Sangha Social Gathering
Rice’s Mills Community Center, Thetford Center, VT
August 8
1:30-3:30 pm
If as the Buddha said, spiritual friendships are the whole of the practice, together, we must invest energy in nurturing our Sangha. Here’s the schedule for our social gathering:
1-1:30 gathering & conversation
1:30-1:45 Sit
1:45-2:00 Large circle sharing
2:00-3:00 Smile, laugh, talk about books that inspire your practice — and consider how we can strengthen our sangha.We hope you can attend!
Please let us know if you can be there by emailing Gina ().
We’ll send a reminder to those who have signed up. We will provide drinks but if you want to bring some munchies that would be great.
Practice Group: Mindfully Aging Together
Mondays at 2:00 pm in our Online Dharma Hall
Doreen Schweizer facilitating
This group is open to those with some meditative experience and is not suitable for beginners.
As Buddhists, we’re often reminded that all beings are subject to sickness, aging, and death. Indeed, a number of Valley Insight Sangha members have died over the last two years and more of us are facing the challenges and unknowns that come with the later years of our lives. We know that Dharma and mindfulness practice helps us to increase the friendliness, equanimity, wisdom, and compassion in our approach to each moment. Knowing that Sangha can an invaluable support for living fully through illness, old age, and death, a number of Valley Insight members have been exploring ways to create opportunities to support one another.
A group of us have begun an open-to-everyone weekly gathering on Monday afternoons for meditation and conversation on the topics of old age and death. From 2:00 to 2:30, we have a guided, short meditation based on a particular related theme from Dharma teachings. Those who want to talk together stay on until 3:00 p.m. During this second half, we share our reflections, in both small and large group formats, on the topic of our meditation and related personal concerns.
As we evolve, we are developing a book and resource list and an open mailing list. We’re exploring for the future, having periodic book and discussion groups; retreats; and possibly a network of direct-care support for one another as needed. Please join our mailing list if you are at all interested in any of these ideas or have others to share. Nancy Wright and Doris Hampton are serving as coordinators with Doreen.
Contact us: (Nancy) or (Doris)
Peace and Justice Affinity Group
Online Dharma Hall
7:15 to 8:30 pm
Facilitated by Joel Lazar
All Valley Insight members are invited to attend this group, Our sessions include 25 minutes of shared silent practice, followed by transition to 50 minutes of open dialogue linked to recent social, political, and environmental events that feel most pressing in the local or larger world. Joel Lazaar facilitates these sessions; contact Joel (at ) if you’d like more details wish to be included on the mailing list for this group.
Daily Gathering for Refuge and Clarity
Weekday mornings, 7:30 am
Online via Zoom
Every weekday morning, Valley Insight offers a half-hour community time to be together and remember our connection to one another and to these teachings, which show us a way to have greater peace, ease, and openness in our hearts and minds—even in times of polarization and dissension—and even as we engage actively in working towards making the world better for all sentient beings.
Meetings begin with silence. Then we use the formal “Going for the Three Refuges” to speak/chant the intention to seek safety and support from
- our connection to Buddha, as a symbol of our commitment towards being awake, wise and kind in thought, speech and action;
- a trust and a willingness to try out the practices that Dharma teachings offer;
- a confidence in one another as fellow practitioners and support—even in the solidarity of silence.
Then we will speak the Five Training Precepts together. Remember: these are not “commandments,” they are “mindfulness bells,” considerations that nourish wisdom and strengthen the possibility of appropriate, compassionate action. And you are free to take only those that you feel pertain to you. The Precepts are to refrain from
- harming any living creature;
- taking what is not freely given;
- sexual or sensual misconduct;
- harsh, incorrect, or intentionally polarizing speech;
- drugs or alcohol which may cloud the mind and lead to carelessness.
For an invitation, please contact us at .
Concluded Classes & Events
2026
Vesak Day Celebration
May 4
Hanover Friends Meeting House
Six-Week Series: An Introduction to Mindfulness Meditatioin
March-April
Offered by Penelope Prendergast
Four-Week Series: Deepening Our Practice through Contemplation of Early Buddhist Texts (Using Insight Dialogue)
January
Led by Subha Srinivasan
2025
Sitting in Silence
Sunday nights
November-December
Frederick Douglass Community Reading
Saturday, June 28
Colburn Park, Lebanon, NH
Valley Insight Picnic Sangha Picnic
Sunday, June 29
Rice’s Mills Community Center, Thetford Center, VT
Insight Dialogue Study Group Spring 2025
Spring 2025
Facilitated by Subha Srinivasan
Valley Insight’s 2025 Vesak Day Celebration
Monday, May 12, Hanover Friends & Zoom
Facilitated by Subha Srinivasan
Drop-In Mindfulness Practice
Monthly on Saturdays, winter 2024-2025
Facilitated by Subha Srinivasan
Mindfully Exploring Race Together
Monthly discussions of issues around racial awareness
Facilitated by Peg Meyer
2024
Mindfulness Group for Young Adults
October, November, Swcwmber
Online Dharma Hall
Led by Subha Srinivasan
Summer Nature Practice
Sunday afternoons, July-September
Led by Lee Steppacher
Metta Day: A Day of Practice
August
Led by Subha Srinivasan
Community Reading of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 Speech, “What to the slave is your Fourth of July?”
