Common Ground Meditation Center

Common Ground Meditation Center Common Ground is a community meditation center dedicated to the practice of mindfulness. All our programs are offered freely in the spirit of generosity.

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of waking up to the present moment and learning to be open and at ease with the unfolding conditions of life. With practice, mindfulness reveals deep wisdom, compassion and intimacy with all things. Common Ground is an independent center founded on the teachings of the Buddha. This center follows in the spirit of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre,

Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California and is part of the greater Insight Meditation or Vipassana community in the West. We welcome skillful means from all Buddhist traditions as well as other spiritual traditions dedicated to wisdom and compassion. Visit our website to learn more about supporting the center and our teachers: http://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/

2025 Teacher-Led Residential Retreat Schedule -
06/23/2025

2025 Teacher-Led Residential Retreat Schedule -

Common Ground's Labor Day 2018 Residential Retreat registration is now open.

Annie Nugent this Saturday, Half-Day Retreat Next Saturday!
06/06/2025

Annie Nugent this Saturday, Half-Day Retreat Next Saturday!

Community Work Day Saturday, Annie Nugent Next Saturday! -
05/29/2025

Community Work Day Saturday, Annie Nugent Next Saturday! -

Dear Common Ground Friends, It may feel at times that our spiritual practices are feeble compared to the forces of greed, hatred, and delusion that we sense in our hearts and in our world. Let’s remember that whatever has been constructed and set in motion can also be unconstructed and released. I...

Daylong Retreat Saturday, Community Work Day Next Saturday! -
05/23/2025

Daylong Retreat Saturday, Community Work Day Next Saturday! -

Dear Friends, In the book Dharma Everywhere, Sayadaw U Tejaniya reminds us that dharma is everywhere, in the wise and compassionate ways we relate to the world around us, in our beautiful perceptions and views. Here is a poem by the American poet William Stafford that moved me today. I hear so much....

LGBTQIA+ Retreat in WI on Saturday, Intro Class Begins Tuesday! -
04/18/2025

LGBTQIA+ Retreat in WI on Saturday, Intro Class Begins Tuesday! -

Dear Common Ground Friends, A small group of us at Common Ground's retreat center shared space with a few passing thunderstorms today. The sun made brief welcome appearances here and there too. I stood on the porch for a few moments this afternoon feeling a sense of awe at the forces of nature th...

Dharma and Artmaking, BIPOC Retreat, and More! -
04/11/2025

Dharma and Artmaking, BIPOC Retreat, and More! -

Dear Common Ground Friends, It is wonderful to be out at Common Ground's retreat center in Wisconsin alongside a sincere group of practitioners for a 2 week practice period. The simple structure to our days, the crisp and clear mornings, and the general wildness of nature all have something to teach...

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2700 E 26th Street
Minneapolis, MN
55406

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What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness is the practice of opening to and understanding the moment just as it is, whether we are practicing sitting meditation, cooking dinner, or advocating for justice. To begin we make the necessary effort to calm the mind and heart. Without this first step, our intention to be present is often overwhelmed by the mind’s habits to struggle with conditions. Instead of struggling, we practice trusting the mind’s capacity to be relaxed, clear, intimate, and willing to feel how it is in the moment. This simple, clear knowing is at the heart of mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness is all about cultivating a continuous present-moment awareness. We train in persistence: a willingness to begin over and over again. This training is overseen by the wise and kind heart that appreciates how difficult it is to remain present. Still, no matter how difficult it appears to be, our practice is to gently and persistently return to the simple truth “This is being known.” Awareness is already available and knowing; the practice is to simply and clearly recognize “This is being known.” Many people develop whole-body awareness, a direct, non-conceptual knowing of sensation, as a means for developing momentum in their practice. Daily sitting practice and an effort to be present throughout the day are causes for greater joy, tranquility, and insight. This capacity to be present is our wise friend, protector, and guide – this is how we live with greater wisdom, compassion, and ease. Common Ground is an independent center founded on the teachings of the Buddha. This center follows in the spirit of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California and is part of the greater Insight Meditation or Vipassana community in the West. We welcome skillful means from all Buddhist traditions as well as other spiritual traditions dedicated to wisdom and compassion. All our programs are offered freely in the spirit of generosity. Visit our website to learn more about supporting the center and our teachers: http://commongroundmeditation.org/about/supporting-the-center/