Vashon Insight

Vashon Insight Meditation meets every Tuesday evening — from 7 – 8:30 PM. The group has been meeting for nearly two decades for group meditation. Our common purpose is to support each other’s individual practice by regularly holding space & providing community support (Sangha) for meditation and reflection. People from all traditions (or no tradition) and with all levels of experience are welcome.

If you are interested in regular updates from the group, and/or would like to learn how to join our weekly Zoom meetings, please contact Marcie Rubardt at mrubardt@aol.com to be included on the mailing list.

The Vashon Insight group is guided by & based on the teachings & practices of the Theravada Buddhist tradition as well as the western insight/vipassana movement. These teachings provide guidance in moral precepts, meditative training and inquiry, and the cultivation of qualities such as– Loving-Kindness, Compassion / Empathy, Generosity, Gratitude, and Equanimity. Their aim is to free the heart and mind from suffering and stress for the benefit of oneself and others.

As a “leaderless” group, members assume responsibility for managing the space, sharing readings or recordings and reflections, and maintaining the group’s core purpose. Financial support for the group is generated by Dana (voluntary – giving) which provides the funding for rent and support to certified dharma teachers.

In 2019, Vashon Insight was fortunate to welcome -dharma teacher and Vashon resident, Keri Pederson, as a regular dharma instructor. She has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 1998, having gained certification through the four-year teacher training program at Spirit Rock in the Bay Area and the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. -. Keri joins our group every other Tuesday to guide practice and offer teachings on the dharma. In addition, she has also offered half-day and day-long retreats on the Island which have been supported by Vashon Insight members.

Although Vashon Insight is leaderless, each member periodically assumes responsibility to open, prepare the space and share a recorded teaching or read a poem in support of the practice and maintain the group’s core purpose.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused Vashon Insight to meet virtually which has allowed the sangha to continue its Tuesday meditation schedule. Surprisingly, the ZOOM container has provided an intimate environment for supporting the practice. A typical on-line Tuesday group meeting begins on ZOOM at 7PM sharp and lasts 90 minutes. On weeks that Keri teaches, a brief introduction is followed by 25 or 30 minutes of meditation. Some instruction and guidance can be provided during this time, especially when new members are present. Keri then presents a dharma talk followed with time for reflection and discussion in the remaining 20 minutes. On weeks when Keri is not present, the meditation period is longer, and one of the sangha members takes responsibility for facilitating reflection and discussion after sitting.

Governance of the Vashon Insight Meditation Group is accomplished via consensus from brief discussions as needed and refined in more lengthy exchanges at potlucks (now virtual) scheduled once or twice a year.