What’s New At Insight Meditation Center

Gil’s new Peace and Conflict Chaplaincy Initiatives

Gil’s new Peace and Conflict Chaplaincy Initiatives

In 2026, I am bringing many areas of my long time interests and activity to focus on Buddhist Peace and Conflict Chaplaincy by starting two new programs through the Sati Center:   Peace Chaplaincy Speaker’s Series for dialogues we people working in directly or indirectly in the field of Peace and Conflict Chaplaincy. It continuous the conversations I had with the Palestinian Dharma teacher Muna Shaheen and Israeli Dharma Stephen Fulder and with Mohsen Mandawi    The next conversation will…

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Wed Jan 14-Feb 11: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal-In-Person & YouTube

Wed Jan 14-Feb 11: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Gil Fronsdal-In-Person & YouTube

Five Wednesdays: January 14 – February 11, 2026: 7:00 – 8:30 pm In-person & on YouTube Offered by: Gil Fronsdal YouTube Livestream   |   IMC Website Livestream 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…

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Thursday Jan 1: New Year’s Day Yoga & Meditation with Terry Lesser

Thursday Jan 1: New Year’s Day Yoga & Meditation with Terry Lesser

Thursday, January 1, 2026:  9:00 am – 10:50 am In-Person at IMC Please join us in-person at IMC on New Year’s Day. The session will use a variety of asanas (poses) to focus and calm the mind, enhance breath and overall awareness, and develop flexibility, balance and strength. Beginners are always welcome. The class is a mixed level and everyone is encouraged to work in accordance with their own needs and abilities. Bring a large towel and sticky mat, if you…

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Saturday Jan 24: Speaking from the Heart Daylong

Saturday Jan 24: Speaking from the Heart Daylong

Saturday, January 24, 9:00am – 4:00pm In-person at IMC Offered by: Ying Chen, David Lorey, Diana Clark and Kim Allen Connection grows when our words are wise. In the passages on wise speech in the Pali Canon, the Buddha encourages us to speak from the heart – in ways that support our practice and our engagement with the world. This daylong retreat will include periods of sitting meditation, teachings, small group discussion, and Q&A. This event is intended for people…

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Saturday Jan 31: Earth Care Meeting: Finding What Is Ours to Do: From Personal Calling to Collective Power with Kaira Jewel Lingo

Saturday Jan 31: Earth Care Meeting: Finding What Is Ours to Do: From Personal Calling to Collective Power with Kaira Jewel Lingo

Saturday, January 31, 2026: 8:30 am — 10:00 am On Zoom in conjunction with the Sati Center Topic: Finding What Is Ours to Do: From Personal Calling to Collective Power Offered by: Kaira Jewel Lingo In this 90-minute session, we will explore how Buddhist practice can guide us toward climate action that is rooted in clarity, care, and steadiness rather than urgency alone. Drawing on Movement Ecology and the ‘Block, Build, Be’ framework, we will reflect on where our skills,…

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Saturday Jan 31: Mindfulness of Breathing Daylong with Kodo Conlin

Saturday Jan 31: Mindfulness of Breathing Daylong with Kodo Conlin

Saturday, January 31, 9:30am – 4:00pm In-person only at IMC Part of a Series: Foundation in Freedom: Progressive Instruction in Mindfulness Meditation with Kodo Conlin and Ying Chen Offered by Kodo Conlin and Ying Chen Part and parcel of the Buddha’s path to liberation is the cultivation of mindfulness. Our Insight tradition is rich in ways to grow mindfulness in relationship with all aspects of our experience, no part left out. Let’s share in four Saturday daylong retreats for the…

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Sat Jan 31 – Feb 28: Online Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation: 5-Part Series with Mei Elliott

Sat Jan 31 – Feb 28: Online Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation: 5-Part Series with Mei Elliott

Five Saturdays: January 31 – February 28, 2026: 10:00 – 11:30 am on Zoom Offered by Mei Elliott Mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation or vipassana, is a simple technique that calms the mind and supports the growth of wisdom. 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 supporting relaxation and clarity in daily life, it is also a…

