Open Door Sangha of Santa Barbara

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Open Door Sangha of Santa Barbara Open Door Sangha is a Buddhist meditation support community primarily in the Vipassana/Insight tradition. It's possible to participate in this group via Zoom.

The Open Door Sangha is a community of Buddhist practitioners. We offer weekly sitting groups and occasional day-long mini-retreats. Several times a year we offer a 6-week class series in introductory mindfulness meditation and Buddhist teachings, and we also offer classes or other programs aimed at more experienced practitioners. These are all taught by dharma teachers and leaders who have completed significant study and training and years of silent retreat practice. Once or twice a year we also sponsor weekend non-residential retreats with well-known Buddhist teachers.

-Monday Night Sitting Group 7:00-8:00 pm
Small chapel, Unity Church, 227 East Arrellaga St
(use the parking lot behind the church entered from Valerio St.) Silent 45 minute sit, occasionally followed by discussion.

-Thursday Night Sitting Group - 7:00 to 8:40 p.m. Small Chapel at Unity Church, entered from the rear of the church building. Silent meditation followed by a short dharma talk given by one of our teachers, and discussion. Email [email protected] for the link.

-Thursday Noon Sitting Group at UCSB 12:10-12:50 pm
4301 Life Sciences Building (across the breezeway from the elevator)
Guided meditation and discussion facilitated by sangha member Christian Layow.

-Weekend Retreats with visiting teachers, daylongs, special events

To be included on our email list, send an email to [email protected].

Sangha teacher Shelley Gault will be offering the "7am Sit and Dharmette" for Insight Meditation Center from Oct 19-23, ...
10/18/2026

Sangha teacher Shelley Gault will be offering the "7am Sit and Dharmette" for Insight Meditation Center from Oct 19-23, leading a 30 minute meditation and offering a short dharma talk. People all over the world tune in to this offering every weekday, and a sweet community has developed among those who practice with it regularly.

Here's the link to this program, usually taught by Gil Fronsdal, unless he is busy teaching retreat:

The Insight Meditation Center is a community-based, urban refuge for the teachings and practice of insight meditation, also known as mindfulness or vipassana meditation. We offer Buddhist teachings in clear, accessible and open-handed ways. Guided by Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella, IMC offers a broad...

10/18/2026

This weekend, join Matthew Brensilver for Anxiety and the Intolerance of Uncertainty: https://ims.dharma.org/courses/Anxiety-and-the-Intolerance-of-Uncertainty

🗓️ Saturday, October 10
⏰ 9 am – 12:30 pm ET
🍂 Online & recorded | Sliding scale options

Uncertainty is a natural part of life, but can leave most of us feeling anxious and unsettled. In this online mini retreat, Matthew will offer Buddhist wisdom and practices that allow us to cultivate a sense of inner steadiness.

We can learn to meet uncertainty and the unpredictability of life with greater ease, confidence, and openness.

What a terrific resource!
10/08/2026

What a terrific resource!

Live from the Meditation Hall with Joseph Goldstein begins next Friday, October 9: https://ims.dharma.org/courses/Live-from-the-Meditation-Hall-with-Joseph-Goldstein-2026

Evening talks will be from 7:30-8:30 pm ET on these dates:
☘️ Fridays, October 9, 16, and 23
🍃 Mondays, November 2, 9, and 16

Join us as founding teacher Joseph Goldstein offers a series of six live dharma talks from the meditation hall during this year’s Two-Month Retreat.

These livestreamed talks offer a “fly on the wall” experience during the annual intensive retreat and are open to everyone.

08/28/2026

Thursday evening sitting group schedule of teachers
September through December, 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!

Sept 3 Gary Hill
Sept 10 Alice Alldredge
Sept 17 Gary
Sept 24 Alice

Oct 1 Shelley Gault
Oct 8 John O'Connor
Oct 15 Shelley
Oct 22 Alice
Oct 29 Gary

Nov 5 John
Nov 12 Alice
Nov 19 Shelley
Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day, no program

Dec 3 John
Dec 10 Shelley
Dec 17 Shelley
Dec 24--Christmas Eve, no Program
Dec 31--New Year's Eve--TBD

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

March 25-29, 2025Shelley Gault will be co-teaching an online retreat with Ines Freedman through Insight Retreat Center. ...
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.

Address

227 E. Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara, CA
93101

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