Affinity Groups offer regular opportunities for both new and experienced practitioners to participate at the Center in the company of others whose life experiences may be similar to their own. Please check CIMC’s Online Calendar for up-to-date schedule information.
If you would like to stay connected with CIMC and our Affinity Groups, please follow this link to sign up for updates and join community listservs: https://tinyurl.com/cimcsaffinitygroups
35 & Under Sangha
- 2nd and 4th Sundays (in-person): 7:00-8:15pm
- 2025 Dates: January 12, 26 | February 9, 23 | March 9, 23 | April 13, 27 | May 11 | June 8, 22 | July 13, 27 | August 10 | September 14, 28 | October 26 | November 9, 23 | December 14
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
This affinity group provides an opportunity for those ages 18-35 to practice the dharma in a supportive community setting. Every month, one meeting is led by Affinity Group Leaders Alex Baskin or Melanie Cherng -- while another meeting is led by a practice leader.
When led by an Affinity Group Leader, these evenings start with a period of guided sitting practice and walking meditation, followed by time for sharing: dyads (partner work) and small or large group discussion.
When led by a practice leader, these evenings will offer silent sitting and walking periods and will not offer meditation instruction — complete beginners should first attend a few sessions that are guided by a sangha leader with instruction on both walking and sitting practice.
Click here to meet a member of the 35 & Under Sangha.
Disability & Chronic Illness Sangha
- 1st Sundays: 5:30-7:00pm
- 2025 Dates: January 5, 2025 | February 2 | March 2 | April 6 | May 4 | June 1 | July 13 (2nd Sunday) | August 3 | September 7 | October 5 | November 2 | December 7
- Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 935 2507 3737 (passcode: cimc)
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
These gatherings are an opportunity to practice together and build community for those who self-identify as disabled and/or chronically ill*. We welcome the great variety of experiences and perspectives this includes, and we seek to view our experiences through the lens of dharma. Most meetings will include introductions, guided meditation, small and/or large group discussion, dharma teaching and a brief closing. To learn more about our sangha, we invite you to read our Welcome Statement.
The sangha is led by Reya Stevens who has had a disabling illness since she was a teenager, including 20 years’ riding a wheelchair and decades spent mostly lying down at home. Reya has been practicing Dharma since 1984 and has taught occasionally since 1997, as health and venue accessibility have allowed. Click here to meet Reya.
*This includes those who prefer different terminology—for example, a more specific descriptor like ‘blind’ or ‘neuro-divergent,’ or to simply explain their situation as needed. Please note, however, that the group is not geared towards people whose conditions are expected to be fully cured or healed in a relatively brief time (e.g., three months or less).
Elders Sangha
- 2nd Tuesdays (online) ; 4th Tuesdays (in-person): 10:30am-12:00pm
- 2025 Dates: January 14, 28 | February 11, 25 | March 11, 25 | April 8, 22 | May 13, 27 | June 10, 24 | July 8, 22 | September 9, 23 | October 14, 28 | November 11, 25 | December 9
- Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 963 1055 6128. (passcode: cimc)
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
Intended for people ages 65 and up, the Elders Sangha meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. As elders, we're invited as never before to look deeply into the great issues of impermanence, diminishment, and mortality. Yet through practice these are balanced by expanding compassion, joy and appreciation of life. Let us take advantage of this opportunity and come together every month for talks, discussion, and meditation. Together we'll explore both the challenges and sources of inspiration that enrich the process of creative, conscious aging. The group is led by Bert Seager, Betty Burkes, Jim Austin, Jo Ann Share, and Kate Beers. Click here to meet a member of the Elders Sangha.
LGBTQIA+ Sangha
- 3rd Fridays: 7:00-8:30pm
- 2025 Dates: January 17 | February 21 | March 21 | April 18 | May 16 | July 18 | September 19 | November 21 | December 12 (2nd Friday)
- Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 997 5010 1653. (passcode: cimc)
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
These evening gatherings provide a dedicated practice space at CIMC for people who self-identify as LGBTQIA+. This is a great opportunity to connect with and build community as we come together to practice, learn and celebrate who we are.
