Ian White Maher recently interviewed Shaila Catherine for his online Dharma podcast program. The conversation covers deep dhamma topics that include ethic, deep concentration states of jhana, and the aim of awakening. Enjoy listening at: https://ianwhitemaher.com/shaila-catherine/.
In a program called Joy of Giving, a number of IMSB members practiced mindful giving by donating to a charity of our choice. We thought hard about charities that touched our hearts, donated our own and/or IMSB funds, discussed our choices with other givers, and participated in two discussions exploring the role that generosity can [...]
May all beings everywhere, known and unknown, near and far, be happy, peaceful and at ease. Loving-Kindness (metta) was the theme for the first talk in the lecture series on Brahma Vihara at our weekly Tuesday meditation sitting in Mountain View. Shaila Catherine talked about what loving-kindness is and what it is not. Loving-kindness is [...]
While the nation watched election results come in on Election Night, IMSB held a community building event for members to get to know each other. It was a small and intimate gathering as Shaila asked us to break into three groups based on why we practice: 1) for awakening, 2) for inner peace, and 3) [...]
Our Tuesday meditation group was joined by guest teacher Thanissaro Bhikkhu, the abbot of Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego, CA. The hall in St. Timothy’s Church was packed full of newcomers and seasoned meditators alike. Thanissaro Bhikkhu spoke on the Refuges, which he explained as being the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddha’s teachings), and the [...]
Chade-Meng Tan, author of Joy on Demand, guided joy inspiring micro-meditations and fielded questions about joy practices at IMSB's Thursday evening class. Micro-meditations are brief meditative activities that can be done easily and quickly, by almost anyone. For example: For the length of one breath, collect the mind; for the length of a second breath, [...]
Insight Meditation South Bay is in a valuable period of restructuring, as Shaila passes on several key leadership roles and administrative tasks to new volunteers. Last Sunday Shaila hosted a planning meeting with 15 members volunteers. The meeting brought together volunteers who serve IMSB programs in both Mountain View and Saratoga, and also our daylongs in [...]
IMSB's former volunteer director Kristi organized a volunteer appreciation event at her home last weekend. There were about 30 volunteers who help out at both the Mountain View and Saratoga locations, and do many tasks behind the scenes. This was a great opportunity for volunteers to meet and mingle over Mediterranean food. Shaila offered a [...]
Sharon Allen offered a lovely guided meditation at the Thursday Class. Her instructions support the recognition of impermanence. She encourages students to notice how things pass away, maintain a balanced mode of mindful observation, and note them as "gone". Listen to the recording here.
Shaila led a fabulous meditation retreat at Redwood Glen--a stunning and serene location in the redwoods, not far from Pescadero Beach. We are delighted to have found such a comfortable, and glorious site for our retreats. The site and the food was highly praised in our end of retreat evaluations. The teaching focus of this [...]
Welcome back Shaila!
On May 29, 2019 the IMSB community, guided by Sharon and Laura, celebrated the Buddhist holiday called Wesak. It was a joyous opportunity to celebrate the birth, Enlightenment, and death of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The evening program included a guided reflection on the qualities of the Buddha, a meditation on virtue, reaffirming of our [...]
The talks from our inspiring autumn guest speaker series about the Great Disciples of the Buddha are now available at IMSB's portal to DharmaSeed. Enjoy stories about these great masters, and hear the teachings that characterize the legacies of some of the great names in Buddhism: Venerables Ananda, Kisa Gotami, Mahakaccana, Rahula, Angulimala, and the [...]
Mindful Self-Esteem – Cultivating Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion course at IMSB’s Saratoga location on Thursday nights has developed into a close-knit and dedicated group. The instructor, Dr. Janetti Marotta, skillfully leads the class with guided meditations, small group exercises, and easy homework assignments that help the participants to learn positive attributes and simultaneously build mindfulness skills [...]
Due to the fires that devastated Santa Rosa last year, our annual spring ten-day retreat relocated to Saratoga Springs Retreat Center in Upper Lake, CA— about 15 minutes from Clear Lake, just north of the wine country. The retreat center is nestled in a narrow valley, protected from outside noise by 2 ridges with hiking [...]
