Sacramento Insight Meditation

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
2021-05-27 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Remote Meeting Zoom
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/99560174057
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 995 6017 4057 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.
RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, YOU MAY ENTER THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PLANNING TO ATTEND AND SELECT THE BUTTON “CONFIRM RSVP“.

(Remote) Beginning Meditation (6-Week Course)
2021-05-12 18:30 - 20:00
This class is currently taught by SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard and SIM Community Mentor Sandra Sigrist, and is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year. For details, visit the Course Overview page. After registering , if you’d like to make a donation to support SIM and the course instructors, consider donating online via credit card or Paypal.

Registration – Get Tickets After Feb 3
Pre-registration is necessary since the course registrar provides follow-up information required prior to this first class meeting.
Before making the $35 registration payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website. On Thursday, February 4, online registration opens. Pay the registration fee online using the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this course and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one. After you’ve paid the fee, you’ll receive an email with the subject “You have tickets!” (but no need to print the ticket on paper).
Note that all registrants will receive an email communication from the course registrar on the following dates: March 29, April 19, and May 7.
If you can’t attend this class now or the course is full (sold out), we invite you to add your name to the wait list (click here) and we’ll contact you when the next course offering is scheduled or if a space has opened up. If you need to contact the course registrar with any other questions, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Diane Wilde
2021-04-22 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/91350320475
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 913 5032 0475 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

REV. DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project) in 2010 and has been a prison chaplain for 18 years. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies at the Sacramento Dharma Center. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Living On The Other Side of Suffering (11-week course)
2021-04-07 18:30 - 20:30
Living On The Other Side of Suffering:
An Experiment In Balancing Practice And Becoming More Fully Human
An Eleven Week Course and One Day Retreat with SIM’s Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
For more information about this course, visit the course overview page.
Registration – Get Tickets
Before making the $35 registration payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
Summary of Important Dates

12/26/2020 – Announced 2021 course schedule and registration details.
01/09/2021 – Registration opened.

Questions for the Registrar?
No tickets are available because the course is full. Please click here to add your name to the Wait List. If you need to contact the course registrar with any other questions, click here.

(Remote) Daylong Retreat - Rich Howard - Resting in Awareness - At Home
2021-03-27 09:00 - 15:00
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
Resting in Awareness – At Home
Awareness is always accessible, and it does not require special effort. As contemporary Burmese teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya says, “Everything you need for understanding to arise is surrounding you in this moment. It is all on your doorstep: family, friends, work colleagues, and any other relationships you may have can all be powerful catalysts in your work of revealing wisdom.” What is difficult is to remember to be aware. With the pandemic limiting our opportunities to practice at retreat centers, it is more important than ever to remember to bring awareness into all activities.
In this simple day of practice, we will practice sitting, walking, and standing meditation wherever we are. Throughout the day, Rich will offer several options for promoting awareness in any posture or activity. There will also be opportunities for questions and sharing experiences.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

01/31/2021 – Registration opens.
03/27/2021 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Mar 27)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening before or the morning of the retreat, the registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and also in the email sent by the retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
2021-03-25 18:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/96475733398
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 964 7573 3398 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, YOU MAY ENTER THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PLANNING TO ATTEND AND SELECT THE BUTTON “CONFIRM RSVP“.

(Remote) Daylong Retreat - Diane Wilde - Working with “Mana”, the Pali Word for Conceit
2021-02-27 09:00 - 15:00
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Community Teacher, Rev. Diane Wilde
Working with “Mana”, the Pali Word for Conceit
Conceit (“māna” in Pali) is one of the last defilements, and the most subtle process to fall away as we begin“waking up”. It is much more than a feeling of superiority, although that is certainly one aspect. Conceit in Buddhism can mean feeling superior, inferior, or the same as others. In this daylong retreat, we will look more deeply at its subtlety through the use meditation, “thought experiments” as well as informative daily experiences. We may begin to see how deeply integrated conceit is in all of our judgements of ourselves and others. The amount of suffering in our lives is in direct proportion to our inner conceit.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project) in 2010 and has been a prison chaplain for 18 years. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies at the Sacramento Dharma Center. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

