In-Person: Cringe-Free Love – A Valentine’s Day of Awakening
with Brian Simmons
Saturday, February 14th, 2026 | 12:00pm – 2:00pm ET (1 hour of teaching, followed by 1 hour of community time and refreshments)
Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor
Meditators are often imagined as endlessly kind, gentle, and polished—but in reality, love doesn’t always flow on demand. Judgment often shows up faster than compassion, especially toward ourselves.
This Valentine’s Day, join NYI teacher Brian Simmons for an afternoon that reframes love entirely. Instead of treating it as a moral achievement or emotional performance, we’ll explore Loving Awareness—a basic quality of our own nature, present even when kindness or compassion feels out of reach.
Through guided meditation and discussion, we’ll meet self-criticism, difficult emotions, and habitual resistance—not as problems to fix, but as experiences to observe with openness. From this perspective, forgiveness, compassion, and even healing arise naturally when we stop striving to be “better” versions of ourselves and start noticing what’s already here.
No need to love Valentine’s Day—or even be familiar with loving-kindness practice—to join. Skepticism is welcome. Step into an honest, grounded experience of love, free from clichés and cringe.
In addition to the teaching, we invite you to stay for homemade scones, chocolate, and unhurried social time—whether you arrive as a couple, with a friend, or as a solo practitioner, all are welcome to share in sangha.
Registration:
Please choose your registration level below. Optionally, you are invited to bring a friend for free! To register your plus-one, simply select a free ticket at the bring-a-friend level in addition to yours. Your free guest can check in by giving your name at the door.
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Volunteering
All of our programs rely on volunteers to support our teachers and staff with various tasks and responsibilities. Volunteering allows you to participate in our programs at no cost. To inquire about volunteering opportunities, please fill out our inquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Teacher(s)
Brian Simmons
Brian Simmons is a longtime teacher at New York Insight. He is a former award-winning Writer/Producer for Comedy Central and is currently a District Level administrator for a Westchester School District. Brian has pioneered the use of mindfulness in diverse educational environments, and published a chapter on Mindfulness in a college textbook on lowering school violence from Springer Publications in 2023. Brian has maintained an intensive daily practice since the 1990’s and completed teacher trainings at the Center for Mindfulness at UMASS Medical College as well as the Community Dharma Leaders program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. Brian’s mindfulness work in education has been featured in a documentary on Audible, a NY Times cover story and various other outlets.