NEWS

Event Attendance Policy Update

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A message from the Sacramento Insight Meditation Board of Directors

The SIM Board is continuing to monitor developments regarding the Delta AND the Omicron variants of Covid19. After careful review of the latest available evidence, we have decided that it continues to be safe to maintain a hybrid program of in-person and Zoom attendance for now. We want to share with you not only our decision, but also the thinking behind it.

  • VACCINATION PROVIDES OUR GREATEST PROTECTION – Vaccination continues to provide good protection from infection and serious illness due to both Delta and Omicron, and we strongly urge all members of our community to be vaccinated. We also recommend you receive a booster vaccination, according to the CDC guidelines, no later than seven days before attending events in person. Booster vaccines are recommended after 2 months for everyone vaccinated with the J&J vaccine and 6 months after either their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. If anyone would like to be vaccinated but hasn’t been able to do so, we would be glad to help. We want to send a clear message that anyone who is not fully vaccinated should NOT attend SIM events in person for their own safety and the safety of others. Those who choose to remain unvaccinated are welcome to participate remotely on Zoom and not attend in person.
  • MASKING, DISTANCING AND AIR FILTRATION PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION – To maximize safety, we will continue to require indoor masking, and high quality KN95 masks will be available at the door to anyone who would like one. We will continue to arrange socially distanced seating, and for lunch time and break periods to make maximal use of our two high-quality HEPA air filters. All of this creates a low-risk environment in which we feel that we can safely practice together.
  • PRACTICING TOGETHER PROVIDES IMPORTANT SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY – We do not want the focus on minimizing risk to overshadow the benefits that we are striving to provide to our community, namely the opportunity for us to practice together. After this long period of isolation and loneliness, coming together to practice as a sangha is an opportunity that we truly value.

We understand that each of us, including our teachers, will need to evaluate the personal risks and benefits of in-person attendance and make individual decisions about how to attend SIM. All of us on the Board want to support you in whatever you choose to do. We extend sincere thanks to the members of our audiovisual and set-up teams who have agreed to participate in making in-person attendance possible.

With deep gratitude to all of you who have remained faithful supporters of our sangha,


Jon Siiteri, for the SIM Board of Directors, December 7, 2021

(For other related resources posted by SIM, visit https://sactoinsight.org/pandemic-news/)

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Dharma Teacher Walt Opie

Join Senior Visiting Teacher Walt Opie this Thursday, December 2 at 7:00 PM for a meditation and dharma talk: “Feeding on Joy“.
Also, this Sunday, December 5, Insight Meditation Society sponsors’ Walt for an online mini retreat: “Freedom from Craving“.

Craving leads to suffering whenever we fail to see that what we crave won’t really provide us with the kind of lasting satisfaction or happiness that we are seeking. The nature of craving is not to be satisfied. It is about lack. When we get stuck in this place of lacking something that we believe will bring us happiness, then we can really suffer.

Walt Opie

Walt Opie is a dharma teacher in the insight meditation tradition. He is a graduate of the Insight Meditation Society’s teacher training program and the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders training program. Walt began leading sitting groups specifically for people in addiction recovery in 2011. He started assisting and teaching on residential insight meditation retreats in 2017. Walt’s writing appears in the book collection Still, in the City: Creating Peace of Mind in the Midst of Urban Chaos edited by Angela Dews. He lives with his wife and daughter in Berkeley, CA, which is located on the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people.

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Your generosity helps SIM thrive!

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.”

the historical Buddha

Dear SIM Friends,

This year has continued to be challenging for all of us and we hope that you are well.  We are proud to have offered continuing support for those practicing in the Insight (Vipassana) Meditation tradition throughout 2021 and grateful to each of you for your help.

A major accomplishment this year was the return to in-person practice events at the Sacramento Dharma Center, while continuing to welcome those who preferred to join us from home via Zoom. Technical and staffing challenges were handled by resourceful and dedicated volunteers from SIM and the Young Person’s Sangha, to whom we are profoundly grateful. Another highlight of 2021 was our second on-line annual retreat with Senior Teachers Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters, with over 80 people attending.

In addition to our dedicated faculty of Dennis Warren, Rich Howard, and Diane Wilde, visiting teachers rounded out a rich year of teaching at SIM.  We were especially pleased to host graduation events and offer dana to a diverse group of recent graduates from teaching programs at Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. We continue to focus on being an inclusive and welcoming community.

Our fund-raising goals for 2022 include the continued expression of gratitude to our faculty through a year-end dana contribution as well as ongoing support for SIM’s Teaching and Development Initiative. It is crucial that we have the resources to support bringing new teachers to SIM.

