2026
Meditation Mentoring Program (MMP)
Chris is currently working individually with students through his Meditation Mentoring Program, which now includes a monthly group meditation practice period and discussion.
This group is intentionally kept small, and requires an application. Currently there are a few spaces available.
Foundations of Mindfulness
A program for beginners or experienced meditators
July 11, 2026
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Info & Registration at WIMC
Program Description
Mindfulness meditation is known for its simplicity, ability to reduce stress, and its effectiveness in strengthening overall well-being. With proper understanding mindfulness can positively impact mental and physical health, support spiritual inquiry, and improve one’s quality of life.
This short introductory program is designed for beginners, including people with no prior experience in meditation, and anyone seeking a thorough, easy to understand explanation of the benefits of mindfulness and the foundational techniques to begin and/or refine a mindfulness meditation practice.
No experience necessary. WIMC volunteers and staff will be on hand to meet anyone who has not visited our center yet, answer questions, and give you a tour of our space. The program will include teacher led instructions alongside question and answer periods. Tea, coffee, and light snacks will be offered at our tea station.
The program is taught by Chris Crotty, Wenham Insight Meditation Center’s Guiding-Teacher and Co-Spiritual Director, and Clinical Chaplain.
Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided.
Meditation class and dharma discussion. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
July 22, Wednesday. 7:00-8:30 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center
72 Grapevine Rd. Wenham, MA 01984
Meditation class and dharma discussion. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Aug 8, Saturday. 9:30-11:00 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center (WIMC)
72 Grapevine Rd. Wenham, MA 01984
Meditation class and dharma discussion. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Aug 19, Wednesday. 7:00-8:30 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center
72 Grapevine Rd. Wenham, MA 01984
Detoxifying the Mind & Finding Joy
day-retreat
9:00 am–4:00 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center
Retreat Description
Early Dharma teachings offer an image of the mind so still and pure that we can see our true self, as if in the reflection of clear, still water. In this classic image the luminous mind is contrasted with a mind that is “polluted” by toxic thoughts and habits which obscure an otherwise healthy and stable mind.
Through mindfulness meditation we learn to quiet and calm the mind, allowing it to settle like still, calm water–such a mind becomes like a mirror which allows us to know and see things as they really are, thus illuminating habits that block greater freedom, ease, contentment, and joy in life. These “insights” lead to wisdom which help us to learn new ways of protecting our mind, allowing the mind’s bright luminosity to shine forth in moments of greater freedom and well-being.
This day-long retreat will offer teacher-led periods of sitting and walking meditation, silence, instructional dharma talks, and a Q&A/Discussion period at the end of the day.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend–open to beginners and experienced meditators.
Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. Full use of WIMC kitchen will be available.
Meditation class and dharma discussion. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Sept 19, Saturday. 9:30-11:00 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center (WIMC)
72 Grapevine Rd. Wenham, MA 01984
Meditation class and dharma discussion. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Sept 23, Wednesday. 7:00-8:30 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center
72 Grapevine Rd. Wenham, MA 01984
Radical Change through Insight: Mindfulness Meditation Retreat
day-retreat
Nov 7
9:00 am–4:00 pm
Wenham Insight Meditation Center
Retreat Description
Buddhist scholar Andrew Olendzki wrote that “Buddha was one of the more radical humans ever to have walked the earth.” What might this optimistic and reverent statement have to say about our own lives today and the transformative scope of meditation practice? What might “radical” mean in the context of the Dharma more broadly, and perhaps more importantly, how might insight fostered through mindfulness meditation support radical change throughout our entire lives?
In this day-long retreat, sitting and walking meditation will be supported by meditation instructions, Dharma reflections by the teacher, silence, and the support of community. Through these complimentary forms we will explore the possibility that what is radical is the mind’s capacity to release learned habits in favor of the conditions for radical well-being, and our own ability to learn how to support this change.
This retreat is open to everyone–beginners and experienced meditators welcome and encouraged to attend.
Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. Full use of WIMC kitchen will be available.
2027
Beyond the Narrative: Mindfulness and Difficult Emotions
Full-day Retreat
Wenham Insight Meditation Center (WIMC)
January 9, 2027
9:00am-3:30pm
Retreat Description
Both pleasant and unpleasant thoughts and emotions are inevitable–the mind alternates between healthy and unhealthy, helpful and unhelpful, skillful and unskillful mind states. In response to what is arising in the mind we tend to develop ideas, concepts, and beliefs about who we are, including mental constructs revolving around how to achieve well-being, and how to be more free from difficult emotions.
