We hope you’ll join us in SIM’s Beginning Meditation course. Participants meet for six weeks on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm from January 6 through February 10, with a daylong retreat on Saturday, January 31 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the course overview page. The following link includes all registration details, or you can visit https://sactoinsight.org/event/beginning-meditation-2026jan/
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2025-10-24 13:41:362025-10-24 13:41:38Registration Now Open (Beginning Meditation)
We’d like to share that Vance Pryor, who joined our SIM Faculty and leadership team earlier this year, has decided to step down from this core teaching and administrative role to focus on his teaching and other endeavors.
We are deeply grateful for Vance’s contributions to SIM during this past year and for the wisdom and care he brings to his teaching. We’re pleased that he will continue his relationship with SIM as a visiting teacher and remains committed to teaching our 2028 residential retreat with Diana Clark and Walt Opie.
We wish Vance all the best as he continues his work in sharing the Dharma, and we look forward to welcoming him back to teach at SIM in the future.
To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.
The first talk is on Mudita, also known as Sympathetic Joy. Mudita can be defined as enjoying the good fortune or happiness experienced by others as well as ourselves. In today’s fast-paced, phone-obsessed, competitive society, we bypass much of the joy in our lives as well as in the lives of others.
Additionally due to societal polarization, as well as the emphasis on winning—no matter what it takes—we often find ourselves engaging in mind states that are the direct opposite of mudita. Due to jealousy, anger, and toxic competitiveness, we find ourselves taking delight in the misfortune of others. This “dark glee” is called schadenfreud and continually engaging in this mind state has severe repercussions including the exacerbation of depression and anxiety.
Tonight we will learn practical methods for decreasing schadenfreud and for elevating mudita in our lives, thus increasing our own contentment, ease and a sense of true connection with others.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00David Guerrierihttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngDavid Guerrieri2025-10-23 22:00:002025-10-24 10:07:0710/23/2025 “Mudita: ‘Finding Joy in the Happiness and Well-being of Others’. Why Can it Often be so Difficult?” with Diane Wilde
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
Daylong Retreat with SIM Senior Community Teacher Rich Howard
For biographical details of the teacher Rich Howard, click here.
Retreat Theme
Continuity of Awareness: A Day of Practice Mindfulness is at the heart of our practice in the Insight/Vipassana tradition. Since formal meditation with our community and more intensive practice on retreat are so rewarding, it is tempting to view these formal settings as the primary places to develop the skill/habit of maintaining awareness. However, it is the continuity of awareness, rather than scattered short intervals of more intensive practice, that really bears fruit and transforms our understanding, our behavior and our relationships. As the contemporary Burmese monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya puts it: “Mindfulness is a lifetime commitment, not a part-time job. It is something that you really, really need to do all the time. All the time.” In this daylong retreat, we will explore awareness in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, with short instructional talks from Rich and ample opportunity for loosely structured sitting and walking practice, as well as question/response periods. There will also be opportunities for one-on-one practice check-ins. The daylong will be offered in-person only at the Sacramento Dharma Center. Plan to bring a lunch and stay all day. The intention for the day is to leave participants with confidence in their ability to increase continuity of awareness in formal meditation and diverse situations of daily life, in this world, right now.
About This Hybrid Retreat
The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center. Participants may attend this Hybrid event via Zoom or in-person at the SDC. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged.
Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance using the registration button shown below. Since your registration choice indicates if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person, registering early helps us determine how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
01/24/2026 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
01/24/2026 – For registration after the retreat, send a message to the registrar to arrange payment.
Registration
$25.00 – $50.00 Registration fee
Select one of the following registration “ATTEND” buttons to indicate if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.
After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Teacher Dana
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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places: The Zoom link is on this page – select the button “Join Retreat Online” to connect to the meeting.
The Zoom link is included in the automated email sent with your “Attend on Zoom” registration.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RichHoward-pic2022sm.jpg400400Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2025-10-19 23:58:032025-12-19 19:48:02(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat – Rich Howard – Continuity of Awareness: A Day of Practice
Daylong Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
For biographical details of the teacher Dennis Warren, click here.
Retreat Theme
LOVE This one day that will explore the nature of Love that is individual and possessive vs that which is plural and non-attached. We’ll examine different viewpoints within Buddhism, as well as other spiritual systems. While the difference between these two types of love may initially seem clear, the actual experience and expressions of Love — when it is freed from craving, clinging and identification — are diverse, rich, and inspiring.