As you plan your year-end giving, we sincerely hope that you will continue to support SIM. You can do so through a one-time, year-end contribution and/or signing up for a monthly, automatic on-line contribution to SIM. Monthly contributions are key to our long-term financial health, and all donations are received with deep gratitude.

To donate today, click here to donate online or by check.

Looking forward to continuing to strengthen our community and our practice together in the coming year.

Warmly,

Sara E. Denzler
Treasurer, SIM Board of Directors

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Holiday Fundraiser – Adopt a Family

Celebrate the holidays

A big thank you to everyone that made a donation. This fundraiser is now closed.

Saint John’s Program provides the opportunity and tools for homeless women to overcome adversities and achieve independence by teaching needed skills in a safe, supportive environment.

The holidays are a particularly difficult time for these families, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. By participating in the Adopt a Family project, we’ll use the funds we raise to shop for a specific family that we “adopt”, selecting needed items with added good cheer to support them on their journey. Additional funds raised beyond our goal will translate into gift cards to St. John’s for use by other families.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Vicki via email (click here). If you have technical questions about the donation process, contact the webmaster via email (click here).

We invite you to take this opportunity to practice loving kindness and generosity. Thank you for donating to this Adopt a Family Holiday Fundraiser.

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Daylong Retreats Available In-Person

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We are happy to announce that our monthly Saturday daylong retreats are moving to a Hybrid format, so vaccinated participants can now choose to attend in-person or by Zoom.

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Living on the Other Side of Suffering – September 15th

SIM is happy to announce that we are again offering the “Living on the Other Side of Suffering” 11-week course. This course starts September 15th and is taught by SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren. For more information, visit the course summary page at https://sactoinsight.org/…/study-groups/living-other-side/. We encourage you to register (or waitlist since it’s not uncommon for last minute schedule changes to open a new spot on the course roster).

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Coronavirus Protection Support

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Vaccinations

Getting vaccinated remains the best protection against COVID 19 and known variants. Sacramento County maintains a comprehensive current list of vaccination sites and vaccinations are free.

If lack of transportation affects your ability to go to a vaccination site, email SIM at info@sactoinsight.org. We will arrange for a volunteer to help you.

Masks

Masks remain a very effective tool against the spread of coronavirus. Because of the Delta variant’s higher transmissibility, medical experts are recommending upgrading mask use when indoors for longer periods, either by using an authenticated N95 or KN95 medical grade masks (see article cited below) or by double masking with a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask. A mask with an exhale valve should not be used: it allows plumes of viral particles to escape.

New York Times (NYT) Articles

The New York Times has published several well-researched articles on masks, social distancing, and other tools to protect yourself against the Delta variant. As conditions change, these precautions will also need to be updated.

  • (NYT) Double masking how-to: Double-masking is still considered an effective means of preventing COVID transmission. Here are some important points to remember. More…
  • (NYT) Current recommended precautions: More…

Other Useful Links

  • How to buy a real N95 or KN95: Counterfeit masks are common on Amazon. This article explains how to ensure the mask you purchase meets government standards and recommends several reliable sites. One highly recommended site is the national non-profit organization Project N95, which partners with the American Medical Association and others to vet manufacturers and ensure masks meet standards. More…
  • CDC basics on effective mask-wearing – dos and don’ts – More…
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Event Attendance Policy Update

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Message from the SIM Board

The SIM Board is continuing to monitor developments regarding the Delta variant of Covid19 and met last week to discuss whether we should remain open for in-person attendance.  After careful review of the most recent information, we have decided that is it safe to maintain a hybrid program of in-person and Zoom attendance for now.  We want to share with you not only our decision, but also the thinking behind it.

  • VACCINATION PROVIDES OUR GREATEST PROTECTION
    Vaccination continues to provide good protection from infection and serious illness due to Delta, and we strongly urge all members of our community to be vaccinated.  If anyone would like to be vaccinated but hasn’t been able to do so, we would be glad to help.  We want to send a clear message that anyone who is not fully vaccinated should NOT attend SIM events in person for their own safety and the safety of others.  Those who choose to remain unvaccinated are welcome to participate remotely on Zoom. We value the participation of all members of our sangha, whether remotely or in-person.
  • MASKING, DISTANCING AND AIR FILTRATION PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
    To maximize safety, we will continue to require indoor masking, and will provide high quality KN95 masks at the door to anyone who would like one.  We will continue to arrange socially distanced seating and make maximal use of our two high-quality HEPA air filters.  All of this helps to further reduce risk so that we can safely practice together in accordance with county and CDC guidelines.
  • PRACTICING TOGETHER PROVIDES IMPORTANT SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY
    We do not want the focus on minimizing risk to overshadow the benefits that we are striving to provide to our community, namely the opportunity for us to practice together.  After this long period of isolation and loneliness, coming together to practice as a sangha is an opportunity that we truly value. 

