Insight Meditation of the Mid-Columbia (IMMC) is currently organizing an eight-month program for members of the meditation group (sangha) interested in beginning or continuing anti-racism work in a meditative framework. The program will follow an updated (2020) version of a curriculum developed by practitioners from the 2016 Community Dharma Leaders (CDL) 5 training program at Spirit Rock, an Insight Meditation center in Northern California.
The curriculum facilitates exploration of our racial identities and helps us uncover and understand our racial conditioning and biases with the aim of learning and transforming our minds and hearts. One of our goals for offering the program within our sangha is to help the IMMC become a more welcoming, safe, and diverse community.
Here are a few highlights of the program:
- This is not a class, participants will work in small groups of 3-5 people, self-guided using an online curriculum.
- We’re suggesting the groups be racial affinity groups, so people identifying as white meeting together, and people of color meeting together.
- No cost or fee for participation
- We’re planning to start the groups by the end of February
- The groups would then meet monthly for eight months
- Chris Murray will give an introductory talk on the program after the 7:30 pm meditation on Thursday, Feb 10.
If you’re interested in participating, please email Vas Bhardwaj Please let him know if you have friends you want to participate with in your group. Also let him know if you identify as non-white.
If you’re interested in more details about the program, click here to open a more detailed information sheet: Exploring Our Racial Conditioning.
You’re welcome to contact Chris Murray with any questions about the program.