Meditation in the Okanagan

06/10/2026

Please join us for our last class before summer break. Thursday, June 11 from 7-8:30. Everyone welcome! 450 Okanagan Ave SE
Salmon Arm, B.C. (Enter off 4th St)

05/12/2026

Have you ever been curious about what the difference between the brain and the mind? What exactly is the mind? How does the mind impact our daily life? How we can use our mind to be less angry, less stressed, and to be more happy and joyful?

To gain a deeper understanding of how to navigate the infinite worlds of our mind, come to meditation class. Two meditations, a discussion, tea and cookies. Come to develop confidence in your ability to change your mind through meditation and experience real happiness. See you Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm.

450 Okanagan Ave SE
Salmon Arm, B.C.
(Enter off 4th St)

04/30/2026

What is happiness? Where do we find it? Tonight's topic for tonight's meditation class with Colleen. 7-8 pm. Everyone welcome! See you there at First Community at First United Church, 450 Okanagan Ave SE, Salmon Arm, B.C., (Enter off 4th St).

03/24/2026

If your mind has been acting like a group chat you never agreed to join (constant notifications, questionable opinions, and absolutely no off switch), it might be time for a gentle upgrade. Join us Thursday evenings from 7–8pm for a Kadampa Buddhist meditation class with Mike Boudreau—where we learn to calm the chaos, befriend our mind, and maybe even stop replaying that awkward thing we said in 2007. Based on the teachings of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, these classes are perfectly designed for busy humans who would like a little more peace and a little less “why did I say that?” Each class includes two guided meditations, a short, practical teaching, and—arguably the real enlightenment—tea and cookies with lovely humans.

Our series, Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times, is all about turning life’s lemons into…well, spiritual lemonade (no sugar required). Because let’s be honest—life doesn’t stop throwing curveballs, it just gets better at aiming. Instead of being blown around like a candle in the wind, you’ll learn how to steady your mind and maybe even enjoy the breeze. Topics include The Power of Compassion (March 19), Immeasurable Love (March 26), Learning to Surf (April 2—no wetsuit required), Acceptance (April 9), Compassion in Action (April 16), and The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness (April 23). Come for the meditation, stay for the tea and cookies, and leave with a mind that’s just a little more peaceful—and a lot less dramatic.

Everyone welcome! See you there.

450 Okanagan Ave SE
Salmon Arm, B.C. Canada
(Enter off 4th St)

02/19/2026

Less Stress Please!
A new 6 part series overcoming stress, anxiety and depression through Buddha's wisdom. Everyone Welcome!

Thursdays with Mike Boudreau
February 19
7 - 8 pm
$15 per class
$30 for 3 classes
$40 for 4 classes
$50 for 5 classes
Free for members

First Community at First United Church
enter off 4th Street.

01/20/2026

Let’s talk about gratitude. Everyone hears this word and there are a whole lot of different ways to go about cultivating this feeling.

Venerable Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche teaches us that gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect or forcing ourselves to feel thankful. It is a gentle training of the mind to notice goodness that is already present. When we reflect on how much of our life comes from the kindness of others—our food, our home, our teachers, even the people who challenge us—we begin to feel more connected and less alone. This simple shift loosens the habit of focusing on what is missing or wrong, which is a major source of unhappiness. Gratitude, then, becomes a practical method for softening the mind and opening the heart.

From this perspective, happiness is not something we wait for the world to deliver; it is something we actively cultivate through our thoughts. By regularly reflecting on kindness and good fortune, we reduce anger, envy, and dissatisfaction, and we create the inner conditions for peace. A grateful mind is a light mind—more flexible, more patient, and more joyful. Even a few moments of gratitude each day can change how we meet our experiences, turning ordinary moments into meaningful ones and difficulties into opportunities for growth.

To learn more on gratitude and some simple tools, please come to meditation class with Mike Boudreau on Thursday, Jan 22 from 7-8:30 pm at First United in Salmon Arm. Everyone welcome!

01/08/2026

What if this year is different?

Do You Have a Roadmap to Everlasting Happiness?

Venerable Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche tells us that every living being has a wish to be happy and free from suffering. What if this is the year that you unlock that road map to everlasting happiness and that life flows freely from there?

In this first series of 2026 classes with Mike Boudreau, we will explore through meditation and mindfulness six simple attitudes that will help us create a roadmap bring us the everlasting happiness that we are all seeking. The subject of our first class, Thursday, January 8th from 7-8:30 is choose happiness!

These meditation classes are for everyone. They include two guided meditations, a practical talk on a different topic each week, and time for Q&A at the end.

Each class is self-contained, so you are welcome to join at any time. No previous experience is required. We’ll see you at 450 Okanagan Ave E, Salmon Arm, B.C. Enter off 4th Street.

11/13/2025

08/13/2025

Did you know that all living beings have one basic wish in common? We all wish to be happy and avoid suffering. However very few people understand the causes of happiness and suffering. Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems overwhelming?

Today in our fast-paced society we all feel some form of anxiety if things aren’t going the way we would like them to. We may tend to regard the situation itself as a problem but really the problem lies in our mind. Training our mind in meditation is a powerful tool to overcoming our sufferings. In this week’s meditation class, Mike Boudreau will address the anatomy of causes of anxiety and the stress it causes on Thursday, August 14 from 7 – 8:30 pm at First United Community Church. Everyone is welcome. No experience is necessary. # shuswapbliss