From the perspective of “Buddhist Psychology” some of the narratives we assume to be true– both about why emotions arise and how to relate to them–are either erroneous or partially accurate; there is a deeper “truth” or understanding alongside our common view of emotions. Mindfulness meditation is a practical skill that helps develop wise understanding and begin transforming our relationship to difficult emotions, thus setting us on the path to greater well-being, freedom, and happiness.
This retreat will explore any/all emotions while emphasizing how to bring greater awareness and understanding to anxiety, worry, fear, and doubt specifically. Retreat is conducted mostly in silence, though there will be instructive teacher talks and periods for questions and discussion.
This retreat is open to everyone–beginners and experienced meditators welcome and encouraged to attend.
Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. Full use of WIMC kitchen will be available.
The Wisdom of and Open Heart: Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion
Residential Retreat
Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Jan 29-Feb 3, 2027 (5 nights)
Retreat Description
What if wisdom arises from being honest about all that is unresolved in our heart and mind, from our ability to be open, unguarded, and fearless in the face of confusion, uncertainty, loss, grief, sadness, and anger? What if vulnerability itself, when met with the presence of mindfulness and the heart qualities of kindness and compassion, reveals a self that is subject to distress and simultaneously ephemeral and resilient when faced with life’s changing and sometimes painful experiences?
Siddhartha Gautama, despite his spiritual achievements, endured human predicaments and difficulties. Together, we will explore the reality of day-to-day living, balancing the Buddha’s radical optimism with the practical concerns of our human lives: past regrets and future desires, relational challenges, social inequities, environmental degradation, existential questions related to finding and sustaining purpose in our lives, and the inevitable ways impermanence confronts us through aging, sickness, and end-of-life.
This retreat explores how mindfulness, compassion, and loving-kindness meditation can be mutually beneficial and practiced together. Practicing and living in this way can help us to see more clearly that we don’t need to turn away from anything in our life. Rather, it is the truth of our lives that can wake us up. We will investigate this theme in formal practice in the Dharma Hall and in mindful communication. We will also explore teachings on Buddhist wisdom, compassion, and loving-kindness in the classroom, alongside an exploration of how supportive qualities–such as vulnerability, self-honesty, and humility–can be discovered as virtuous allies on the spiritual path.
Program Format: This retreat will include silent and guided meditation, time for personal reflection, mindful communication with peers, and classroom sessions with presentation and discussion.
Caring for the Heart and Mind: Loving-Kindness & Insight Meditation Retreat
March 17-21, 2027 (4 nights)
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, New Hampshire
Info and Registration available November 2026
Focus and Freedom: Mindfulness in the Age of Technology
(3-week class series)
Monday Oct 18
Monday October 25
Monday Nov 21
6:30-8:15 pm EDT
This program will be held online via Zoom. All registrants will receive the link to join the program in their Order Confirmation email. This program will not be recorded. Times are ET.
Registration: Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
Many of us come to meditation for greater presence and peace from the stress and pace of modern life. Early Dharma teachings commonly refer to the path of meditation as a refuge, a type of “sanctuary” where, through learned insight and understanding, we strengthen our ability to resist the habitual seductions of distraction and learn to enjoy the freedom of a mind at ease.
This three-week class series emphasizes the aspirational breadth of mindfulness meditation while directly exploring the implications of learning and sustaining a meditation practice in an increasingly fast-paced, technology-driven world.
This program doesn’t negate the value of technology but rather inquires into the wise use of technology. We will engage in an intimate and personal reflection of our own habits and tendencies while living in a world of devices, gadgets, apps, and social media. Without mindful awareness, our relationship to technology can pose a threat to our agency, potentially robbing us of our time, presence, and ultimately our well-being.
Instructions in mindfulness meditation and home practice guidelines will be shared during this three-week class. This will include suggestions and examples for practices that students can choose from based on their personal interests, lifestyle, time availability, and which teachings and perspectives they are most drawn towards.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, including experienced meditators and beginners (no prior experience is necessary).
© 2026 - Chris Crotty Dharma | Photo Credit | Site by In Flight Studio