Before his passing, the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh gifted us with a beautiful and insightful little book entitled “How To Love.” In its pages, he offers a direct and heartfelt exploration of what it truly means to love—ourselves, one another, all beings, the natural world, and the Dharma itself. True to its title, he gently shows us how to practice this love in our daily lives. While Thich Nhat Hanh lived and practiced within the Mahayana Zen tradition, the wisdom in this book resonates deeply with the psychology, teachings, and methods of the Historical Buddha in our Theravadan/Vipassana approach to Buddhism.
Join us for an exploration of:
What does Love mean from a Buddhist perspective?
How does it differ from our conventional understanding of love?
How can this particular approach to Love enrich our lives?
What are specific, practical ways we can integrate this form of Love into our daily lives and relationships?
Important Note:Reading and becoming familiar with the teachings in “How To Love” before the retreat will help you get the most out of our time together. During this one day, we’ll have at least one period of mindful movement, so please bring your yoga mat. The session will be led by Sandra (Sam) Halford, a member of our community who is both a therapist and a trauma-sensitive certified yoga instructor. Plan to stay with us on site for the entire day, and please bring a lunch to enjoy during our midday break. We warmly welcome you to join us in person on Saturday, December 29th for this exploration of Love. We look forward to practicing together!
About This Onsite Retreat
The teacher will present in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center. All participants will attend in-person as the retreat will not be available via Zoom.
Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance using the registration button shown below. Since your registration choice indicates that you’ll be attending in-person, registering early helps us determine how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
12/27/2025 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
12/27/2025 – For registration after the retreat, send a message to the registrar to arrange payment.
Registration
Select the Register Now button to indicate you’ll be attending in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.
After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Teacher Dana
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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Dennis-Warren-2508-400.jpg400400Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2025-10-19 23:41:012025-12-03 09:49:42(Onsite) Daylong Retreat – Dennis Warren – LOVE
This class is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year. You must pre-register to the course before attending this class. For course details, click here.
Offer a Donation
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation online, click here to visit the general donation page for all SIM courses. Select “DONATE DANA” and from the dropdown list, select “Beg.Meditation 6-week“.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2025-10-17 17:02:062025-10-17 17:02:08(Hybrid) Beginning Meditation Class (6 of 6)
This class is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year. You must pre-register to the course before attending this class. For course details, click here.
Offer a Donation
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation online, click here to visit the general donation page for all SIM courses. Select “DONATE DANA” and from the dropdown list, select “Beg.Meditation 6-week“.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
3111 Wissemann Drive Sacramento,
CA
95826United States+ Google Map
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2025-10-17 16:59:082025-10-17 16:59:09(Hybrid) Beginning Meditation Class (5 of 6)
Registration Now Open (Beginning Meditation)
Course Portal, NewsWe hope you’ll join us in SIM’s Beginning Meditation course. Participants meet for six weeks on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm from January 6 through February 10, with a daylong retreat on Saturday, January 31 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the course overview page.
The following link includes all registration details, or you can visit https://sactoinsight.org/event/beginning-meditation-2026jan/
Announcement: Faculty Update
NewsAnnouncement: Faculty Update
We’d like to share that Vance Pryor, who joined our SIM Faculty and leadership team earlier this year, has decided to step down from this core teaching and administrative role to focus on his teaching and other endeavors.
We are deeply grateful for Vance’s contributions to SIM during this past year and for the wisdom and care he brings to his teaching. We’re pleased that he will continue his relationship with SIM as a visiting teacher and remains committed to teaching our 2028 residential retreat with Diana Clark and Walt Opie.
We wish Vance all the best as he continues his work in sharing the Dharma, and we look forward to welcoming him back to teach at SIM in the future.
10/23/2025 “Mudita: ‘Finding Joy in the Happiness and Well-being of Others’. Why Can it Often be so Difficult?” with Diane Wilde
Audio DharmaThe first talk is on Mudita, also known as Sympathetic Joy. Mudita can be defined as enjoying the good fortune or happiness experienced by others as well as ourselves. In today’s fast-paced, phone-obsessed, competitive society, we bypass much of the joy in our lives as well as in the lives of others.
Additionally due to societal polarization, as well as the emphasis on winning—no matter what it takes—we often find ourselves engaging in mind states that are the direct opposite of mudita. Due to jealousy, anger, and toxic competitiveness, we find ourselves taking delight in the misfortune of others. This “dark glee” is called schadenfreud and continually engaging in this mind state has severe repercussions including the exacerbation of depression and anxiety.
Tonight we will learn practical methods for decreasing schadenfreud and for elevating mudita in our lives, thus increasing our own contentment, ease and a sense of true connection with others.
