Drop-In Programs

35 & Under Sangha

• Sundays: 7:00-8:15pm, in person
• Dates: January 29, 2023 | February 26 | March 26 | April 23 | May 21 | June 25 | July 23 | August 13 | September 24 | October 22 | November 19 | December 17
• If online: Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 972 3845 0358 (passcode: cimc)
• 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. Meetings are led by Affinity Group Leaders Alex Baskin, Ben Polletta, and Melanie Cherng. 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. Appropriate for both new and experienced meditators. Click here to meet a member of the 35&Under Sangha.

Beginners Drop-In

Our Beginners Drop-In program will meet in person and online on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 6:00-7:00pm. Door will close at 6:10pm. Beginners Drop-in will be offered online-only on all other Tuesdays. 

• Tuesdays: 6:00-7:00pm
• Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 928 8680 3138. (passcode: cimc)
• Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.

On most Tuesday nights throughout the year CIMC offers an Insight Meditation (vipassana) program for beginners. Each class includes basic meditation instruction, practice and discussion. This class is appropriate for first-time meditators as well as those with meditation experience. No registration required.

The program begins promptly at 6:00pm. Please arrive on time and plan to stay for the entire class.

Beginners Drop-in is not offered during CIMC's end-of-summer break, during Multi-Day Retreats or when the Center is closed for winter break at the end of the year. Please see CIMC's online program calendar for up-to-date information.

Dharma in Daily Life

• Weekdays: 8:45-9:00am
• Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 913 2860 9474. (passcode: cimc)
• Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.

Every weekday, Narayan Helen Liebenson offers 15 minutes of respite and support: a brief sitting practice, Dharma reflections, and her "Dharma Practice for Today" designed to help you live each day in a more connected, wise, generous and loving way.

Disability & Chronic Illness Sangha

• Sundays: 5:30-7:00pm
• Dates: January 22, 2023 | February 5 | March 5 | April 2 | May 7 | June 4 | July 16 | August 6 | September 17 | October 1 | November 5 | December 3
• 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
• Dates: January 10 & 24, 2023 | February 14, 28 | March 14, 28 | April 11, 25 | May 9, 23 | June 13, 27 | July 11, 25 | August 8 | September 12, 26 | October 10, 24 | November 14, 28 | December 12
• 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 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 Olivia Hoblitzelle or Betty Burkes on 2nd Tuesdays (with Jo Ann Share or Kate Beers as co-facilitators), and by Kate Beers on 4th Tuesdays. Click here to meet a member of the Elders Sangha.

Gratitude Gathering

• Thursday, November 23: 10:30am-12:00pm
• Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 969 2654 3583. (passcode: cimc)
• Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.

On Thanksgiving Day, we gather to share readings and reflections on gratitude and the blessings in our lives. Come join us for this annual community gathering. Bring your family, friends, parents, children and others you love. Everyone is welcome. Our time together will include a period of guided sitting practice and discussion.

LGBTQIA+ Sangha

• Fridays: 7:00-8:30pm
• Dates: January 13, 2023 | February 17 | April 21 | May 19 | June 16 | July 21 | September 22 | November 17
• 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 Core 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

• Sundays: 10:00-10:30am
• Dates: January 22, 2023 | February 26 | March 12 | April 2 | May 7 | June 11 | July dates and onwards TBD.
• Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 992 0690 6921. (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. 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. Click here to meet a member of the Little Buddhas Sangha.

Other Drop-Ins

CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE: Friday, February 24 from 6:30-8:00pm
Once a year we gather together in community to mourn and release those we have loved deeply, who have died. We remember family members and friends as well as practitioners at CIMC. The group that gathers is open-hearted and friendly, bonded together by the possibility of honoring the ebbs and flows of this life as it manifests in our personal relationships. You may come in the name of anyone you are mourning, whether recently or those further in the past, incompletely mourned. It is also fine to come to mourn traumatic events in the world. This evening consists of a small amount of chanting, a short introduction and talk, and a time for each of us to light a candle in remembrance of those we are mourning. Each will have the option to speak for a few minutes about the gifts we’ve received from our connection with those who have had a significant place in our hearts. After all candles are lit, we chant some more and then blow out our candles together.

GRATITUDE GATHERING: Thanksgiving Day, from 10:30am to 12:00pm
On Thanksgiving Day, we gather to share readings and reflections on gratitude and the blessings in our lives. Come join us for this annual community gathering. Bring your family, friends, parents, children and others you love. Everyone is welcome. Our time together will include a period of guided sitting practice and discussion.

NEW YEAR'S EVE PRACTICE & REFLECTIONS: Friday, December 31, 10:00pm-12:15am
Please join the CIMC community for a contemplative and connecting transition to the new year. Our time together will include guided meditation, chanting, a Buddhist and Taoist perspective on the dark of the year, and the invitation to share reflections and poetry. We will set intentions for this next year including the opportunity to take the refuges and precepts.
Narayan will be joined as she has been for the past two years by her husband, Dr. Jonathan Klate, who is among the senior practitioners of traditional acupuncture and Chinese medicine, in practice continuously since 1975 having followed his father into this calling.

SANGHA CIRCLE MEETINGS:
We believe it is essential for CIMC practitioners to have periodic opportunities to connect meaningfully with one another across groups, to build community, and to speak directly to CIMC leadership about their experiences at the Center. The series of CIMC Sangha Circle Meetings will allow CIMC practitioners to connect, learn from and be nourished by the beauty and challenge of being in community.

