In-Person and Online: Becoming a Master Gardener of Your Heart and Mind

In-Person and Online: Becoming a Master Gardener of Your Heart and Mind

Part 1: Recognizing the weeds – exploring the Five Hindrances

with Elaine Retholtz

Mondays, March 23rd – April 27th (skips April 20th), 2026 | 10:00am – 12:00pm ET

In-Person Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, 12th Floor

No matter what you may think about “meditation,” it is, at its core, a cultivation of the mind and heart. And just as in cultivating a garden, we must learn to distinguish the weeds from the flowers (or vegetables!), in our formal and life practices our task is to discern what mind states are harmful and what states support a life of contentment and freedom.

Oftentimes, practitioners focus only on getting rid of the weeds and neglect actually learning how to cultivate the beautiful, thus missing out on learning that cultivating the beautiful discourages the growth of the weeds. There is no need to get rid of all of the weeds before cultivating the crops. (Think of companion planting, for those of you who garden!)

In this, the first part of this series, we will learn to identify the “weeds” — known as the Five Hindrances. These are: craving, aversion, restlessness and worry, sleepiness and dullness, and doubt.

In the second part of the series, we will learn how to cultivate more wholesome qualities – the flowers and vegetables that nourish the heart and mind. These are the Seven Factors of Awakening: Mindfulness, Investigation, Energy, Joy, Tranquility and Collectedness.

In-Person Registration:

Please register below for in-person participation. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)

If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.

Bring a Buddy: If you are a member of our Circle of Friends, you’re invited to bring a Dharma buddy to this program for no additional cost. Simply select “1” from the drop-down next to the Bring a Buddy level, and enter your special discount code (provided in your Circle of Friends welcome email) to reduce the price to that of a single, standard registration. This registration will grant attendance for you and your buddy.

Online (Zoom) Registration:

Please register below for online participation via Zoom. If you are able, registering at the “Supporter” level enables others to attend at the “Subsidized” level. Thank you for your generosity! (Please note that the registration price includes a base level of teacher support, and you will have the opportunity to donate more after the program.)

If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.

Bring a Buddy: If you are a member of our Circle of Friends, you’re invited to bring a Dharma buddy to this program for no additional cost. Simply select “1” from the drop-down next to the Bring a Buddy level, and enter your special discount code (provided in your Circle of Friends welcome email) to reduce the price to that of a single, standard registration. This registration will grant attendance for you and your buddy.

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.