01/31/2021 – Registration opens.
02/27/2021 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Feb 27.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to participate in the retreat. Additionally, the Wednesday before or the morning of the retreat, the registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and also in the email sent by the retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Diane Wilde
2021-02-25 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/92176939080
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 921 7693 9080 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

REV. DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project) in 2010 and has been a prison chaplain for 18 years. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies at the Sacramento Dharma Center. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Mid-Morning Coffee/Tea Break with Greg Scharf
2021-01-29 10:00 - 11:00
This will be a chance to get to know visiting teacher Greg Scharf in an informal hangout (on Zoom). Bring a beverage and/or snack and your questions.
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/95676655921
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 956 7665 5921 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.

GREG SCHARF, an Insight Meditation Society guiding teacher, has practiced with Western and Asian teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992. He has been teaching residential retreats since 2007, including the annual Three-Month Retreat at IMS. Greg’s love of nature and the outdoors deeply informs both his practice and teaching.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Rich Howard
2021-01-28 17:30 - 18:30
Note that this session begins at 5:30 PM, which is 30 minutes earlier than our regular program time.
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/97311177689
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 973 1117 7689 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

Daylong Retreat - Dennis Warren - Resting and Getting Ready for 2021
2020-12-26 08:30 - 16:00
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
A Day of Rest and Getting Ready for 2021
After an exhausting year, this one-day retreat will help us experience some genuine rest and explore a number of tools for being ready for what 2021 has in store for us.
One part of the day will be working with restorative practices that ground and nourish us while simultaneously expanding our capacity for holding difficult experiences. Another part will examine ways to work with the unavoidable, unrelenting and brutal tension, anxiety and sorrow of 2021. The day will be designed to have us leave with a set of tools and strategies for use in the new year.
This will be a relaxed day of exploration, discussion and supporting each other. The day will be scaled so it is appropriate for any level of practice and experience.
(Pre-registration is required.)
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/.
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

12/07/2020 – Registration opens.
12/26/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Dec 26.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening before or the morning of the retreat, the registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and also in the email sent by the retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Rich Howard
2020-12-17 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/98472083249
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 984 7208 3249 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Holiday Virtual Gathering
2020-12-10 19:00 - 21:15
Join us for our annual Holiday Party (Zoom-version). It may be virtual, but it will be real: a chance to see familiar friends, to meet new people, and, after a difficult year, wish everyone – and all beings – well in the new year to come. The annual tradition of sharing talent continues, with sangha volunteers offering a poem, a song, a piano piece, the chanting of the Four Noble Truths in Pali.
You don’t have to bring anything but your self, but are welcome to bring tea or other beverage to sip. If you are so inclined, feel free to create whatever festive atmosphere you wish in your Zoom square.
You are encouraged to sign up in advance for our planning purposes [see Confirm RSVP button below]. But if you don’t decide until the last minute to come, you will still be most welcome.
And if you muster up the courage to share music or a poem or prose or some other talent, or if you have questions about the event, please contact Margaret Buss at bussmlou@gmail.com.

At the bottom of this page, enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP”.
After you submit your RSVP, watch for an email with a subject of “Your tickets from Sacramento Insight Meditation“. The email includes the link to join the party. Should you need to phone into the party without video, the zoom details are also listed below:
Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/j/98806442549
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 988 0644 2549 )
For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.

(Remote) Daylong retreat - Dennis Warren - Experience of Equanimity
2020-11-28 08:30 - 15:30
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
A Day of Exploring the Experience of Equanimity, Methods to Develop It & Ways to Use It In Daily Life
The mind state and practice of Equanimity is a powerful resource for maintaining perspective and living well in the face of confusion, challenge and the unrelenting change in our lives.
This will be a relaxed date of exploring the experience of Equanimity; methods of developing it; and specific and practical ways to use it in daily life and relationships. This will include working with the foundational elements that support the emergence and continuity of Equanimity. It will also include resource materials for later study and use by participants. The day will be suitable for all level of practice. (Pre-registration is required.)
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/.
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

