Read Candi Martinez-Carthen’s Gratitude Story

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To wrap up a beautiful series of Gratitude Stories, EBMC’s own Event Director Candi Martinez-Carthen shares her experience with feeling genuinely seen in Sangha:

In Fall of 2012, my dear friend Nayomi invited me to meditate with her on a Thursday evening in downtown Oakland. Having admired her meditation practice, I jumped at the opportunity, intrigued further by her describing a meditation group for People of Color (POC Sangha).
I distinctly remember coming through EBMC’s doors for the first time –marveling at a sea of black and brown folks gathered together – taking in this beautiful center and the ease with which I immediately felt at home, both seen and welcomed.

Inspired by this experience, I started attending both POC Sangha and Alphabet Sangha as frequently as I could. As a Sangha member, I feel wildly blessed to be connected to the inspiring individuals I have met through EBMC. Individuals who, under different circumstances, I may never have crossed paths with, are now chosen family to hold and feel held by, whose liberation is bound up with my own.

Before coming to EBMC, I didn’t realize how important and healing this would be – nor how many wounds I was carrying around from the pain of my own estranged family members.

Having space to create connection, community and spiritual friendships at EBMC has enriched my life in ways that I could not have expected.

I am grateful for the quiet joy that comes from sharing a meditation practice with another person, the invitation for ease in my body that I experience during our movement classes, and for being part of a community that I feel genuinely seen and supported by.

Nearly six years after being introduced to EBMC, I am also deeply honored to be serving as EBMC’s Event Director. In my role as Event Director, I help steward the space in which we gather. In this work, love is in the details, and that is where I dwell.

I am touched by and always learning from the ways in which EBMC practices radical inclusivity. It’s truly revolutionary to me – there is so much thought and ACTION put into keeping our center as accessible as possible.

From our practice of Gift Economics which encourages our community to support each other to ensure no one is turned away from lack of funds, to making sure our temple and teachings are accessible for people of different abilities and identities, I have learned what it means to be part of a community that is grounded in genuine (and radical!) inclusivity.

These gifts of radical inclusivity, love and liberation that I and so many others have experienced at EBMC extend far beyond our four walls. They ripple out across our families, our communities and into the world. Your support of EBMC helps to ensure many others can experience these same gifts and more, for years to come.

Deep bows,
Candi Martinez-Carthen


Sangha Friends, 

Today is the last chance to give towards our 2018 year-end goal!

If you haven’t yet offered a gift of any amount to support EBMC, it’s not too late. Thanks to the generosity of many, we are SO close to reaching our goal! As we start off the new year, your generosity will sustain our center and support EBMC’s mission to continue building, as Candi says, genuine and radical inclusivity.

Please join us by making a gift today, so together we can enter 2019 with the resources we need to make EBMC a thriving refuge for all.

Thank you! We are deeply grateful for your generosity.