This Week's Events

Classes

Retreats

Welcome to Bellingham Insight

Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) supports meditation and practice in the Buddhist Theravada tradition. We do not have a single guiding teacher. Rather, we are a sangha-led community. We bring in regional and national teachers, including monastics, for residential and non-residential retreats. Our weekly programs are facilitated by senior members in coordination with our Board and Program Committee.

Insight meditation is a simple and direct practice, the moment-to-moment investigation of the mind/body process through calm and focused awareness. Learning to observe experience from a place of stillness enables one to relate to life with less fear and clinging. Seeing life as a constantly changing process, one begins to accept pleasure, pain, fear, joy and all aspects of life with increasing equanimity and balance. As insight deepens, wisdom and compassion arise. This practice is sometimes called "vipassana", which is a Pali word for insight.

Our address is: Red Cedar Dharma Hall, 1021 N. Forest Street.

News

Awakening Joy Course

Awakening Joy is a book written by vipassana teacher James Baraz. It is also offered as an on-line course. The course relies on Buddhist principles but the material seems to be universally appreciated by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The course offers talks by James and many guest teachers, practice materials and group exercises.

There is a group forming in Bellingham to work/play with this course. We expect to start mid February.

Check out the website and/or you can get in touch with Jean LaValley by email for more information.

1/25/15

Beginning Again: Introduction to Insight Meditation

Saturday February 28th from 9AM - 3PM at the Red Cedar Dharma Hall

This day-long class will include both discussion and practice. Four meditation objects will be taught: sitting, walking, eating and metta (kind-heartedness). We will discuss core elements of Buddhism and meditation practice. Ideas on developing a home practice as well as ways of cultivating awareness in our daily activities will be included in the class. Time will be allotted for questions and discussion. New and experienced students are welcome.

Pre-registration is recommended. Contact Karen Sheldon by email at karen.sheldon@gmail.com

12/28/14

Heather Martin Non-Residential Retreat - Registration Form Available

Heather Martin is returning to Bellingham the weekend of February 14th and 15th to lead a weekend of study and meditation. Heather will slso be giving a public talk Friday, February 13th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The course will be held at the Red Cedar Dharma Hall in Bellingham. The cost is $25 (BIMS pledge members) or $50 (non-members). For more information contact Karen Sheldon at : karen.sheldon@gmail.com

A flyer and registration form can be found at this link.

12/18/14

Teen and 20s Group

Follow this link to see a flyer for the Teen and 20s Group that is meeting on Thursday nights a the Red Cedar Hall.

If you're in your Teens or 20s, please join us for a 20 minute guided meditation followed by discussion. We often have a reading or short talk on a theme of Buddhist philosophy and how it applies in our lives. Often we gain insight into how the mind works and what options we have in dealing with our thoughts, emotions and experiences.

12/17/14

Camp Samish residential retreat with Steve Armstrong and Heather Martin

This retreat is fully subscribed. No further registrations are being accepted.

Heather Martin and Steve Armstrong will lead a 9-day residential retreat (March 20th to 29th) on Samish Island. The retreat is called Awareness and Compassion at All Times and in All Places. Making the dhamma come alive for us in our lives is more than following a technique or a schedule. It requires a willingness to bring the dhamma understanding that flows from our hearts into all our activities. On this retreat we will offer pragmatic guidance in cultivating awareness in all activities as a support for establishing a lifestyle of dhamma awareness and wisdom upon leaving the retreat.

12/16/14

2014 BIMS Practice Period Notes and Recordings

Gladdening the Heart: Freeing the Mind from the Hindrances

The 8-week Practice Period for 2014 concluded on November 25th. Notes, handouts and some recordings of the talks are available on the Practice Period page.

11/26/14

Audio Recordings of Ajahn Geoff Retreat Weekend

The residential retreat with Thanissaro Bhikku (Ajahn Geoff) at Red Cedar Hall on September 13th and 14th was recorded. For faster download the recordings for each session have been broken into segments, each of approximately 30 minutes in length. They can be heard using the links below:

- Opening Meditation

- Saturday morning, part 1

- Saturday morning, part 2

- Saturday morning, part 3

- Saturday morning, part 4

- Saturday afternoon, part 1

- Saturday afternoon, part 2

- Saturday afternoon, part 3

- Sunday morning, part 1

- Sunday morning, part 2

- Sunday morning, part 3

- Sunday morning, part 4

- Sunday afternoon, part 1

- Sunday afternoon, part 2

- Sunday afternoon, part 3

- Sunday afternoon, part 4

The 20 page study guide used during this retreat is available as a PDF file here.

9/15/14

Heather Martin and Pascal Auclair Dharma Talks

Four evening Dharma talks were recorded at the April Camp Samish retreat with Heather and Pascal. They can be heard using the links below:

- Heather Monday April 7th

- Pascal Tuesday April 8th

- Pascal Thursday April 10th

- Heather Friday April 11th

5/5/14

Regular Activities

-Morning Meditation

-Tuesday Night Group Meditation

-Tuesday Night Programs

-Book Club

-Dharma Talk

-Thursday Evening Programs

-Teen and 20s Group

-Going Forth

-Friday Mindful Recovery Group

-Weekend Meditation

-The Saturday Sit-In

-Sangha Mamas

-Orientation to Meditation