About IMCW

Welcome to IMCW

Founded in 1997 by Tara Brach, the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) exists to help people cultivate awareness, compassion, and wisdom along every stage of the path of practice. Whether you are exploring meditation for the first time or have practiced for many years, you’ll find welcoming opportunities to learn, practice, and grow in community. Today, IMCW is supported by dedicated teachers, staff, volunteers, and generous community members who share a commitment to making the Dharma accessible to all. We offer more than 150 in-person, online, and hybrid meditation classes, retreats, and community gatherings each month throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, along with Spiritual Friends (Kalyāṇa Mitta) groups and affinity sanghas that foster belonging, connection, and practice. IMCW is also the steward of Seven Oaks Retreat Center, our Mid-Atlantic home for the Dharma. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Seven Oaks offers residential retreats and contemplative practice in a peaceful natural setting while growing into a welcoming, environmentally responsible, and fully accessible retreat center for generations to come. Wherever you are on your journey, we are delighted to welcome you.