Johnathan Woodside

Johnathan Woodside is an Insight Meditation teacher offering Dharma instruction rooted in the Theravāda tradition of ethics, concentration, and wisdom. He began his formal meditation practice in his youth and has been teaching Insight Meditation since 2011.

Johnathan founded the nonprofit Mindfulness Outreach Initiative (MOI), an Insight Meditation organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2012.

His mentor in the Dharma is Joseph Goldstein, with whom he has met regularly since 2016. He has practiced at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), Forest Refuge, and Spirit Rock, among other renowned meditation centers, and has multiple years of cumulative silent meditation retreat experience. He trained in the 2021–2025 Insight Meditation Center (IMC) Dharma Teacher Training Program with Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.

With an unwavering commitment to encouraging and promoting mindfulness practice, Johnathan founded Dallas Insight Sangha (DIS), a nonprofit organization committed to sharing Insight Meditation and the Buddha’s Dharma in Dallas, Texas, in 2022.

Johnathan’s teaching emphasizes the direct experience of the Dharma, encouraging students to cultivate insight through dedicated practice grounded in mindfulness, introspection, and the development of liberating wisdom. He integrates classical Buddhist teachings with practical applications for modern life, guiding students toward greater clarity, inner freedom, and ethical engagement with the world.

Beyond individual instruction and leading retreats, Johnathan provides meditation services to medical professionals, educational institutions, correctional facilities, recovery programs, and community centers, and partners with corporations and nonprofit organizations.