Thursday Evening Meditation & Talk:
Over the next couple of months we’ll explore five faculties that the Buddha suggested would help us to better understand the distress we sometimes encounter in life and to explore ways in which we can decrease it. They include confidence, energy, mindfulness, gathering the mind, and wisdom. These faculties support one another and support us.
After the 7:00 pm online meditation on Thursday, February 12, 2026, we’ll have an open discussion of the role of concentration and focus in meditation, and also in daily life. The following Thursday, February 19, Chris will give a talk on wisdom, a quality of the mind that is one of the fruits of mindfulness meditation, and also a contributor to the practice of meditation. Below you can find resources with more information about the five faculties, and especially about the role of wisdom in our spiritual practice.
Please go to Updated Resources for more detailed reading on these topics.
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Beginning Meditation Classes ~ February 15 – March 1, 2026
The current series of Beginning Meditation classes will resume on Sunday, February 15, 2026, and will continue for three Sunday afternoons through March 1, 2026. The classes will be conducted in person at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1322 Kimball Avenue, Richland, in the Parish Hall. There is no charge for the classes; donations are accepted. Registration for the classes is still open, and you’re welcome to register and join us for any of the remaining classes.
Please send an email to insightmeditation.midcol@gmail.com to register for the classes.
The classes are intended to provide an introduction to meditation for those new to meditation or serve as a useful “touchstone” for more experienced practitioners. You are welcome to attend any or all of the classes, especially if you’ve missed either of the first two classes. Each class can be a stand alone class, and will focus on a different topic. All classes will be from 1:30- 3:00 pm.
The classes will be taught by Chris Murray, guiding teacher of Insight Meditation of the Mid-Columbia, and Fabiola Robinson, a meditation teacher who recently moved to the Tri-Cities and joined the meditation group.
The dates and topics for the remaining classes are:
February 15 — Mindfulness of Thoughts and Emotions in Meditation
February 22 — Compassion & Loving Kindness Meditation Practices
March 1 – Insight Meditation and Open Awareness
Please go to our Events Calendar for more details about each class.
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Tri-Cities Cancer Center Meditation Support Group Meets Feb. 19th
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,2/19/2026. 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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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 8:00 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