10/04/2020 – Registration opens.
11/28/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Nov 28.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening before or the morning of the retreat, the registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and also in the email sent by the retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Dennis Warren
2020-11-19 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/94486100688
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 944 8610 0688 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Daylong Retreat with Rev. Diane Wilde
2020-10-31 09:00 - 15:30
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Community Teacher, Rev. Diane Wilde
Death as a Teacher
Just as life is happening all around us, so is death. Human beings appear to be the only species that are conscious of our mortality. Yet most people ignore this fact of our existence, preferring to put efforts, thoughts and practice on “more pleasant things”. We want to “wake up”, let go of our endless attachments, and experience contentment and ease in our lives just as they are. Paradoxically, facing our inevitable deaths is one of the classic Buddhist teachings for accepting the truth of existence and genuinely waking up to our lives.
The daylong will consist of two talks, guided meditations and practices for our everyday lives.
This particular topic may not be suitable for everyone.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3) in 2010. Since 2003, she has been a BP3 prison chaplain and aids in coordination of 75 volunteers who offer Buddhist services at numerous California prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, Sacramento Dharma Center, Buddhist Pathways Prison Project and California Dept. of Corrections Volunteer Advisory Board. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

08/22/2020 – Registration opens.
10/31/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Oct 31.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also include the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening or morning before the retreat, the registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and in the email sent by retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation
2020-10-22 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/93664667413
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 936 6466 7413 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

COURSE TEACHER biography will be posted soon.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

Living On The Other Side of Suffering (9-week course)
2020-09-30 19:00 - 21:15
Living On The Other Side of Suffering:
An Experiment In Balancing Practice And Becoming More Fully Human
An Nine Week Course and One Day Retreat with SIM’s Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
For more information about this course, visit the course overview page.
Registration – Get Tickets
Before making the $35 registration payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Currently the course is full (Tickets show a message Sold Out) however please add your name to the wait list (click here) and we’ll contact you about any spots that may open up. If you need to contact the course registrar with any other questions, click here.

(Remote) Daylong retreat - Dennis Warren - Comfort, Joy, Meaning
2020-09-26 08:30 - 15:30
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
Comfort, Joy, Meaning
This will be a relaxing day of practice. A day to give ourselves a break in the face of the amazing number of challenges we’re all facing right now. We’ll focus on experiences that support balance, comfort, ease and pleasure in meditation and everyday life. We’ll experiment with experiences that generate curiosity, lightness and joy. And we’ll explore, from a meta perspective, what informs how we live our lives and what ultimately gives our lives satisfaction, meaning and joy from a Buddhist perspective. If you plan on participating in this retreat, it would be helpful to sit in on Dennis’ presentation two days before the retreat on Thursday evening the 24th.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/.
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.

Summary of Important Dates

08/22/2020 – Registration opens.
09/26/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (Registration via this website closes 30 minutes before the start of the retreat on Sep 26.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening before the retreat, the retreat registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and also in the email sent by the retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Dennis Warren
2020-09-24 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/95640745936
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 956 4074 5936D )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Beginning Meditation Class (6 Week Course)
2020-09-22 19:00 - 21:00
This class is currently taught by SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard and is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year.

Course Flyer (.pdf)

Classes meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on September 22, 29, October 6, 13, 20 and 27 plus a daylong retreat on Saturday, October 24, 2020 and details for this event are posted on the Course Overview page. If you have registered to this course and would like to make a donation to support SIM and the course instructors, consider donating online via credit card or Paypal.

Registration Details
Pre-registration is necessary since the course registrar provides follow-up information required prior to this first class meeting.
Before making the $35 registration payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website. On Tuesday, August 11, online registration opens. Pay the registration fee online using the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this course and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one. After you’ve paid the fee, you’ll receive an email with the subject “You have tickets!” (but no need to print the ticket on paper).
Note that all registrants will receive an email communication from the course registrar on the following dates: Sunday, August 23 and Monday, September 7.
If you can’t attend this class now or the course is full (sold out), we invite you to add your name to the wait list (click here) and we’ll contact you when the next course offering is scheduled or if a space has opened up. If you need to contact the course registrar with any other questions, click here.