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February 8-14: Awareness and Wisdom Daily Life Retreat (Online Zoom Format)

February 8-14: Awareness and Wisdom Daily Life Retreat (Online Zoom Format)

Taught by Andrea Fella Inspired by the teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. February 8-14, 2026 Click here to Register During this weeklong online retreat we will explore a relaxed open awareness with an emphasis on exploring qualities of mind, and the attitude towards one’s experience.  Such an open awareness practice supports both the formal meditation of sitting and walking, as well as awareness of our normal daily activities.  The emphasis for this week will be exploring integrating awareness into our whole day and…

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IMC 2026 Winter Newsletter is available online

IMC 2026 Winter Newsletter is available online

The IMC Winter 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 Winter Schedule of Events — called the Jan to Mar Schedule of Events — under the CALENDAR link on the IMC website.

Saturday Nov 22: Wise Speech Daylong with bruni dávila

Saturday Nov 22: Wise Speech Daylong with bruni dávila

Saturday, November 22, 2025  9:30 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: bruni dávila Speaking is a rich area for Buddhist Practice. In the Eightfold Path, the Buddha gave us guidance on how to engage in speech that unifies and is beneficial for oneself and others. With mindfulness practice, we can learn to discern, from a place deep within, speech that gives rise to peace and wellbeing from that which does not. This daylong retreat will include silent and…

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Thanksgiving Potluck at IMC

Thanksgiving Potluck at IMC

Thanksgiving Day (November 27th) vegetarian potluck at IMC from 11:30am until 2pm. Help setting up and cleaning up afterwards will be needed, with the goal of closing up IMC at 2:30pm. Hosted by Gloria Schul. Everyone invited

Saturday Nov 29: Earth Care Meeting: Start a Conversation about Climate Change

Saturday Nov 29: Earth Care Meeting: Start a Conversation about Climate Change

Saturday, November 29, 2025: 8:30 am — 10:00 am On Zoom Topic: Start a Conversation about Climate Change Led by Elaine Salinger, climate activist and Citizens Climate Lobby leader and facilitated by Hilary Borison and Jan Messer It has been shown that getting people to talk about climate change is one of the most effective ways to reduce our use of dirty energy and reduce the effects of climate change. During this month’s meeting, we will briefly discuss the most effective…

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Special Sunday a.m,, Dec 7; What Does it Take to Make Peace in a Violent Word: Lessons from Inside Prison Walls.

Special Sunday a.m,, Dec 7; What Does it Take to Make Peace in a Violent Word: Lessons from Inside Prison Walls.

9:25 Silent Meditation 10:00 Presentation and conversation with GRIP graduates hosted by IMC member Kim Moore, the director of the GRIP Training Institute For the regular Sunday morning talk we will have back Kim Moore and graduates from the GRIP Training Program developed by Insight Practitioners for men incarcerated in the California State Prisons. The morning will include an inspiring conversation rooted in lived experience, transformation, and restorative justice. We have had graduates from GRIP speak on Sunday morning some…

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Saturday Dec 13: Silent Daylong with bruni dávila

Saturday Dec 13: Silent Daylong with bruni dávila

Saturday December 13, 2025  8:30 am – 5:00 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: bruni dávila 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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Sunday Dec 21: Winter Solstice Walk in Edgewood Park with Kristen Benson

Sunday Dec 21: Winter Solstice Walk in Edgewood Park with Kristen Benson

Sunday, December 21, 2026: 11:10 am Where: Let’s meet in the Edgewood Park parking lot at 11:10 am for a 3+ mile hike — approximately 3 hours. What: We will celebrate this celestial event walking through local ecosystems with some periods of silence bringing our awareness to the present, paying attention to our senses. There will be a time of sitting with a ritual and a gathering together. Join: Kristen Benson, anEco Buddist Chaplain through Sati Center. A chaplain of…

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