CIMC Resident Teacher Madeline Klyne leads sitting and walking meditation followed by a Dharma teaching and/or discussion. Our affinity group is a “drop-in” and is appropriate for beginners as well as those with prior meditation experience. Click here to meet a member of the LGBTQIA+ Sangha.
Little Buddhas Sangha
- 1st Sundays: 10:30 – 11:00 AM ET when online, 10:30 – 11:30 AM when in-person
- Dates: February 2, 2025 (online) | March 2 (in-person) | April 6 (online) | May 4 (in-person) | June 1 (online) | September 7 (in-person) | October 5 (online) | November 2 (online) | December 7 (in-person).
Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 849 9190 5073. (passcode: cimc) - Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
This group is an informal opportunity for parents and small children (ages 3-8) to explore a family practice. Through singing, playful movement and storytelling we learn how to spend time together mindfully. Seasonal and festive themes are interwoven in our work to bring in color, fun, and a community atmosphere. We introduce the concepts of awareness, non-judgement or acceptance, and stillness (in heart and mind -- the body may be moving). Some examples of mindfulness that might be explored are: mindful listening, mindful breathing, mindful seeing, and more. Children are naturally in tune with their bodies and their environment. Our work together tries to harness this beautiful quality of wonder and presence. We have a high tolerance for movement and sound, and the children are not expected to sit still or be quiet all the time. At the end of the session, there is some time reserved for conversation.
Children must be supervised by an adult at all times while at the Center. Our activities are geared to children ages 3-8. However, we are happy to welcome younger and older siblings so that families have the opportunity to practice and be together.
Parents Sangha
- 2nd Thursdays: 8:00-9:15pm
- 2025 Dates: January 9 | February 13 | March 13 | April 10 | May 8 | June 12 | July 10 | September 11 | October 9 | November 13 | December 11
- Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 987 8139 8893. (passcode: cimc)
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
CIMC’s Parents Sangha provides an opportunity for parents of children of all ages to practice together and build community. Bringing mindful attention to our skills as parents can increase our capacity to form strong bonds with all the members of our family. The practice of mindfulness cultivates conditions of openness and receptivity, in which communication and emotional connection naturally flourish.
Parenting is both a joyful and a challenging endeavor. In this group, we seek to view our experiences through the lens of Dharma. We will learn how to regulate our nervous systems, and model mindfulness for our families, so that we are able to navigate the inevitable waves of joy and frustration that accompany every parent’s experience with a greater sense of ease.
This sangha is led by parent Jim Austin, and is appropriate for new and experienced practitioners and parents of children of all ages. Gatherings will include meditation practice, discussion, and questions.
People of Color Sangha
- 1st Fridays: 6:30-8:00pm
- 2025 Dates: January 10 | February 7 | March 7 | April 4 | May 2 | June 6 | July 11 (2nd Friday) | August 8 | September 12 | October 3 | November 7 | December 5
- Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.
- If online: Zoom link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 922 8607 7706. (passcode: cimc)
- Please check our online calendar to determine if the POC Sangha will meet online or in person.
The POC Sangha provides a dedicated practice space at CIMC for those who self-identify as people of color and is appropriate for beginners as well as those with meditation experience. Over the course of the year, this drop-in program will explore the Dharma of the human experience; taking Buddhist teachings as our lens to explore the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, tenderness and beauty of living in a world of change. Please feel free to come to any, or all, of the monthly gatherings.
Our Friday evenings together will typically include:
- Guided Meditation
- Dharma Reflection/Teaching
- Small Group Reflection
- Large Sharing Circle, with Q and A, if time allows
- Community Announcements
The POC Sangha is led by Affinity Group Leaders Gina LaRoche, Juan Sosa, and Melanie Cherng. Click here to meet a member of the POC Sangha.