(Remote) 2020 SIM Annual Retreat
2020-09-11 - 2020-09-16
Sacramento Insight Meditation (SIM)
15th Annual Retreat
“Keeping our Footing on Unsteady Ground”
This is a five day, online Zoom event with Senior Teacher John Travis
(Friday, September 11th at approximately 6 pm through Wednesday, September 16th by 11 am)
Residential retreat is widely viewed in the Theravada tradition as an important, if not essential, component in the path towards awakening. Residential meditation practice provides an environment that helps us turn inward towards a way of being where we live and act from a place of stillness, satisfaction, and kindness. This retreat is designed to deepen practice skills and foster insights into the stages of awakening and their implications for daily life. People of all walks of life are warmly welcome.
It is rare for a community sangha to sponsor a regular residential retreat and this year’s retreat will be unusual because we’ll have it online via Zoom. Practicing online together for multiple days, our individual efforts join together into a powerful force to deepen our practice, integrate it into our daily lives in our home environment, and strengthen our connections as a community. This year there will be two options for attending this retreat. See Participation and Registration sections below.
While this retreat is appropriate for both experienced and less experienced meditators, we encourage you to consider the following questions before registering:

Do you have a regular practice?
Do you have a home sangha or group that you sit with?
Have you sat at a multi-day retreat before?

If you have questions about whether this retreat is appropriate for you, please contact the retreat registrar for advise.
Our retreat teacher this year will be John Travis.
John Travis is the founding teacher of Mountain Stream Meditation Center and a member of the Senior Teachers Council of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He studied in Asia for many years with many of the Buddhist masters who have influenced a generation of American meditation teachers—Thubten Yeshe, Kalu Rinpoche, Anagarika Munidra, S.N. Goenka, and Traungpula. He has also trained with and received teaching authorization from Jack Kornfield.
John was a critical force in the early growth of the Sacramento meditation community through his regular presence, guidance, and teachings during the 1990s. His sound and thoughtful advice has been instrumental to the development of Sacramento Insight Meditation. He now teaches regularly in various meditation centers in the United States and overseas. His teachings are characterized by his kindness, compassion, the depth of his meditation experience, and his ability to see deeply into the minds and hearts of those with whom he is working.
Participation
This retreat is designed to support those who are able to make this a full-time at home self-retreat, as well as those who may need to work, care for family members or do other daily life activities during parts of the rest of their day/evening.
Everyone is strongly encouraged to attend the 3-4 sessions each day with the Teacher. To view the current retreat schedule, click here. Full participants will also have one small group check-in with the Teacher.
For those with uncertain work or travel schedules, there are a limited number of spaces available to audit the retreat. Auditing does not include the small group check-in with the Teacher. If you require this accommodation, select the Ticket option “Auditing“.
Cost
The registration fee will be $100 with an opportunity to later make a donation to support the teacher, John Travis.

Registration
Note: If this retreat is full (you’ll see a message SOLD OUT), there’s a good chance you may still be able to attend since people’s plans change and there will likely be some cancellations. Proceed with the registration process to add your name to the wait list and as soon as a spot is open, we’ll notify you. If you don’t get into the retreat, we’ll refund your deposit. Expect us to contact you on or before Friday, Aug 24, 2020 with an update about your wait list status.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
You may pay online or by check as follows:
Online Registration
Registration payments done online will automatically add your name to the registration or wait list. If you’re paying for more than one person, SIM will confirm everyone’s name and email address at a later date.
To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
Postal Registration
If you plan to pay the registration fee by mail, you must add your name to the RSVP list to secure your spot in the registration queue. Click here for postal registration instructions.
Scholarships
A limited number of partial or full scholarships are available based on need. To request the scholarship application, please add your name to the RSVP list to secure your spot in the registration queue. Click here for scholarship registration instructions.
Cancellations

Through August 21, 2020, full refund if requested by this date.
After August 21, 2020, the registration fee could be refunded if SIM is able to fill your spot with another participant. Otherwise, the registration fee will not be refunded. A waiver of this policy will be considered in limited circumstances based on request demonstrating financial hardship.

Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Audio Dharma
Some of the dharma talks for this retreat were recorded. If you attended this retreat, click here and enter the password to access the recordings.

