CIMC’s “Reopening Committee” comprised of teachers, staff and board members has been meeting regularly to plan for how and when CIMC’s building will reopen. Our decisions are informed by what we have learned from our recent community survey, input from teachers, staff and medical professionals, and consultations with other Dharma Centers. Our decisions are rooted in our “Guiding Principles for Reopening” which we shared earlier this year.
COVID VACCINATION
After careful consideration, CIMC has decided to require that all staff, teachers, program participants and members who come to our building this year be fully vaccinated*. The efficacy and safety of vaccines against the coronavirus is scientifically proven; by getting the vaccine you protect not only your own health but the health of others. CIMC’s vaccination requirement aligns with our intention that our Center be a refuge, a place of safety where we care for one another in support of our collective well-being. It is in keeping with foundational principles of the Dharma, which include a commitment to non-harm and the recognition of our interdependence.
We recognize and understand that members of our community hold different perspectives on what should be undertaken in these imperfect times. For those who are not vaccinated or who are unable to come to the Center for other reasons, CIMC will continue to offer myriad online programs designed to support Dharma practice and spiritual connection.
We will revisit our coronavirus vaccination policy as conditions change and look forward to the day when covid concerns are truly a thing of the past. May everyone find a Dharma home at CIMC.
WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THE FALL?
- We will offer several day-long and weekend programs in person at the Center this fall. Our first in-person program – Calm and Insight with Narayan Helen Liebenson — is scheduled for Saturday, September 25th. (Registration will open in mid-August.)
- Some of our day-long and weekend programs will be offered online.
- Our Practice Groups will remain online for now.
- All drop-in programs, including our Beginner’s Drop-in, Dharma in Daily Life, and our Wednesday Evening Dharma Program will remain online for now.
- Our Community Group Sanghas will continue to meet online for now.
- After Labor Day, we expect to open the Center to CIMC Members who are vaccinated* for individual practice. More information about this will be sent to all CIMC Members in mid-August.
ONLINE PROGRAMS
CIMC is committed to ensuring that our offerings of the Dharma are accessible to all. To support our diverse community as equitably as possible, we will continue to provide a robust schedule of online programs by offering online practice groups, retreats, Dharma talks and drop-in programs for practitioners of all levels. Our Reopening Committee is also researching dual-mode (“hybrid”) methods, talking with other Dharma Centers about their plans, and looking into what equipment we would need to put in place to facilitate these kinds of programs in the future.
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*Participants/Members must be fully vaccinated two weeks before arriving at the Center. We will require everyone to provide proof of vaccination in advance. Further details will be shared as soon as possible.