Dear friends and supporters of Mindfulness Outreach Initiative, As we come to the end of this year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and involvement in our mission to provide comprehensive meditation instruction and mindfulness training to as many people as possible. Your contributions have allowed us to reach new communities […]
Johnathan Woodside
Johnathan Woodside is an Insight Meditation teacher offering Dharma instruction rooted in the Theravada tradition of ethics, concentration and wisdom. He began his formal meditation practice in his youth and has been teaching Insight Meditation since 2011. Encouraging and promoting mindfulness meditation in the American heartland, Johnathan founded the non-profit Mindfulness Outreach Initiative (MOI) an Insight Meditation organization based in Omaha Nebraska in 2012. MOI's outreach activities serve the communities of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa and provide services to medical professionals, educational institutions, correctional facilities, recovery programs, community centers, and partners with corporations and other nonprofit organizations. Johnathan also established the annual citywide event Omaha Meditates as well as Mindful Omaha—a contemplative directory. His mentor in the Dharma is Joseph Goldstein who he has met with regularly since 2016. He has practiced at Insight Meditation Society, Forest Refuge, and Spirit Rock meditation centers among others and has over a year of silent meditation retreat experience. He is currently enrolled in the 2021-2025 Insight Meditation Center (IMC) Dharma Teacher Training Program with Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.
Candy Bar Kindness – A practice of Renunciation
Instructions: Place this extremely rich and delicious candy bar in your refrigerator. Each time the craving to nibble, eat, or taste the candy bar arises, gently say “No.” to the mind. Say “no” to the mind with tenderness and understanding. This is a “no” of lovingkindness. In the same way you might say “no” to […]
Shock The Monkey
The practice of renunciation is the practice of non-addiction. It is the practice of saying “no” to the mind. It’s not a “no” motivated by aversion but a wise “no” that sees clearly craving in the mind. Where there is fixation and dependency a skillful discrimination and kind “no” are needed. This afternoon while I […]
2022 New Year’s Message
Greetings to all our dear friends and generous supporters! It’s the start of a new year and we at MOI are excited for all that’s ahead. It’s been a difficult time with many changes and a great many challenges over the past couple of years. While the work that we do in the community is […]
From the Garden to the Table
I have limited gardening experience, but I’ve always had a keen interest and appreciation for those who understand the value and benefits of homegrown food. When I was a boy, my mother maintained a garden because she understood the importance of having access to fresh, nutritious food and she appreciated the cost savings. While […]
Kindness Is A Superpower
For the first week of May I attended a retreat at IMS (Insight Meditation Society), which is located about two hours outside of Boston in Barre Massachusetts. The retreat was titled, “Mindfulness, Kindness and Discovery” and it was lead by teachers Michael Grady, Susan O’Brien, and assistant Sara Schedler. After I returned to Omaha I […]