About
Our Vision
The Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley promotes Buddhist teachings and meditation practices primarily from the Theravadan tradition. We do this in a spirit of community with members helping each other to develop and embody the qualities of clarity and kindness that are central to the teachings.
Our Teachers
James Baraz
James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, the Spirit Rock Family Program (with his wife, Jane), for which he is a teacher-advisor. He’s led the popular Awakening Joy online course since 2003. James is co-author (with Shoshana Alexander) of Awakening Joy: Ten Steps to Happiness and co-author (with Michele Lilyanna) of Awakening Joy for Kids.
James is also a guiding teacher of One Earth Sangha, a website devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change. James lives in Berkeley with his wife, Jane, and has two sons and three grandchildren.
For James’ teaching schedule outside of Spirit Rock visit his website. In addition to the talks posted on this website, for audio recordings of all of James’ talks including those given outside of our weekly Berkeley meetings visit dharmaseed.org
Eve Decker
Eve Decker began Insight Meditation practice in 1991, and has attended more than 50 silent retreats in the western Vipassana tradition of Buddhism ranging in length from 8-90 days. She is a graduate of the Path of Engagement (social justice and spiritual practice training) and Community Dharma Leader trainings at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She is trained in the Hakomi Method (a mindfulness-centered somatic healing practice); Awakening Joy, developed by James Baraz; Transforming Judgmental Mind developed, by Donald Rothberg; and Mindful Self Compassion, developed by Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer. Eve teaches regular classes on a range of topics based in Buddhism and coaches people individually. She co-leads, with James Baraz, the Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley; she is a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program headed by Jack Kornfield and Tara Branch; and she teaches for the family program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Eve is also an accomplished musician. She was a founding member of the feminist trio Rebecca Riots, and since then has released five collections of "Dharma Music" (songs inspired by Buddhist teachings). She has podcast titled LOVED: Mindful and Musical Perspectives on Daily Life. Eve lives with her partner Diane in Berkeley, California.
Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley is committed to being warmly welcoming and accessible to all who wish to participate, including people of all cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, racial identities, socio-economic class, sexual orientations, genders, ages, education and abilities.