Truth and Presence: Trauma Sensitivity in Community (Asia, Africa, Europe time zones)
With Riët Aarsse and Jane Cutler
March 31 - May 5, 2026
This short program aims to deepen understandings and application of trauma sensitive Insight Dialogue. We warmly welcome registration from those in the community who facilitate and teach Insight Dialogue along with others dedicated Insight Dialogue practitioners.
The Buddha taught suffering and the end of suffering. To end suffering as a goal means implicitly to intimately learn about suffering in all its gross and subtle manifestations in our heart-mind. The beauty of the path is that we encounter this in most of our meditation sessions in the form of hindrances, both internally, externally, and both. When the meditative qualities are strong, we are less susceptible to mental instability. Sometimes the hindrances are strong and we can feel challenged when in relational meditation.
One of the causes of this restlessness can be former traumatic experience. In itself that is not a problem and can be a doorway to healing and clarity if held and supported with patience, compassion and wisdom. We are deeply conditioned and each of us has a unique personal, social, cultural and societal history.
In this short course we will investigate together and learn more about creating conditions that support holding and safety and how the guidelines support conditions of safety. Because the statement of the Buddha means that the end of suffering includes the healing of trauma responses.
Program
Topics will include learning about trauma sensitivity, creating safe conditions, invitations into seeing and release from restrictive holding patterns, accepting and understanding of step by step unfolding processes. The support of movement in release and integration.
There will be contemplation opportunities into how learning impacts our work, meditation offerings and everyday engagement with others.
Some trauma models will be investigated along with reframing and updating into the early Buddhist teachings.
Investigation will be engaged and supported by:
- guided meditation, mindful movement, teachings,
- simple community building exercises and group sharing,
- small groups and dyads breakout rooms for contemplation practice,
- practices and reading of material between sessions.
Leaders
Riët Aarsse, whose practice is rooted in the classic vipassana school, encountered Insight Dialogue in 2012. Being a research psychologist and long-term student of the Abhidhamma expert Sayadaw dr. Nandamala, Riët tries to integrate Buddhist and western psychological understandings. She initiated Amsterdam Insight Meditation where she teaches courses and offers Insight Dialogue. Riët mentors several Insight Dialogue practice groups. She is deeply inspired by the power of Insight Dialogue that allows for peaceful transformations in and between people. Riët lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Learn more about Riët Aarsse
Jane Cutler has been practicing and facilitating Insight Dialogue since 2008. With her life partner Jane Whitehead, she offers a program of Insight Dialogue evening practice, online practice, day-long, and weekend retreats. She also mentors those wanting to develop their engagement in Insight Dialogue. Jane has had a meditation practice since 1972 and been a zen student since 1999. She and her partner have supported a local zen community since 2003. Jane has worked as a psychotherapist since 1991. She sees the current climate emergency as the koan of our time. Supporting resilience in these troubled times through Insight Dialogue…
Learn more about Jane Cutler