A 6-week online course offered by Flagstaff Insight Meditation Community
Every Thursday evening from September 17 – October 22, 2026
6:00 pm to 7:45 pm (AZ time)
Guided by
Dr. Cathy Small, PhD, NAU Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
and Dr. Allen Atkins, PhD, NAU Professor Emeritus of Finance
Please join us for this 6-week course offered by Flagstaff Insight Meditation Community. Insight Meditation is part of an ancient tradition originating in India 2,600 years ago. The practice involves both concentration and contemplative methods of meditation.
Learn to reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on the present moment, while opening a doorway to greater peace and freedom at a deeper level. It is important participants attend all 6 classes, as each class builds on previous instruction and practice.
Once you register via the registration link below, you will receive a confirmation email. PLEASE KEEP THE CONFIRMATION EMAIL HANDY AS IT HAS YOUR PERSONAL ZOOM LINK WHICH YOU WILL NEED TO LOG INTO THE COURSE.
Please sign on 10 minutes early to get settled and wear loose, comfortable clothing. There is no fee for this class and it is open to the Flagstaff community and members of the Flagstaff Insight Meditation Community.
Please register by Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Registrations received after September 15th will be considered on a case by case basis.
TEACHERS FOR THIS ONLINE COURSE:
Cathy Small is an author and retired professor of anthropology. who has been practicing vipassana meditation for more than twenty-five years. She has completed numerous extended meditation retreats focusing on awareness, loving kindness and concentration. Since 2010, she has co-taught this six-week course in Insight Meditation every semester for community members and faculty and staff at Northern Arizona University, and has also offered a mindfulness course for inmates at the Coconino County jail. She is a regular teacher at the Flagstaff Insight Meditation Community.
Allen Atkins moved to Flagstaff in 1998 to work at Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a professor of Finance. He has been interested in meditation since first learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) in college. After college, in 1978, he was introduced to Vipassana and it has been his main practice ever since. He sits a retreat of at least a week or so almost every year. He sat the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) three month retreat three times and in 2000-2001 took a leave of absence from work to spend the year practicing at IMS and in Burma, Thailand and India. Allen taught yoga and meditation in Texas from 1979-1983. He has been teaching a six-week beginning Vipassana course each semester at NAU since 1999. The course is currently being taught with Cathy Small. His other main hobbies include music, singing and cycling.
FIMC activities are open to all, regardless of their ability to make financial contributions.
The contributions of those who are able to make them sustain this organization and our teachers, especially during these challenging times. If you can do it, please donate at http://www.flagstaffinsight.org/index.php/support/donate
Teachers/speakers can also be given donations via FIMC website through FIMC by selecting the specific teacher/speaker in the dropdown (100% of the donation). If you wish to donate to a teacher and FIMC, we ask you make 2 donations—one to the teacher, one to FIMC. We’ve also provided links after the first donation is made to ease the process. For more information, please see http://flagstaffinsight.org/index.php/support/donate/donation-methods