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Emerald Coast Meditation Society

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Emerald Coast Meditation Society

Free, nonsectarian meetings: 1st Thursday of every month (ONLINE) at 6:30 - 8:00 PM CST. We hold meetings online and in-person. Co.

And the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Destin Library -9:00 - 10:30 AM. The ECMS welcomes meditation students of any age and background to meetings. Format is 30-minute silent meditation, followed by discussion or a speaker/program, ending with a 5-minute guided meditation at about 8 PM. Online meetings are on the first Thursday of the month (online via Zoom) and start at 6:30 p.m. You will receive a Zoom link via email when you're subscribed to our email list. (To be added to our email list, please email Dianne at tikster12@yahoo.com.) In-person meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of the month (except for July and August) at 6.30pm at Christ the King Episcopal Church, 480 N. Hwy. 393, in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. The church is located half a mile north of Hwy. 98 in Walton County. In-person meetings will resume again on September 15, 2022. If you would like basic instruction in meditation, please arrive at 6:15 p.m., 15 minutes before a meeting. Would you or someone you know like to address our group after meditation? We're interested in a wide range of subjects that you think might be relevant to people who meditate. Contact Dianne Kinsey at email: tikster12@yahoo.com or phone 401-286-7193. If your call doesn't get answered immediately, please leave a message or text and Dianne will get in touch with you promptly. Additional information about the ECMS is available at meetings.

01/13/2026

A beautiful morning of practice with Laura Tyree and Velda Dougherty at the Destin Library.

Laura Tyree, owner of Dragonfly Yoga, guided us in a gentle yoga practice at the Destin Library. Laura reminded us that the most valuable part of yoga is mindfulness—being truly present and unifying body and mind. Through movement and reflection, she guided us into the purity of feelings, encouraging us to shed what we no longer needed, to let go, and to look ahead with clarity toward what we need in 2026.

Following yoga meditation, Velda Dougherty, master gardener, led us on a walking meditation through the beautiful Zen garden— a sacred space she and the Garden Club lovingly tend.

A well-attended gathering filled with intention, community, and peace. Thank you to all who joined us and shared in this meaningful morning.

The Emerald Coast Meditation Society (ECMS) meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 9:00 - 10:30 AM at the Destin Library for sitting and walking meditation followed by speaker and group sharing. All are welcome to this non-sectarian and free event

For further information about ECMS, please contact Dianne Kinsey at: Tikster12@yahoo.com

Photos (left ) Velda Dougherty and (right) Laura Tyree.

01/06/2026

As we look ahead to 2026, we are delighted to welcome back Laura Tyree, owner of Dragonfly Yoga, who will guide us in a meditation and yoga practice at the Destin Library.

Due to a forecast of light rain, we most likely will meet inside the library on Tuesday, January 13, 2026–9:00 - 10:30 am. If weather permits, we begin with a walking meditation in the Zen garden, led by master gardener, Velda Dougherty.

If you want to participate, bring a yoga mat and bottle of water. Or simply come to learn more about the meditation/yoga connection. All levels of meditators are welcome to this free and non-sectarian event.

For more information about ECMS, please email Dianne Kinsey: Tikster12@yahoo.com

01/03/2026

Late notice for a special event. Tomorrow, Sunday 4, 2026, there will be two lectures in ENGLISH at the Dieu De Buddhist Temple in Pensacola. It is a rare event for the lectures to be in English. The first lecture will be on Mahayana Buddhism by the venerable Thanh Long. The second will be on Theravada Buddhism by a monk from Sri Lanka.

The event will be held at the beautiful Dieu De Buddhist Temple - photos below. Address is: 9603 Nim’s Lane, Pensacola FL 32534

Apparently there will be the usual Buddhist service at 10:00 am in Vietnamese and the lectures will follow. Anybody interested should call the temple at 850 477 8291 for details.

If anyone is interested in car pooling from Destin, please contact me, Dianne Kinsey at: 401-286-7193

01/01/2026

Starting the New Year with “The Question of the Heart: Learning What Truly Belongs to You”

A young student once asked a wise monk, "Master, how do I stop taking everything so personally?"

The monk smiled and said...
"To stop taking things personally, you must learn what actually belongs to you... and what never did.

Most of what people say or do is a reflection of their own inner weather, not a judgment of your worth.

When a storm passes overhead, you do not ask, 'What did I do wrong?" You simply let it pass.

In the same way, another person's moods, words, or reactions are often storms that were brewing long before you arrived.

