What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
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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Six Tuesdays: August 18 – September 22: 7:00 to 8:15 pm on Zoom. Offered by: Local IMC Dharma leaders Join Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/TuesdayDharma Meeting ID: 893 3396 7495 ~ Passcode: 235226 This series explores the Five Hindrances (nivarana). These are forces in the mind that can hinder our ability to see clearly or to become concentrated. Sensual desire (kamacchanda) Aversion / Ill-will (vyapada) Sloth and torpor (thina middha) Restlessness (uddhacca-kukkucca) Skeptical doubt (vicikiccha)
Five Thursdays: August 27 – September 24: 6:30 – 8:00 pm In-person at IMC Offered by: Local IMC Dharma leaders This series explores the Five Faculties (indriya). These are essential qualities to be cultivated and balanced in order to become free of suffering. Faith (saddha) Energy (viriya) Mindfulness (sati) Concentration (samadhi) Wisdom/Discernment (panna)
Saturday, August 29, 2026: 8:30 am — 10:00 am On Zoom Topic: Bearing Witness: Grief and Resilience on the Frontlines of Climate Work Offered by Ram Appalaraju Frontline environmental workers carry a weight most people never see: the grief of watching the land, wildlife, and communities they’ve dedicated their lives to protecting change faster than they can keep up. Ram Appalaraju surveyed workers across federal agencies and nonprofits about this toll — and the responses were raw. Nearly everyone reported…
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Sunday, August 30, 2026: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Location: Stafford Park at the corner of Hopkins Ave and Lowell St, Redwood City — about half a mile from IMC We look forward to sharing the dharma under the redwoods, connecting to each other and the natural world. For kids entering the third grade, Dharma Sprouts (TK-2nd graders) will say farewell as Dharma Rocks (3rd-5th graders) welcomes them. Please bring a blanket to sit on and a picnic lunch. You can bring swimwear…
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Saturday, September 26, 2026: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Thina Ollier and Lauren Silver This silent daylong retreat is offered as a supportive refuge in the midst of our complicated personal and societal lives. Intended for people who already understand the basic practice of mindfulness, the day will include teachings on “going for refuge,” one of the foundations for all Buddhist practice. The day will include periods of guided meditations, silent meditation, walking meditation, dharma…
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Five Thursdays: July 23 – August 20, 2026: 6:30 – 8:00 pm In-person at IMC Offered by: Lish Dorosin and Doug Wiebe Mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation or vipassana, is a simple technique that concentrates and calms the mind. At the heart of mindfulness meditation is the practice of moment-to-moment observation which cultivates a clear, stable and non-judgmental awareness. While mindfulness practice can be highly effective in helping bring calm and clarity to the pressures of daily life, it…
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