What’s the history of this community?
What’s the relationship between Downtown Dharma, IMCW, and Yoga District?
I’ve never attended before on Sunday. What should I expect?
Can you talk about parking and accessibility?
How do I offer dana (generosity)?
How is dana (generosity) used to support this community?
What else does this community do together (beyond Sunday evenings)?
How do I become a member of this community?
Why is it called Downtown Dharma?
How do I sign up for the email listserv, and/or join the Discord server?
Rooted in the teachings of the Buddha, this welcoming community supports meditation practitioners in developing a steady, peaceful and open heart. Together, we seek to cultivate profound freedom—a freedom that equips each of us to meet the world’s pains with wisdom and compassion.
We meet in person and on Zoom every Sunday evening. Our gatherings typically include a 30-minute guided meditation, a short dharma (teaching) talk, and lots of time for sharing and community building. In addition, we organize monthly dinners, gather regularly to discuss books on mindfulness and Buddhism, and hold retreats and other events.
All offerings are featured on our sangha (meditation community) website, and are open to people of all identities, spiritual backgrounds, and levels of experience with meditation.
In 2004, Downtown Dharma launched as a weekly mindfulness class on Sunday evenings at All Souls Unitarian Church, in the DC neighborhood of Columbia Heights. It grew out of discussions between Peter Mosher, an All Souls member, and Hugh Byrne, a local meditation teacher. In the early years of the class, Hugh taught insight meditation while Peter (since deceased) led a Qigong practice. Over time additional teachers with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) were added to the schedule to support the Sunday offering.
In the 2010s, Downtown Dharma’s weekly gatherings changed locations from All Souls to a series of other spots in NW DC—including the Church of the Savior, the Church of the Holy City, Potter’s House, Flow Yoga Studio and finally Yoga District (14th St Studio).
After convening exclusively on Zoom for 18 months due to COVID, Downtown Dharma resumed in-person gatherings in September 2021. Community members now join both in-person at Yoga District and online each week.
Travis Spencer and Kristin Barker are the sangha’s two lead teachers. Both are affiliate teachers with IMCW. Like all IMCW teachers and facilitators, they are volunteers who are supported by dana (generosity) from community members.
Guest facilitators step in frequently to guide on Sunday evenings, including Shawn Shafner, Mark Stone and others.
Downtown Dharma is affiliated with IMCW (the Insight Meditation Community of Washington). Founded by Tara Brach, IMCW is a local nonprofit that harnesses Buddhist insight (vipassana) teachings to support individual and collective awakening from suffering, through the cultivation of a wise mind and loving heart.
IMCW is a network of weekly drop-in meditation classes across various locations in DC, MD, VA, and online. IMCW also hosts residential and daylong retreats throughout the year, as well as an array of shared experience sanghas (e.g. for BIPOC individuals, LGBTQIA+ folks, Teens, Vegans, etc.).
Since 2021, Downtown Dharma’s gatherings on Sunday evenings have been generously hosted by Yoga District at its 14th St studio.
Together, our communities are committed to making meditation practice, wisdom teachings, and spiritual community widely accessible in the heart of DC.
Newcomers are always welcome. If it’s your first time joining in person, please sign up in advance via the Yoga District website. Also, plan to arrive 10 minutes before class so that a volunteer can greet you, orient you to the studio space, and answer any questions you might have.
Most participants sit on the floor, making themselves comfortable for seated meditation with a combination of yoga blankets and bolsters. For those who prefer, folding chairs are available.
Our Sunday gatherings always include time for meditation and community building, yet they have a few different flavors. These include:
Please look at the calendar to see what you can expect any given Sunday.
If you’re not able to join in person, you’re welcome to connect by Zoom using this link.
Yoga District’s 14th Street studio is on the 3rd floor of a converted rowhouse, up two flights of stairs. The building does not have an elevator.
The studio is located two blocks from the U Street-Cardozo Metro station, and is well served by public transportation and bike infrastructure. There is no dedicated parking. If you are driving, please plan to arrive early to find street parking in the neighborhood.
Participants are asked to remove their shoes before entering the 3rd floor studio space. That said, if you need to keep your shoes on due to a physical issue, please let the studio volunteer know when checking in.
Masks are currently optional for those joining in person.
Most participants choose to sit on the floor, but folding chairs are available for those who prefer them. If you don’t see one upon entering, please let a volunteer know and they will grab one for you!
For anyone with a fragrance sensitivity, please feel free to contact us beforehand or find the greeter volunteer when you arrive. We can help you find appropriate seating for proximate airflow.
All Sunday night gatherings are accessible by Zoom; you can join using this link.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Travis Spencer.
All teachings are offered freely in this community - you are not required to pay to take part. That said, your generosity (dana in the language of the Buddhist teachings) supports this sangha and its teachers and facilitators to help them continue their work. It is a beautiful way of expressing gratitude. Our sangha’s Venmo account is @DowntownDharma. If you would like your donation to be directed to a specific teacher or facilitator, please make this note when donating.
If you’d prefer to donate by credit card, PayPal, Zelle, or a physical check, that works too; instructions are found on the IMCW site.
We eagerly welcome your generosity in the form of volunteering—it’s a great way to get to know your fellow community members. Each week, volunteers help to set up the Yoga District space, greet guests, and make sure that technology runs smoothly. If you’re interested in supporting our sangha in this way, please email Kavya Sekar.
There are also frequent peer-led evenings, in which a volunteer facilitates meditation and community discussion. If you’d like to facilitate an upcoming Sunday, or want to propose or organize another activity related to meditation and mindfulness, please email Josh Malina.
Donations via our Venmo account (@DowntownDharma) are mainly used to support the livelihood of the meditation teachers and facilitators who dedicate themselves to sharing the practice of meditation and teachings of the Buddha.
Here’s how it works in our sangha:
We have an informal reading group (or book club) that meets once a month in community members’ homes. We discuss books, articles, podcasts or movies that relate to Buddhism and mindfulness. Unlike a traditional book club, there is no set membership, nor a requirement to participate every month—folks can join when they like, and there is never an obligation to host (though folks are welcome to raise their hand and offer if they are willing).
The date varies each month, but these potluck-style gatherings typically take place on Saturdays at 6pm. Please join our email listserv and Discord server to learn what we’ll be discussing next, and when and where we’ll meet.
In addition, community members occasionally self-organize retreat weekends, volunteer events, and other social gatherings. These peer-led events are communicated via the email listserv and on Discord.
We are fortunate to live in an age with so many many apps, books and resources to help people learn how to meditate. Still, there’s nothing like the energy and support of sitting with other community members to bolster an emerging meditation practice. Newcomers are always welcome on Sunday evenings.
Also, based on your own learning preferences, you may find some of these resources helpful:
Unlike some other spiritual traditions (including other lineages of Buddhism), there is no formal ritual or process for becoming a member of our sangha. Nor is there any financial commitment you’re expected to make. You are invited to participate in our community at the level and frequency that speaks to you, based on your own inner wisdom.
In addition to attending regularly on Sunday nights, those who are excited to deepen their engagement with our community have many options. These include:
The Sanskrit word dharma (dhamma in Pali) has various meanings. In Buddhism, it’s most often used as a synonym for the teachings of the Buddha. More generally, the term can mean “the truth” or “the way things are”. As a community, Downtown Dharma honors and promotes the liberatory teachings and practices offered by the Buddha, which point the way to greater ease, peace and freedom—even amidst the stresses of living and working in downtown DC.
You can sign up for Downtown Dharma’s email listserv (Google Group) here.