Your peace isn't threatened unless you hand it over.

Taking things personally comes from believing you must control how others think, feel, or receive you.

But remember... You are not responsible for managing the emotions that live inside someone else's mind.

The moment you stop trying to be understood by everyone, you reclaim your freedom.

Respond from clarity, not from old wounds.

Be curious, not defensive. Be grounded, not reactive.

When your heart is steady, even harsh words lose their power.

Do not let someone else's chaos decide the temperature of your inner world.

Protect your peace. You are allowed to walk away from anything that tries to pull you into a battle that isn't yours."

And when in doubt," the monk said, "Repeat this truth: Nothing others do is because of me. Everything they do is because of them."

Moral:
Not everything is about you. What others say and do often reflects their own struggles, not your worth. When you stop carrying what was never yours, you protect your peace and live freely.

12/31/2025

Join us VIRTUALLY in the New Year —on January 1, 2026– for an evening of meditation with Ken Roman who will speak on some of ECMS’s highlights in 2025 and spiritual intentions for 2026. Join fellow members across the country, as we transition from one year to the next. All meditators, beginning and advanced, are welcome to this free and non-sectarian event.

Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm CST
Topic: ECMS Highlights of 2025 and Intentions for 2026
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87018683894

Looking forward to seeing you on screen and sharing this meaningful transition into 2026 with you.

For further information about ECMS, please contact Dianne Kinsey at: Tikster12@yahoo.com

Photo of Ken Roman:
Bio: Ken is a certified meditation, yoga, tai chi and martial arts teacher and a long term member of ECMS. He currently resides in Pensacola where he broadcasts weekly and live on Sandcastle Radio each Wednesday, 1:00 - 2:00 pm CST. You can catch his next show on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

12/29/2025

The Emerald Coast Meditation Society (ECMS) lovingly endorses today’s Celebration of Light held at the Quan Am Nam Hai monastery in Panama City. This yearly event honors the message of peace, compassion and awakening.

Master Tran, abbess of the monastery, guided the celebration of Light Ceremony—a sacred turning toward renewal, and awakening as the days begin to lengthen. We welcomed the light not only into the world, but into our hearts.

Each person held a candle with our name, date of birth and residence, honoring our shared humanity and unique light. A special blessing was the presence of baby Cosmos, just five months old, who attended with her loving family.

This ceremony included prostrations, a practice of humility and reverence that softens the heart and deepens gratitude. Through bowing, we release the ego and return to what truly matters.

May the light we welcomed at the monastery this morning continue to shine within us. May peace begin in our hearts and ripple into the world.

Photos of the honorable Thich Thanh Dieu Giac (Master Tran) and the monastic and lay sangha in attendance.

12/21/2025

Today, ECMS honors the Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year and the moment when light begins its return. Across traditions, this turning point invites stillness, gratitude, and renewal. May this Solstice remind us to pause, breathe, and open to the light rising within and around us.

12/08/2025

Tune in for an inspiring hour with ECMS frequent speaker, Ken Roman. Ken broadcasts LIVE every week on Wednesdays from Pensacola. His uplifting program “Path to Presence” airs on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 2:00 PM at the Sandcastle radio station.

Ken’s teachings are a source of wisdom and remind us how to return again and again to the present moment. His weekly offering is a beautiful way to deepen a meditation practice.

12/07/2025

CANCELLATION of Walking Meditation - Tuesday, DECEMBER 9, 2025 in the Zen Garden of the Destin Library. We will next meet Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 9:00 - 10:30 AM. If the weather is too cold, we meet inside the library.
Photo below of Velda Doughtery, Master Gardener who leads the meditation in the garden.
ECMS meets in the garden monthly on the second Tuesday of each month. All are welcome to this non-sectarian and free event.

12/03/2025

ECMS is honored to welcome Don Reed Simmons, an internationally renowned meditation and mindfulness teacher and vibrational sound healer. Don brings a remarkable breadth of experience in his 30 years of practice as a meditation teacher, radio host, psychic, intuitive healer and more.

I truly hope you can join us for this special evening as we come together once more across country for meditation and community. It promises to be a meaningful closing to our virtual ECMS programs for the year, 2025.

Date: 12/4/2025
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm CST
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87018683894

All are welcome to this free and non-sectarian event.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening!
For further information about this program or ECMS, please contact Dianne Kinsey at: 401-286-7193

Photo of Don Reed Simmons -

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150 Sibert Avenue
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
32541

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