June 29, 2024, Lebanon, NH
Insight Dialogue Study Group for People with Asian Heritage
Spring
Led by Yenkuei Chuang and Subha Srinivasan
Vesak Day Celebration
May 7
Beginning Anew: Valley Insight’s New Year’s Day Gathering 2024
January 1
Doreen Schweizer, Subha Srinivasan, and Karen Summer
2023
Guided Nature Walks
Led by Lee Steppacher
Drop-In Mindfulness
Last Saturday of the month, Fall
Subha Srinivasan
Spiritual Friendship on the Path: Practice in Insight Dialogue Meditation and Dharma Contemplation
September 9, October 14, and November 11
Led by Marsha Lawson with assistance from Doreen Schweizer and Subhadra Srinivasan
Full Simplicity: The Art of Renunciation and Letting Go, a Discussion with Dharma Teacher Kim Allen
August 17
All-Sangha Day
July 29
Lebanon, NH, Community Reading of Frederick Douglass
July 4, 2023
Colburn Park, Lebanon, NH
Introduction to Mindfulness for the BiPOC Community
Four Saturdays: May 27, June 3, June 10 and June 17
Taught by Subha Srinivasan
Vesak Day
May 10
St. Barnabas Parish Hall – In person and on Zoom
Life as Practice: Cultivating Mindfulness as a Guide for Living Well
Saturday mornings, March
Offered by Subha Srinivasan
2022
Awakening Together Through Practices of Gratitude and Joy: Online Series
Saturdays in November
Offered by Subha Srinivasan
Valley Insight is talking about … The Last White Man
September 14
Facilitated by Peg Meyer
Cultivating Heart Practices of Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity
Wednesdays, July 27, August 3 & 10
Taught by Subha Srinivasan
A Community Reading of Frederick Douglass’s 4th of July Speech
July 4
Colburn Park, Lebanon
An Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
Saturday mornings, February 19, 26; March 5, 12, 19, 26
Taught by Subha Srinivasan
Eco-Sattva Training
Spring
Facilitated by Joel Lazar
2021
A Community Reading of Frederick Douglass’s 4th of July Speech
July 4
Colburn Park, Lebanon
The Eightfold Path Study Group
Wednesdays, May-June
Led by Peg Meyer
Vesak Day Celebration
May 26
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
April 19, 26 and May 3, 10, 17, 24
Taught by Michael Stoner
Dharma Talk: Venerable Dr Pannavati
March 13
EcoSattva Training
January-March
Led by Willow Nilsen
Chanting With Peg Meyer
Wednesdays in March
2020
A Different Way to Practice – A Guided Nature Walk
December 30
Taught by Lee Steppacher
Cultivating a Mindful and Fulfilling Life
September 16, 23, 30; October 7, 14, 21
Taught by Michael Stoner
Bringing Mindfulness to Daily Life
August 5 & August 20
Taught by Peg Meyer
Creating an In-Home Meditation Retreat
August 19
Taught by Karen Summer
Introduction to Insight Meditation
Weekend Retreat: Sat/Sun June 27-28
June 30, and July 7, 14, and 21
Taught by Michael Stoner
Mindfully Facing Climate Change
April 16 & 30 and May 14 & 28
We used Bhikkhu Analayo’s course material from the BCBS website for our discussion
Dharma Talk: Judson Brewer
February 29
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
January 12, 15, 22, and 29
Taught by Lee Steppacher
2019
A Community Reading of Frederick Douglass’s 4th of July Speech
July 3
Waking Up White
March 27-June 26
Taught by Peg Meyer
2018
Mindfulness Meditation Practice for Everyone
July 12, 19, 26 and August 2, 2018
Taught by Landon Hall
Dharma Talk: Ruth King
June 25
Vesak Day (Buddha Day)
May 29
2017
Valley Insight Exploration of Tricycle/Bodhi College Four Noble Truths Course
September 7-October 19
Facilitated by Michael Stoner
Introduction to Insight Meditation
April 20- May 18
Taught by Karen Summer
Waking Up White
Taught by Peg Meyer
2016
Introduction to Insight Meditation
June 22 to July 27
Taught by Karen Summer
Introduction to Insight Meditation
January 6 to February 24
Taught by Karen Summer, with Landon Hall, Doreen Schweizer, and Peg Meyer
2015
Sept 10 – Oct 29
Taught by Peg Meyer and Karen Summer
Everyday Mindfulness
April 30 – June 4
Taught by Peg Meyer and Landon Hall
Introduction to Meditation
January 8 to February 26, 2015
Taught by Peg Meyer
2014
Metta and Mindful Movement Class
October 23 to December 18
Taught by Doreen Schweizer and Landon Hall