What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
Saturday October 24, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by Diana Clark and Walt Opie At the heart of Dharma practice is the invitation to be present for our lives, not only for what is pleasant or easily understood, but also for what is uncertain, painful, beautiful, or beyond words. Poetry can help us enter this territory gently. A poem may offer no solution, yet still bring recognition, companionship, and a subtle shift in how we…
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Saturday, October 31 · 9:30 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Tanya Wiser Mindfulness while speaking can be supported by grounding in the body and stabilized by an open, receptive heart. This daylong retreat will include guided meditations, dharma talks, silent sitting, walking meditation. We will also engage in structured small-group practice sessions designed to deepen the direct experience of speaking from embodied awareness and connection to the clarity and tone of citta (heart-mind). Instructions and…
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Saturday, November 7, 8:30am – 5:00pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Gil Fronsdal Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. This particular daylong retreat is meant for people who already understand the basic practice…
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Saturday, November 21, 9:30am – 4:30pm In-person at IMC Offered by Tanya Wiser and Shelley Gault In this retreat, Shelley and Tanya will offer instructions and guidance on the cultivation of mindfulness through knowing, sensing, allowing, and calming with our direct experience. Participants will explore how mindful awareness can be cultivated through attending to the physical body with the support of a caring heart. We will develop our capacity to know and sense physical experience directly and to calm the body and…
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Saturday, December 12, 9:00am – 4:00pm in-person at IMC only Offered by: Kim Allen Embodied presence supports both everyday well-being and spiritual freedom. The body is a rich resource for mindfulness practice, continually opening and deepening as we explore it. On this day of practice, we will explore practices based in Buddhist teachings that help us connect with the body, experience it freshly, and invite liberating wisdom and compassion to emerge. Our day will include guided and silent meditations, dharma teachings, and…
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The IMC Fall 2026 Newsletter is available online. You can read past newsletters in PDF format on the Newsletter page of the Insight Meditation Center website. You can also find the Fall Schedule of Events — called the Oct to Dec Schedule of Events — under the CALENDAR link on the IMC website.
People participating with the 7:00 a.m. YouTube Sangha are invited to a discussion concluding our 7 month journey with love The Zoom link is here or https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/85802089609 Meeting ID: 858 0208 9609 Passcode: metta One tap mobile +16699006833,,85802089609# US (San Jose) +16694449171,,85802089609# US —
Posted July 6, 2026 Taught by Lydia Ridgway, Yanli Wang, Thina Ollier, Janel Crooks and others One Sunday a month 1:00 to 3:30 pm (2 in October) ending in June. The Buddha’s most explicit path of practice is the Eightfold Path—a set of eight practical approaches to bring Buddhist practice into the width and depth of our lives. The Eightfold Path Program is an introduction to each of the Eightfold factors so participants will discover how to apply each set of…
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Saturday, July 25, 2026 9:30 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Liên Shutt This daylong retreat will include guided meditations, dharma talks, and alternating periods of sitting and walking. Instructions and guidance on mindfulness of breathing, body, emotions, thoughts, and open attention will be provided. This daylong retreat is an opportunity to strengthen mindfulness, develop concentration, practice with the IMC community, and ask a teacher questions. Appropriate for beginners and those with more experience. Bring lunch. The…
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Prison and Jail Chaplaincy Training I’m excited to announce Sati Center’s new 12-month Buddhist Prison and Jail Chaplaincy program, offering spiritual care to incarcerated individuals—often among society’s most isolated. They have the capacity for reflection, healing, and change. The program trains chaplains to sit with suffering, offering presence, listening, and the dharma, without judgment. Like all our trainings, it aims to accompany, not convert—bringing caring support to tough places. I invite those feeling called to care for the incarcerated to…
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On Zoom 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, except October 2 and January Fridays, except Dec 14 and Jan 14-15 10/2 (9:00 am-1:30 pm), 11/6, 12/14 (Monday), 1/14-15 (Thursday & Friday, 2/12, 3/12, 4/9, 5/21. DMP online retreat: January 14-15; 9:00 am-4:00 each day The DMP is an eight-month program giving experienced practitioners the opportunity to delve into meditation practice and the Buddhist teachings and instructions for meditation. The program will utilize Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) as the reference for delving into practices and states of meditation…
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Saturday, September 12, 2026: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm In person (only) at IMC Teacher: Lily Huang Open to those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. This half-day retreat supports cultivating a loving awareness, exploring mindfulness infused with lovingkindness. It will include alternating sitting and walking meditation and Dharma reflections. Open to all levels of experience. Optional informal lunch will follow (bring your own). The program is offered freely, with no registration needed. If you’d like to donate to…
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Saturday, August 22, 2026: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Gil Fronsdal Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. This particular daylong retreat is meant for people who already understand…
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Saturday, September 19, 2026: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Diana Clark In meditation, freedom does not come from forcing experience to be different, but from learning to meet what is here with openness and care. This silent daylong retreat will include alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, with a few short Dharma talks and very brief mindfulness instructions. Practice discussions with the teacher will also be offered. Please bring a lunch. The program is…
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Saturday, August 22, 2026: 9:45 am – 4:00 pm Location: Fellowship Hall: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St, Berkeley, CA Offered by: Matthew Brensilver Registration required: For registration and accessibility information see the Insight Retreat Center’s Offsite Retreat page The Buddha counsels: “Hatred does not cease by hatred but by non-hatred. This law is eternal.” The alternatives to love — namely, hate or apathy — are not viable for ourselves, for our communities or our world. There are many details…
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