Parents Sangha

• 2nd Thursdays: 8:00-9:15pm
• Dates: January 12, 2023 | February 9 | March 9 | April 13 | May 11 | June 8 | July 13 | August 10 | September 14 | October 12 | November 9 | December 14
• 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 will be jointly led by parents Jim Austin, Roberval Oliveira, and Zeenat Potia, 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

• Fridays: 6:30-8:15pm
• Dates: January 6, 2023 | February 3 | March 3 | April 7 | May 5 | June 2 | July 14 | August 4 | September 8 (second Friday) | October 13 (second Friday) | November 3 | December 1
• 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, Roberval Oliveira, and Victoria I along with occasional guest teachers Devin Berry and Tara Mulay. Click here to meet a member of the POC Sangha.

Sunday Afternoon Extended Practice

• Sundays, in person: 2:00-5:15pm
• Dates: January 8, 15, 22 (2023) | February 5, 19, 26 | March 5, 12, 19, 26 | April 2, 9, 16 | May 7, 14, 21, 28 | June 4, 11, 18, 25 | July 2, 9, 23, 30 | August 6, 13 | September 10, 17, 24 | October 8, 15, 22, 29 | November 5, 12, 26 | December 3, 17
• Fee: Donation (Dana)
• Prerequisite: Some meditation practice

You are welcome to attend for any part of the program, however, please plan on entering the Meditation Hall either before the first sit or during any walking period. This practice is silent and led by a practice leader.

Thursday Morning Retreat

These informal, in-person retreats consist of alternating sitting and walking periods between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. They provide an opportunity to practice meditation in silence with others at CIMC. Volunteer meditators can sign up on the day of ring the bell at the end of each walking and sitting period.

We observe the following meditation schedule. You are welcome to come to CIMC for any part of the retreat; however, please plan on entering the meditation hall either before the first sit or during any walking period.

• 9:00-10:00           Sit
• 10:00-10:20         Walk
• 10:20-11:00         Sit
• 11:00-11:20         Walk
• 11:20-12:00         Sit
• 12:00-12:20         Walk
• 12:20-1:00           Sit

Some participants like to sit together for lunch and dharma discussion after the retreat. We invite you to bring a vegetarian lunch and to join others starting at 1:00 pm.

Wednesday Evening Dharma

Wednesday Evening Dharma is now being offered either hybrid (in person and online) or online-only.

For a list of upcoming speakers and information about which Wednesdays will be offered hybrid v. online-only, please visit our page: Wednesday Evening Program.

You are welcome to attend just the sit, just the talk, or both. Please note that the doors to the meditation hall will be closed at 6:40 for the Evening Sit and at 7:40 for the Dharma talk. If you arrive early, please preserve the silence until the teacher arrives.

• Wednesdays: 6:30 – 8:45pm.
  • 6:30 – 7:15: Evening Sit.
  • 7:15 – 7:30: Mindful Break.
  • 7:30 – 8:45: Dharma Talk.

• Zoom Link (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 960 7085 2464 (passcode: cimc)
• Donation (dana): Please consider making a donation to CIMC in support of this program.

On most Wednesday evenings throughout the year, a CIMC or visiting teacher offers a Dharma Talk. Registration is not required; this is a drop-in program. We invite attendees to offer financial support for our visiting teachers through the practice of dana (generosity). All are welcome regardless of ability to pay.

All are welcome to attend; there is no registration.

White Awake Sangha

• 2nd Sundays: 5:00-7:00pm (5:00-6:30pm on January 8)
• Dates: January 8, 2023 | February 12 | March 12 (in person) | April 9 | May 14 | June 11 | July 9 | August 13 | September 10 | October 15 | November 12 | December 10
• Zoom Link if online (registration not required): Click here or dial +1 (646) 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID: 969 8476 9058 (passcode: cimc)
• Donations (dana) can be made to The Loveland Foundation, Black Lives Matter Boston, White Awake, CIMC, or another appropriate organization.

The White Awake Sangha is a community of white CIMC practitioners doing the emotional work of examining racism and white supremacy, how we internalize them, and how we perpetuate them interpersonally, culturally, and institutionally, both as individuals and collectively. Our goal is to bring our spiritual practice to the work of interrogating and dismantling white supremacy in ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and especially at the meditation center we call our spiritual home.

The White Awake Sangha is appropriate for any white practitioner no matter what meditation style they practice or where they are on their antiracism journey. Our goal is to build community as well as resilience, capacity, and commitment for the work of fighting systemic oppression. All are invited to explore issues of whiteness and racism, and our role as white practitioners: to not just be good allies in antiracist work, but to be actively engaged and taking initiative in dismantling racism within ourselves, at CIMC, and anyplace we may encounter it.

Below is a sample framework for our time together:

• Meditation
• Introduction & Review of Community Norms
• Check-In
• Teaching/Reflection/Activity on Dharma, Racism, & Undoing White Supremacy
• Small Group Reflections
• Large Sharing Circle, with Q and A
• Discussing Challenges & Setting Intentions
• Meditation

The White Awake Sangha also maintains a listserv to share postings related to the topic of white affinity work in a Buddhist context, including sharing resources for upcoming meetings. Please direct any request to be added to (or removed from) the listserv to benpolletta@gmail.com. Click here to meet a member of the White Awake Sangha.