The Bellingham Insight Meditation Sangha on a Tuesday evening Zoom
Photos by: Greg Booth, Cynthia May, Gail Davies, Marc Geisler, Justin May

Bellingham Insight Meditation Society was already looking for a new place to practice together before the pandemic hit; we just didn’t realize that place would be in the cloud.

For the last 12 years we’ve practiced together in a beautiful wooden hall, centrally located only blocks from the Bellingham Food Co-op and shared with the Red Cedar Zen Center. But now that the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have led us to gather via Zoom, Sangha members are finding unexpected benefits.

Our former Dharma hall. Bellingham Insight is currently completely virtual.

“I’ve spent more time meditating since the pandemic hit…though I miss that certain energy of having people in the room,” said Board Member Linda Booth. “It has been way more positive than negative. I can hear people speaking more clearly on Zoom and I don’t have to drive 30 minutes in the dark to get to the hall.” 

Board Member Linda Bertram said, “I’m finding that I socialize more on Zoom. There isn’t the warm cozy feel of the Dharma hall, but I feel less reticent on Zoom and so I think I actually interact more with people!”

Bellingham Insight Meditation Society is a vibrant community offering meditation on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, and retreats several times per year. Every Tuesday evening we offer a program including book study, a Dharma talk, or a group discussion.

Joining Tuesday night meditation by Zoom.

The Sangha had started to use Zoom before the pandemic to support a virtual retreat with Jill Shepherd, a meditation teacher in New Zealand. The retreat went well, and Steve Hansen—a board member with a background in software development—thought it was a natural transition.

“At first our board saw Zoom as a way to diversify the program offerings to our Sangha,” Hansen said. “It wasn’t a hard decision for us to buy the higher-capacity subscription to Zoom and move our regular meetings online.”

Hansen is also part of a smaller practice group that typically meets in living rooms.

“We just started meeting again by Zoom, and it’s so nice to be gathering and supporting each other,” he said. “I suppose eventually I will want that in-person contact, but for now this is how we keep our Sangha going.”

Our Dharma hall getting packed up and moved into storage at the beginning of the pandemic.

Becoming a Global Sangha

One benefit of our Sangha moving to the cloud has been increased accessibility for far-away members.

Maliya Zarikova lives in Novosibirsk, Russia, and first connected with Bellingham Insight Meditation Society in September, through a virtual retreat with Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Ajahn Geoff).

“For me the pandemic performs a miracle,” Zarikova said. “It has opened a gateway to the Buddhist community. I have lived in Siberia for almost all of my life. There is nothing unique about my city, nothing truly spiritual, no Buddhist temple, nor any genuine Dhamma to be found here.

“From miles away I could hear Ajahn Geoff’s gentle voice. Now I am enjoying contact with the Bellingham meditation group and I treasure it! Communication with the group is kind in tone, beautifully aligned, and tough in content. It has profoundly influenced my view and sense of identity.”

Coral Poser also regularly attends Bellingham Insight meetings virtually. She lives on Vancouver Island in Canada, a five-hour drive and ferry ride from Bellingham, and has experienced many big life changes during this pandemic.

“The pandemic threw me into more isolation. I was already mourning the death of my beloved husband and feeling very solitary,” Poser said. “To be able to connect virtually with a kind group of souls has been nourishing. I find the shared meditative silence healing. These groups have a lovely energy to them.”

A Buddha statue now safely in storage.

Canadian Gail Davies, who lives just north of the border in the city of White Rock, B.C., said her experience has been similar, especially since the U.S.-Canadian border has closed due to the pandemic.

“I am able to be part of the Sangha more regularly,” Davies said. “Before the pandemic I only attended the retreats. Now I see the value of the Tuesday evening programs and I learn so much by listening to the other members of the Sangha. The pandemic has given me more time. I feel that I am able to slow down, reflect, and meditate more regularly.”

For myself as a local, when I started attending Bellingham Insight meetings by Zoom this summer I found a warm, engaged community of people supporting each other in cultivating mindfulness and compassion.

Our zoom meetings open at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday, which allows people to mingle, and newcomers to get help with Zoom if they need it. At 7 p.m. the bell rings and the webcams go dark, allowing us to sit and meditate together. When the bell signals the end of our meditation, we have weekly announcements followed by a program.

After the pandemic is over we’ll again be meditating where others are.

Pandemic Meditation

I went for a walk with Sangha member Marc Geisler a few weeks ago, on a Bellingham boardwalk overlooking the ocean. As we watched the sun set behind Lummi Island, he said how “profoundly grateful” he feels for our Sangha, adding that the pandemic experience has deepened his practice.

“It seems as though things slowed down and gave me the space to focus more on my meditation,” he said.

This summer Geisler started leading a mindful self-compassion series, as part of our Tuesday program rotation. He also recently facilitated a qigong meditation.

I felt a profound sense of well-being when we finished our walk. I returned to my living room ready to rejoin my family, and ready to give them a more patient and centered version of myself.

The Red Cedar Zen facility, shared with Bellingham Insight, was a significant presence in the Bellingham Dharma community.

At dinner the other night, my children reminded me we have been home together for almost nine months.

“That’s almost 270 days, Dad,” said Tarver, 10, between mouthfuls of soup.

Indeed. My meditation practice has allowed me to find more meaning and connection during this time than I would have imagined. It has also given me glimmers of empathy and patience for my children, who are attending school remotely until it is safe to do so in person.

Lessons Learned

Someday the pandemic will end, and we will be able to meditate in each other’s presence again. Many of the people I spoke to mentioned missing the power of the group energy when meditating together.

When Bellingham Insight finds our new physical home and begins meeting in person, what lessons will we take from this pandemic? Board Member Bertram wonders if we will still webcast our meditation sessions to make them accessible to folks who live far away, or who are unable to make the trip safely. We will also likely continue to use Zoom to access teachers otherwise unable to travel to Bellingham.

I am grateful for the warm, compassionate energy I have experienced from this group of meditators. There is a commitment to supporting each other on the path through this pandemic. Our Dharma hall may be closed, but we have our Sangha in the cloud.