMC and, as a multi-disciplinary business consultant and coach, focused on applying open-minded mindfulness to achieve optimal performance.  George is author of The Zen Approach to Project Management, editor of the Breakthrough Newsletter, and is currently working on a book on Conflict Management.  George seeks to help people to integrate meditation and Buddhist thinking into their daily lives.  He has served on the NYIMC Board of Directors.

Elaine Retholtz is a teacher of NYI. She has been studying and practicing the Dharma for over 20 years, and has been teaching since 2004. In addition to teaching at NYI, she teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and has a deep interest in helping students integrate mindfulness practice into daily life.

Sandra Weinberg is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of NYI. She has studied the Dharma and practiced mindfulness meditation for over 30 years and is a graduate of the first Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program.  She is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City.

Katy Wiss teaches relational communication in college, including classes that focus on listening, the communication of emotion, and mindfulness.  She has been practicing insight meditation since 2002.  She is currently in the Community Dharma Leaders program run by Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has completed other trainings and courses at Sprit Rock, New York Insight Meditation Center, Chuang Yen Monastery, and the Omega Institute.  She also teaches meditation in Westchester County.