Change in Saturday Morning In-person meditation starts April 11, 2026
Our in-person meditation sessions on Saturday mornings are going to start an hour later, at 9:00 am. We’re hoping that the later start time will be helpful for people who would like to attend on Saturday mornings but wanted a later start time. The new start time will be in place this Saturday, April 11 and will continue for the foreseeable future. The meditation sessions will still take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1322 Kimball Avenue, Richland. See the detailed location information in the Schedule, above.
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Thursday Evening Meditation & Talk:
Over the next couple of months we’ll explore several mental and emotional habits that can interfere with meditation and mindfulness in daily life. They include greed, aversion, sloth, anxiousness and worry, and doubt. These hindrances can make life and meditation difficult. We’ll take a look at ways to work with them, emphasizing compassion and kindness rather than attacking them as “bad” habits or states of mind. We’ll provide links to resources available on the internet for these topics.
After the 7:00 pm online meditation on Thursday, April 9, 2026, Chris will give a talk on greed, sometimes known as grasping or clinging, and the way in which it unsettles the mind. We’ll look at exploring the difference between healthy desires and greed, and also explore different ways of understanding greed and relating to it in our practice. The following Thursday, April 16, we’ll have an open discussion of our exploration of the relationship between healthy desire and greed. Below you can find a resource with more information about greed as one of the hindrances to meditation. Please go to Updated Resourcesto get more information about the five hindrances to meditation.
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Tri-Cities Cancer Center Meditation Support Group Meets April 16th
We’ll continue our monthly mindfulness meditation support group meeting at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in May. The Cancer Center is located at 7350 West Deschutes Avenue, Kennewick and the next meeting will be Thursday,4/16/2026. The sessions, which are held on the third Thursday of each month, are meant for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their caregivers. The session will begin at 12:00 pm at the Cancer Center in the Fireside Room. If you have a serious illness other than cancer, or are a caregiver for someone who is ill, you’re welcome to attend the sessions. Each session includes a brief review of mindfulness and mindful self-compassion meditations and the role they can play in reducing the anxiety arising from diagnosis and treatment, an opportunity to ask questions, and the chance to practice meditation with others. Please contact Lorie MacIsaac to register for the support group session by email at Lorie.Macisaac@kadlec.orgor call 509-737-3412.
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Zen Meditation Retreat on April 18, 2026
“Finding Your Inner Wisdom.” This Zen retreat will focus on developing confidence in your own wisdom and learning how to respond to life’s challenges in a troubled world. The retreat will be led by Genjo Marinello Roshi, and hosted by the Walla Walla Dharma Sangha (WWDS). The WWDS and Insight Meditation of the Mid-Columbia have collaborated on daylong meditation retreats for many years.
Details:
– Time: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday, April 18th.
– Location: Vista Hermosa retreat house, 1111 Fishhook Park Rd, Prescott, WA
– Cost: $25 (Payable via the Donorbox app at www.wwdharmasangha.org, by check made out to the Walla Walla Dharma Sangha, or in cash)
Registration:
The retreat is currently full with a waitlist. To register for the waitlist, please contact Stacia Peterson at sloupeterson@gmail.com. More information about the retreat will be sent to those who register.
This retreat is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners, and scholarships are available.
If you would like to join the carpool from Walla Walla, or for more information, please contact Janaki at janakihoward@gmail.com. A carpool will also be organized from the Tri-Cities, contact insightmeditation.midcol@gmail.com to join the carpool after you’ve registered for the retreat.
Genjo is the abbot of Choboji Zen Temple,Seattle. He has been leading retreats for the Walla Walla Dharma Sangha for many years.
Public Talk by Genjo “Finding Your Inner Wisdom” at 10:30 am on Sunday, April 19th at Kimball Theater, Hunter Conservatory, Whitman College. All are welcome to this free event which is co-hosted by the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life at Whitman College.
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Weekly Meditation Schedule:
In-Person Meetings:
Our in-person meetings take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1322 Kimball Avenue in Richland. Our in-person meditation meetings are offered on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. We meditate for half an hour, followed by an optional time for sharing and conversation after meditation. No problem if you just want to meditate and then leave.
Chairs are available in the meeting hall. However, if you prefer to use your own chair, blanket, cushion or bench, you are welcome to bring it. The meetings have recently moved indoors and meet in the Parish Hall at the rear of the church.
Those who regularly attend the in-person meetings have developed a masking policy for the times we meet indoors. The community levels of Covid will be checked each time we publish a newsletter. When community levels are low; masks will be optional. When community levels are medium or high, masks will be required. If there is any attending member that feels more comfortable with everyone masking, we will all mask in support of the most vulnerable among us.
Currently, the Covid community levels are low in Benton County; masks are optional on Saturday and Wednesday morning unless any participant feels more comfortable with everyone masking. Please bring a mask to all of the in-person sessions in case the meeting is moved indoors and there is an attending member with greater vulnerability.
We’re looking forward to welcoming some of you in person and being there online for others.
Online Meetings:
In addition to our in-person meetings we have three online meditations a week, on Wednesday morning, Thursday evening, and Saturday morning. The Zoom links for those meetings can be found on the Events Calendar. You’re welcome to join us online for any of the 3 meetings each week.
During the Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday online meetings, we “sit together” for meditation for half an hour. Meditations include guided meditations, meditations with some initial guidance and instruction, and silent meditations. The Wednesday morning meditation starts at 9:30 am, with half an hour of meditation, followed by half an hour of sharing. On Thursday evenings there is a talk or discussion and sharing following meditation. Meditation is from 7:30 until 8:00 pm, with the talk and discussion ending at about 9:00 pm. The Saturday morning meditation starts at 8:00 am, with half an hour of meditation followed by half an hour of sharing.
If you can’t or don’t wish to join the online sessions you can just meditate at the same time as we’re meeting and know that there are others from the group who are meditating with you.
We’re looking forward to welcoming some of you in person and being there online for others.
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Volunteers at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
The Insight Meditation group has supported Buddhist meditation groups at the state prison in Connell, WA since 2003. Those visits were on hold during the height of the pandemic but resumed last year. Currently we have two volunteers visiting the medium-security prison on Monday afternoons and we are seeking additional volunteers to support that effort, especially when our lead volunteer isn’t available.
There are several requirements for those volunteering at the prison. Orientation and training are required. Applicants also need to undergo a background investigation. Applicants with a criminal background need to be off of supervision or parole for a year before applying.
Those applying to volunteer should have a regular meditation practice and at least some knowledge of Buddhist teachings and be willing to learn more so that you can discuss Buddhist practice with the inmates. If you’re interested, please contact Chris Murray for more information about volunteering at Coyote Ridge.
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Online Donation Form for Insight Meditation of the Mid-Columbia
Please use our online donation form if you wish to contribute to the meditation group.
Warm regards and thank you for your support,
Insight Meditation of the Mid-Columbia