Open Door Sangha of Santa Barbara

04/23/2026

Thursday evening sitting group schedule of teachers through August, 2026.

The Thursday group meets weekly at 7:00PM in the small chapel at Unity of Santa Barbara, downtown on East Arrellaga Street.
We start with a 40 minute lightly guided meditation sitting, a brief break, and then have a dharma talk and discussion. The meeting ends by 8:30 or so. All are welcome!

There is no charge for any of our programs. We depend on the support of the community to continue offering our programs. Donations to support our programs are always welcome.

April 23 Shelley
April 30 John - with chanting

May 7 Gary
May 14 Shelley
May 21 John
May 28 Gary

June 4 Alice
June 11 Alice
June 18 TBD
June 25 Alice

July 2 Alice
July 9 Gary
July 16 Shelley
July 23 Shelley
July 30 John

August 6 Shelley
August 13 Alice
August 20 Gary maybe
August 27 Shelley

01/11/2026

March 25-29, 2025

Shelley Gault will be co-teaching an online retreat with Ines Freedman through Insight Retreat Center.

Online retreats are a wonderful opportunity to do intensive meditation practice under the guidance of experienced dharma teachers in your own home. They also allow us as participants to integrate practice into their daily lives so that the dharma and mindfulness become more than just activities or teachings we engage in--they become the orientation and foundation for how we operate in the world, in our relationships to others and to the society we live in.

Details about the retreat and registration information are available under Online Retreats on the Insight Retreat Center website, insightretreatcenter.org.

01/11/2026

Thursday evening sitting group schedule of teachers through April, 2026

The Thursday group meets weekly at 7:00PM in the small chapel at Unity of Santa Barbara, downtown on East Arrellaga Street.

We start with a 40 minute lightly guided meditation sitting, a brief break, and then have a dharma talk and discussion. The meeting ends by 8:30 or so. All are welcome!

There is no charge for any of our programs. We depend on the support of the community to continue offering our programs. Donations to support our programs are always welcome.

January 15 Shelley
January 22 Gary
January 29 John

February 5 Alice
February 12 Peer led discussion
February 19 Shelley
February 26 John

March 5 Gary
March 12 Alice
March 19 Shelley
March 26 Gary

April 2 Gary
April 9 Alice
April 16 Shelley
April 23 Shelley
April 30 John

01/11/2026

Open Door Sangha is offering a residential retreat at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino from Feb 12-16. The retreat will be taught by Shelley Gault and Tanya Wiser, who were trained to teach by Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella of Insight Meditation Center In Redwood City, California. The retreat theme is
"The Body at the Center."

It will focus on cultivating mindful awareness through three aspects of practice--knowing, sensing and relaxing. Knowing our experience cognitively, sensing into it somatically, and calming the mind and body so that knowing and sensing become more subtle and clear.

For more information about the retreat, and to register please go to our website, OpenDoorSangha.org.

All our offerings are community supported and dana based.

08/20/2025

Sangha Summer's end Potluck Picnic
Saturday, August 23, 2:30 -- 5:00 PM
Hilda Ray McIntyre Park
Santa Barbara--top of the Mesa, end of Kenwood Road.

Bring friends and a vegetarian dish to share!

07/24/2025

“I take my sign, I go stand by the freeway, and I feel so good.” — Jack Kornfield

Words by Trudy Goodman — “Jack stands by the freeway and holds up this sign: No more ICE raids. No more defunding. No more genocide. Practice mercy, and love.

The words of my dear friend Mirabai Starr express what I’m feeling:

“Those of us whose lives are relatively comfortable & safe must not turn away from the abject suffering of our faraway starving neighbors who are being slaughtered as they reach for the food being offered.
Let your heart break with mine. And from this grief may compassionate action arise.””
—

Picture by

07/24/2025

Jack, standing up for what is wholesome, what is good.

“I take my sign, I go stand by the freeway, and I feel so good.” — Jack Kornfield

Words by Trudy Goodman — “Jack stands by the freeway and holds up this sign: No more ICE raids. No more defunding. No more genocide. Practice mercy, and love.

The words of my dear friend Mirabai Starr express what I’m feeling:

“Those of us whose lives are relatively comfortable & safe must not turn away from the abject suffering of our faraway starving neighbors who are being slaughtered as they reach for the food being offered.
Let your heart break with mine. And from this grief may compassionate action arise.””
—

Picture by

01/28/2025

Update!! Thursday evening sitting group schedule of teachers through December, 2025

The Thursday group meets weekly at 7:00PM in the small chapel at Unity of Santa Barbara, downtown on East Arrellaga Street.

We start with a 40 minute lightly guided meditation sitting, a brief break, and then have a dharma talk and discussion. The meeting ends by 8:30 or so. All are welcome!

There is no charge, donations to support our programs are welcome.

August 21 Shelley
August 28 Alice

September 4 Gary
September 11 Gary
September 18 Alice
September 25 Alice

October 2 Gary
October 9 Shelley
October 16 Alice
October 23 John
October 30 Shelley

November 6 Gary
November 13 Shelley
November 20 Alice
November 27 Thanksgiving, no program

December 4 Gary
December 11 Shelley
December 18 John
December 25 Christmas holiday, no program

January 1 New Year's Day--TBD

11/28/2024

May we practice meeting difficulty with wise intention and lovingkindness in our hearts. May we have a clear mind and a sense of our true interconnectedness as we enter the holiday season.

01/28/2023

Radical simplicity....