Practice Mindfulness, Together
With Cloud Sanga Immersion Groups
What is an Immersion Group?
Immersion groups offer weekly or bi-weekly opportunities to practice mindfulness in an active and engaged way, alongside other practitioners from around the world.
You get the benefit of a direct relationship with a skilled teacher in a dedicated, closed group. Your mentor can speak to your particular questions and experiences and offer you personalized guidance along the way.
An Immersion Group may be particularly valuable for you if you’re looking to
Bring structure and accountability to your practice
With an Immersion group, you can be facilitated toward and held accountable for both formal and informal practices. A group setting helps you establish more commitment to your daily practice.
Build relationships and connection
A dedicated, intimate group will give you a safe and comfortable setting to receive and give support, cultivate a sense of belonging and develop spiritual friendships.
Learn and grow
With a dedicated mentor to grow with, you will receive expert guidance to take your practice deeper. Members tell us they also learn through shared experiences and wisdom from the group.
Feel understood
Cloud Sangha is a community of diverse voices. Here you get the opportunity to share with like-minded peers that understand you uniquely.
How sessions are structured
Sessions are 90 minutes and include time for meditation, guidance and insights from a mentor and personal discussion and sharing with the group.
Sessions meet weekly or bi-weekly. You decide what works best for your needs.
What else is included in the Immersion Group Membership?
In addition to the Immersion Group sessions with a dedicated mentor, you always get access to daily and unlimited drop-in sessions. With plenty of sessions to choose from every month, you can attend the sessions that best fit with your schedule:
- Community Discussion Groups(60 minutes)
- Think of these as “drop-in” mentorship groups led by our experienced teachers. You can pick the days and times that work for you and experience a 60-minute discussion group that includes meditation, sharing and discussion, and connection with more members of our shared community. We’ll use breakout rooms to create ample space to share and connect.
- Community meditation (30 minutes)
- Here you can feel the power of our collective practice as we sit together during a 30-minute guided meditation. These are led by our experienced mentors to ground you in your day. We will start offering these twice a day, at the same time each day, so you can bring consistency to your practice.
- Community talks (60 minutes)
- Ask questions and receive actionable takeaways from Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and other expert teachers. These talks will be recorded as well.
Plus, you get access to a recorded Mindfulness Library
- Explore an extensive library of video recordings on a wide range of topics, employing various practices. All meditations are from expert teachers including Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach and are curated to meet you where you are at a given moment.
Meet your diverse circle of teachers
Jack Kornfield
Jack trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West.
Tara Brach
Tara Brach, Ph.D is an internationally known meditation teacher, psychologist and bestselling author. She is founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC, and offers a popular weekly podcast that is downloaded over 3 million times a month.
Sharon Shelton
Sharon discovered meditation and mindfulness when in early recovery from alcoholism in 1997, and has been studying and practicing ever since. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and as an ICF-Certified Life Coach, Sharon has coached and mentored individuals and groups for over 12yrs.
Janice Gates
Janice has been teaching the integration of meditation, mindfulness and embodied practice for more than 27 years, including at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Haas School of Business, and San Quentin Prison. She currently mentors mindfulness teachers-in-training, facilitates mentor groups for Cloud Sangha, leads in-depth retreats and offers Presence-Based Coaching (as an ICF certified coach).
Anne Cushman
Anne is a pioneer in the integration of mindfulness, embodied meditation, and creative writing. She's the author of the memoir The Mama Sutra, the novel Enlightenment for Idiots, and the mindful yoga manifesto Moving Into Meditation. She is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, mentors mindfulness teachers-in-training worldwide, and teaches retreats internationally and online.
La Sarmiento
La has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1998 and is currently the Board President and a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW), the guiding teacher of the IMCW BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas, a mentor for the MMTCP and Cloud Sangha, and a contributor to the Ten Percent Happier app. They are also a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Training Program and have led mindfulness retreats for teens, Young Adults, and the LGBTQIA+ community over the last 10 years.
Noliwe Alexander
Noliwe has been a student of Vipassana meditation for over 20 years. She dedicates her BuddhaDharma practice and teachings to the BiPOC, LGBTQIA+, and at risk and elder communities.
Yong Oh
Yong is a Dharma Council Teacher for the Durango Dharma Center, teaches for Chattanooga Insight and serves on the Sacred Mountain Sangha Guiding Teachers Council. He is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leaders program, Sacred Mountain Sangha's Dharmapala training, and the 2017-2021 IMS Retreat Teacher Training program.
Cost
Weekly immersion groups
$119/month, or $169/month when paid quarterly
Both options include unlimited daily drop-in community sessions, meditations and community talks (see schedule)
Twice-monthly immersion groups
$79/month, or $119/month when paid quarterly
Both options include unlimited daily drop-in community sessions, meditations and community talks (see schedule)
*Why does it cost so much?
Cloud Sangha is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation, which means we have formalized our intention to focus on not only profitability but also to serving other causes that matter to us. We have a small team with a sincere desire to serve our members, teachers, and the broader society we share by providing resources and guidance to those who are on the mindful path to awakening our hearts and minds. In order to fulfill our mission, we must be sure we can provide a sustainable container for this transformation to take place. Currently, over 20% of our members receive scholarships which provides a way to support underserved or marginalized communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I select my group?
Do I have to pay the annual fee upfront or can I pay monthly?
Is this for beginners?
What is the format for the Immersion Group Session?
Are there BIPOC Immersion groups available?
How many sessions do I need to attend to receive a certificate of completion?
How will I be supported in my learning once I’ve completed the course?
Why do we charge for memberships?