SIM Board of Directors Meeting
Board MeetingMarch 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm PDT
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
SIM Board of Directors Meeting
Board MeetingFebruary 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm PST
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
SIM Board of Directors Meeting
Board MeetingJanuary 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm PST
The SIM Board of Directors meets every month and all are welcome. If you can’t attend this meeting, please join us for one of our other up-coming meetings. For details on contacting any of the board members, click here.
President Board of Directors
AmyK@sactoinsight.org
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat – Rich Howard – Continuity of Awareness: A Day of Practice
Online Remote, RetreatJanuary 24 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST
Daylong Retreat with SIM Senior Community Teacher Rich Howard
For biographical details of the teacher Rich Howard, click here.
Retreat Theme
Continuity of Awareness: A Day of Practice
Mindfulness is at the heart of our practice in the Insight/Vipassana tradition. Since formal meditation with our community and more intensive practice on retreat are so rewarding, it is tempting to view these formal settings as the primary places to develop the skill/habit of maintaining awareness. However, it is the continuity of awareness, rather than scattered short intervals of more intensive practice, that really bears fruit and transforms our understanding, our behavior and our relationships. As the contemporary Burmese monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya puts it: “Mindfulness is a lifetime commitment, not a part-time job. It is something that you really, really need to do all the time. All the time.”
In this daylong retreat, we will explore awareness in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, with short instructional talks from Rich and ample opportunity for loosely structured sitting and walking practice, as well as question/response periods. There will also be opportunities for one-on-one practice check-ins. The daylong will be offered in-person only at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
Plan to bring a lunch and stay all day. The intention for the day is to leave participants with confidence in their ability to increase continuity of awareness in formal meditation and diverse situations of daily life, in this world, right now.
About This Hybrid Retreat
Summary of Important Dates
Registration
Select one of the following registration “ATTEND” buttons to indicate if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.
After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.
January Daylong registration – SDC
$25.00 – $50.00
ATTEND In-PersonJanuary Daylong registration – Zoom
$25.00 – $50.00
ATTEND on ZoomQuestions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Teacher Dana
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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
How to Attend Remotely via Zoom
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
(Onsite) Daylong Retreat – Dennis Warren – LOVE
RetreatDecember 27, 2025 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST
Daylong Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
For biographical details of the teacher Dennis Warren, click here.
Retreat Theme
LOVE
This one day that will explore the nature of Love that is individual and possessive vs that which is plural and non-attached. We’ll examine different viewpoints within Buddhism, as well as other spiritual systems. While the difference between these two types of love may initially seem clear, the actual experience and expressions of Love — when it is freed from craving, clinging and identification — are diverse, rich, and inspiring.
Before his passing, the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh gifted us with a beautiful and insightful little book entitled “How To Love.” In its pages, he offers a direct and heartfelt exploration of what it truly means to love—ourselves, one another, all beings, the natural world, and the Dharma itself. True to its title, he gently shows us how to practice this love in our daily lives.
While Thich Nhat Hanh lived and practiced within the Mahayana Zen tradition, the wisdom in this book resonates deeply with the psychology, teachings, and methods of the Historical Buddha in our Theravadan/Vipassana approach to Buddhism.
Join us for an exploration of:
Important Note: Reading and becoming familiar with the teachings in “How To Love” before the retreat will help you get the most out of our time together.
During this one day, we’ll have at least one period of mindful movement, so please bring your yoga mat. The session will be led by Sandra (Sam) Halford, a member of our community who is both a therapist and a trauma-sensitive certified yoga instructor.
Plan to stay with us on site for the entire day, and please bring a lunch to enjoy during our midday break. We warmly welcome you to join us in person on Saturday, December 29th for this exploration of Love. We look forward to practicing together!
About This Onsite Retreat
Summary of Important Dates
Registration
Select the Register Now button to indicate you’ll be attending in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.
After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.
December Daylong registration – Attend in-person
$25.00 – $50.00
Register nowQuestions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Teacher Dana
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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
(Hybrid) Beginning Meditation Class (6 of 6)
Meditation Course, Online RemoteFebruary 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PST
This class is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year. You must pre-register to the course before attending this class. For course details, click here.
Offer a Donation
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation online, click here to visit the general donation page for all SIM courses. Select “DONATE DANA” and from the dropdown list, select “Beg.Meditation 6-week“.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map
(Hybrid) Beginning Meditation Class (5 of 6)
Meditation Course, Online RemoteFebruary 3 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PST
This class is part of a six week meditation course offered twice a year. You must pre-register to the course before attending this class. For course details, click here.
Offer a Donation
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation online, click here to visit the general donation page for all SIM courses. Select “DONATE DANA” and from the dropdown list, select “Beg.Meditation 6-week“.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map