We understand that each of us, including our teachers, will need to evaluate the personal risks and benefits of in-person attendance and make individual decisions about how to attend SIM.  All of us on the Board want to support you in whatever you choose to do. 

We extend sincere thanks to the members of our audiovisual and set-up teams who have agreed to participate in making in-person attendance possible.  Over the next several weeks we will monitor attendance and decide in consultation with our volunteers whether the number of attendees justifies continuing the in-person component.  We will also continue careful monitoring of the latest scientific information regarding Covid and re-evaluate our plans accordingly.

With deep gratitude to all of you who have remained faithful supporters of our sangha,

Cathy Vigran, for the SIM Board

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COVID Update

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The SIM Board is monitoring the current available health information and will be considering whether to make changes to the format for Thursday nights. To confirm whether the evening format of our Sit & Dharam Talks are hybrid or online, check the website on the day of the meeting.

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Center ReOpening -Volunteers Still Needed

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POST UPDATED 7/30/21

DANA FOR THE SANGHA –  OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER AT IN-PERSON MEETINGS!

Great news!  SIM has opened up for hybrid in-person/ZOOM Meetings.  We’re pleased and very grateful for the many sangha members who stepped up to help with Set-Up/Close-Down, and we have no current need for more set-up help, but could use help in the areas below.

We could still use help in the following areas:

  • Greeter Coordinator/Greeters: Greeters welcome arriving attendees, guiding them to take off their shoes and, for now, putting on a mask.  For newcomers, greeters will help them find the bathroom and kitchen facilities and answer questions about SIM or meeting format. Greeters arrive at least one half hour before the scheduled meeting.  The Greeter Coordinator will help recruit and schedule greeters for each Thursday meeting
  • Flower Yogi Coordinator/Flower Yogi:  Flower yogis bring fresh flowers for the altar and Dharma Hall.  Flower yogis should arrive 30-40 minutes before the meeting begins to arrange the flowers. The Flower Yogi Coordinator will help recruit and schedule flower yogis.
  • Registrars for Daylongs, Special Events and Classes:
  • AV/Tech Support: AV/Tech duties include setting up the AV cart and the big screen TV, connecting the in-house audio and free standing audio systems, logging on to the scheduled zoom program, monitoring the zoom room and camera angles during the evening.  Additionally at the end of the evening closing the zoom broadcast and returning the AV cart and TV to the locked storage area.   The AV/Tech would participate in a rotating schedule for this volunteer service.  

Volunteering is an incredibly valuable and gratifying way to give dana to the community. It rewards volunteers in equal measure by expanding their connection with fellow sangha team members and with the Dharma Center building itself, just as their efforts reward the sangha.  If you are willing to try out one of these roles, please complete our volunteer interest form (click here) or send an email to Margaret Buss at sim-volunteers@sactoinsight.com.

ORIGINAL POST 6/22/2021

DANA FOR THE SANGHA –  OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER AT IN-PERSON MEETINGS!

Great news!  SIM will be opening up for hybrid in-person/ZOOM meetings beginning Thursday, July 15, and we will need a few more volunteers to make it happen.  Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Set-Up/Close-Down: A few more volunteers are needed either as part of a designated weekly or daylong set-up crew, or as occasional crew on an ad-hoc basis. Set-up crew puts out chairs, sets up the altar and back counter, and sets up tea service for breaks, as well as overseeing clean-up at the end of the evening.  Set-up volunteers arrive an hour before the meeting: 6 pm for regular meeting nights, 5 pm for the fourth Thursday Introduction to Meditation session prior to the regular meeting.
  • Greeter Coordinator/Greeters: Greeters welcome arriving attendees, guiding them to take off their shoes and, for now, putting on a mask.  For newcomers, greeters will help them find the bathroom and kitchen facilities and answer questions about SIM or meeting format. Greeters arrive at least one half hour before the scheduled meeting.  The Greeter Coordinator will help recruit and schedule greeters for each Thursday meeting
  • Flower Yogi Coordinator/Flower Yogi:  Flower yogis bring fresh flowers for the altar and Dharma Hall. Flower yogis should arrive 30-40 minutes before the meeting begins. The Flower Yogi Coordinator will help recruit and schedule flower yogis.

Volunteering is an incredibly valuable and gratifying way to give dana to the community. It rewards volunteers in equal measure by expanding their connection with fellow sangha team members and with the Dharma Center building itself.  If you are willing to try out one of these roles, please complete our volunteer interest form.

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