Use code SUMMERPRACTICE for a 25% discount on all On Demand Courses through August 31.

Search Sangha Live

Sunday Sangha – 2nd November 2025

Ronya Banks

This session is led by Ronya Banks.

Start Time: 11 am PST (LA) / 2 pm EST (NY) / 7 pm GMT (London) / 8 pm CET (Paris). 90-minute live session.

This week’s theme: Practicing with Varying Viewpoints

Because today’s world appears to be reflecting times of great polarization and divisiveness, you probably have felt disturbed after hearing varying viewpoints that do not align with your priorities and values. In fact if you’re like most people, you have most likely felt rather emotionally triggered and incredulous when faced with radically different views. Join Asheville Insight Meditation’s founding Buddhist teacher and therapist, Ronya Fakhoury Banks as she explores how to bring your practice to include varying viewpoints with the outcome of feeling less reactivity and more love and acceptance of other’s views, without compromising your ethical values. Some of the points we will cover, include:

  • Bringing your mindful awareness practice to the actual moments of feeling triggered;
  • Accepting things as they are, while also bringing self-compassion in as needed;
  • Learning to soften and be open to other’s viewpoints without needing to agree;
  • Letting go of attachments to your viewpoints, while feeling compassion for yourself and others….

This session is freely-offered, but dana/donations are invited to help us meet our substantial running costs and to support our teachers. To donate, please click here. We appreciate your generosity 🙏

Register Now Add to Calendar

Please click here for help with joining, or contact us for further support.

Ronya Banks

Ronya Banks

The founding teacher of the Asheville Insight Meditation community in Asheville, NC, USA, Ronya Banks has over 38 years of intensive Vipassana meditation practice, spending more than two years cumulatively on numerous silent meditation retreats, as well as having lived as a Theravada Buddhist nun. In addition to working as a mental health counselor, Ronya also has over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience and before the pandemic, she was a black belt martial arts instructor.  Born originally in Kuwait of Palestinian-American descent, Ronya values diversity, inclusiveness, and respect for all sentient beings. Click here to learn more about Ronya Banks.

View Recordings of Past Sunday Sangha Sessions

Bart van Melik

What Feeds your Craving?

With Bart van Melik Recorded : May 19, 2024

The Buddha discovered that craving is the cause by which stress comes into play. Letting go of this constant pursuing of our desires is possible. Befriending this human and natural craving needs the power...

Read More

I Call on My Inherent Wellbeing

With Maura Sills Recorded : May 5, 2024

In the territory of inherent health we are all equal. To really know this with the heartmind impacts our practice at all levels. One of the more important shifts in our practice is recognising...

Read More

Frank Ostaseski

Tonight the Subject is Love

With Frank Ostaseski Recorded : April 28, 2024

Love is the essential quality needed for the journey through life. The heart’s desire for deep connection fuels the journey, inspires and deepens our practice. This is why at some point we stop practicing to...

Read More

George Haas

Meditation and Attachment Theory

With George Haas Recorded : April 14, 2024

We will discuss Attachment Theory in the context of Buddhist Theravada Practice, exploring the traditional Buddhist path to liberation using descriptions of Attachment conditioning as a way to understand obstacles to practice. We will...

Read More

Emily Horn

The Phases of Insight

With Emily Horn Recorded : April 7, 2024

Similar to the phases of the moon, our spiritual practice is full of natural rhythms and seasons. In this session we will learn a simple chart, called the phases of insight, that supports recognizing what...

Read More