(Remote) Daylong Retreat - Rich Howard - Awareness and Friends
2020-08-29 08:30 - 16:30
An online, One Day Retreat with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
Retreat Theme: Awareness and Friends: A Day of Practice
The practice of mindful awareness is at the core of our practice. When cultivated properly, it brings along several of its friends: clear seeing, clear comprehension, tranquility, acceptance, and eventually compassion and equanimity. This day of practice will be in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, a contemporary Burmese monk, with an open schedule conducive to home practice. It should work well on Zoom.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

07/11/2020 – Registration opens.
Registration via this website will close 30 minutes before the start of the retreat (8:00 am, Aug 29).
08/29/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email “Ticket” that also include the link to join the Zoom meeting. Use this link at the start of the retreat to join the online retreat. Additionally, the evening before the retreat, the retreat registrar will send you a welcome email that also includes the link to join the Zoom meeting.
Join online meeting: The hyperlink is included in your emailed "Ticket" and in the email sent by retreat registrar.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Dennis Warren
2020-08-27 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://zoom.us/j/95758794860
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 957 5879 4860 )
For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) *Daylong Retreat with Ayya Santacitta Bhikkhuni and Rev. Diane Wilde
2020-07-25 08:30 - 15:30
An online, One Day Retreat with Ayya Santacitta Bhikkhuni and Rev. Diane Wilde
Retreat theme: What I have learned from my teachers
Lessons come from our cherished teachers as well as from lesser known beings throughout our lives. Paying attention and incorporating these teachings can change the trajectory of our lives from self-absorption towards more happiness and freedom. How do we do that? Which lessons are most pertinent to our own lives?
Ayya Santacitta — in her thirty years as Buddhist monastic — has benefited from some of the great teachers of our time, in both Theravada and Vajrayana traditions. They include Ajahn Buddhadasa, Ajahn Sumedho, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Bhikkhu Analayo and others. Diane Wilde has gained lessons from her years as an activist, both for prison reform and the environment, as well as a chaplain for many individuals as they died. Join us for a day of online teaching from a variety of perspectives ~ we look forward to practicing together.
AYYA SANTACITTA was born in Austria and has a multifaceted background in hotel management, ethnology and avant-garde dance theater. Her first teacher was Ajahn Buddhadasa, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She has practiced meditation for 30 years and trained as a nun in both the East and West since 1993, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002 she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Ayya Santacitta is co-founder of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery, where she has resided since 2009 and took Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is particularly interested in creating sanctuary close to nature, practicing in community, and bringing wisdom traditions to the environmental movement.
DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3) in 2010. Since 2003, she has been a BP3 prison chaplain and aids in coordination of 75 volunteers who offer Buddhist services at numerous California prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, Sacramento Dharma Center, Buddhist Pathways Prison Project and California Dept. of Corrections Volunteer Advisory Board. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.

Summary of Important Dates

07/09/2020 – Registration opens (pre-registration is required).
07/24/2020 – Registration via this website closed at 5:00 pm. By 7:00 pm, the registrar will send you an email with details on how to join the online retreat.
07/25/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email the evening before the retreat.
Join online meeting: see email sent by retreat registrar for the hyperlink.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use Zoom to attend the retreat, click here.
To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Dennis Warren
2020-07-23 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86103173366
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 ( Meeting ID: 861 0317 3366 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Cancelled) Half day Retreat - Diane Wilde- Revolution of Mind
2020-06-27 08:00 - 12:00
An Online, Half-day Retreat with SIM Community Teacher Rev. Diane Wilde
This retreat is cancelled.
It’s a Revolution of the Mind!
A revolution is taking place in our own minds just as it is taking place in society. The amount of anxiety, concern, and fear is beyond anything we have seen before. For many of us, these past few months in quarantine have opened up our minds to mental experiences which are new to us. Fear of the unknown, fear of sickness, fear of societal upheaval. Yet contemporary scientists/neurologists as well as the Buddha, have said that the mind is capable of contending with these unprecedented times. We’ll practice together and investigate relevant Buddhist teachings as well as neurological studies and techniques for uprooting anxiety and stress.

DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3) in 2010. Since 2003, she has been a BP3 prison chaplain and aids in coordination of 75 volunteers who offer Buddhist services at numerous California prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, Sacramento Dharma Center, Buddhist Pathways Prison Project and California Dept. of Corrections Volunteer Advisory Board. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher Gil Fronsdal.
The Teacher offers the teachings freely in the tradition of the Buddha, and her livelihood is completely sustained by the generosity of the communities she serves. Dana (donation) for these priceless teachings will be gratefully accepted by the teacher, giving participants the opportunity to freely engage in the practice of generosity, the first step toward freedom. You may donate for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account.
Summary of Important Dates

05/23/2020 – Registration opens.
06/26/2020 – Registration via this website is closed.
06/27/2020 – This retreat is cancelled.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we accept checks and cash. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information. Day-of registration will be on a first-come first-serve basis, contingent on availability of space.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
This retreat is cancelled.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Diane Wilde
2020-06-25 18:00 - 19:00
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84317360464
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 843 1736 0464 )
For instructions on how to use the access methods listed above, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3) in 2010. Since 2003, she has been a BP3 prison chaplain and aids in coordination of 75 volunteers who offer Buddhist services at numerous California prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, Sacramento Dharma Center, Buddhist Pathways Prison Project and California Dept. of Corrections Volunteer Advisory Board. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher Gil Fronsdal.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Online) Metta Offering from Kamala Masters
2020-06-05 11:00 - 11:30
Metta Offering from Kamala Masters, June 5th

(Remote) Daylong Retreat - Heather Sundberg - Support of Compassion & more
2020-05-30 10:00 - 15:00
An Online, Daylong Retreat with visiting Senior Teacher Heather Sundberg
The Support of Compassion & Equanimity, Resilience & Patience
Developing the qualities of Compassion, Equanimity, Resilience & Patience are an important basic toolkit to nurture ourselves & others in today’s world. As we connect with our experience from a place of spacious stillness and steadiness, we learn to meet the changing and challenging conditions we encounter with greater caring, patience and balance of mind.
Enjoy a day of quiet sitting and walking meditation, which allow our body & mind to settle down and our hearts to open to an inner wisdom. In addition to insight meditation practice, Heather will offer teachings & guided meditations on the theme, as well as optional Qi Gong practice & discussion about how to live these teachings in our daily lives.
In this daylong retreat, we will:

Open the mind & heart to our natural capacity for caring in a balanced way through Compassion practice.
Find balance within reactivity through Equanimity practice.
Deepen inner Resiliency through somatic practices.
Rediscover the gifts within the quality of Patience.

Note there will be a lunch break from Noon to 1:00 pm.

Event flyer (.pdf file)

HEATHER SUNDBERG Heather Sundberg has taught insight meditation since 1999 and has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training. Beginning her own meditation practice in her late teens, for the last 25 years Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vajrayana) traditions and has sat 1-3 months of retreat a year for the last 25 years. She was the Spirit Rock Family & Teen Program Teacher & Manager for a decade. Between 2010 and 2015 she spent a cumulative one-year in study, practice, and pilgrimage in Asia. Since 2011, she has been a Teacher at Mountain Stream Meditation Center and sister communities in the Sierra Foothills, and teaches retreats nationally & internationally. Her teaching emphasizes embodiment, compassion, awareness, and practical wisdom. For more information about Heather visit heathersundberg.com.
The Teacher offers the teachings freely in the tradition of the Buddha, and her livelihood is completely sustained by the generosity of the communities she serves. Dana (donation) for these priceless teachings will be gratefully accepted by the teacher, giving participants the opportunity to freely engage in the practice of generosity, the first step toward freedom. You may donate for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account.
Summary of Important Dates

02/15/2020 – Registration opens.
05/29/2020 – Registration via this website has closed. Before 9:00 pm, the registrar will send you an email with details on how to join the online retreat.
05/30/2020 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat. (There will be a lunch break from Noon to 1:00 pm.)

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we accept checks and cash. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
How to attend this online retreat
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email the evening before the retreat.
Join online meeting: see email sent by retreat registrar for the hyperlink.
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( see email sent by retreat registrar for the Meeting ID )
For tips and instructions on how to use the access methods listed above, click here.
To give a donation after attending the retreat, click here.
