We are a community of spiritual friends supporting each other in awareness

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the San Juan Island Kalyana Mitta meditation group! If you'd like to learn more about us, please read on. Our circle of friends is open to new members. You can contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.

About our practice

The purpose of this group is for San Juan Islanders to support one another in building and maintaining awareness through meditation and discussion. The group is rooted in Buddhist teachings and guided by Buddhist ethics, prioritizing a spirit of kindness and friendship above any particular belief or dogma. Recognizing that our members hail from a variety of meditation backgrounds, we share our thoughts and experiences and listen to one another with awareness and sensitivity - while maintaining strict confidentiality and respect for one another's privacy when we leave the space.

Meditation

As a group of experienced meditators, we don't conduct a guided meditation, though some members may like to share favorite teachings on the subject, and our meditative experiences will come up in group discussions. During the periods of silent meditation, each member meditates according to their own personal practice. Though we do not have a regular teacher, we may optionally choose to bring in guest teachers or special guests as opportunity permits.

Discussion

In addition to group meditation, we share Buddhist teachings from a variety of teachers. No prior knowledge of Buddhist topics is necessary to take part in discussions, and group members are not required to speak unless moved to do so. We encourage group members to disregard any teaching they do not find useful.

Facilitation

We strive to maintain two active facilitators to build resiliency and sound judgment into the leadership of the group. Facilitation is guided by Spirit Rock's guidelines on Kalyana Mitta (spiritual friend) groups. Though facilitators maintain the structure of the sessions, our hope is that every member of the group feels free to offer suggestions or to take on various operational roles in the group.

Donations

If we are meeting at a location that charges a fee, we collect a suggested donation of $5-$10 (depending on the size of the group), all of which go to our hosts to help with costs. Most often, we meet at a private residence, where no fee is charged and no dana is collected.