Something Feels Safe Enough Here to Release: Amy Huang on Dana, Abundance, and Community
“Every time I show up to practice, I end up crying. Something feels safe enough here to release.”
During our Season of Gratitude, we’re sharing reflections from members of our Sangha about how East Bay Meditation Center has supported their practice and their lives. This week, we’re honored to share a story from Amy Huang.
Amy began practicing with EBMC’s BIPOC Sangha after moving to Oakland and later deepened their involvement through the Commit to Sangha program. What stood out most for them was the sense of safety they felt each time they showed up.
As Amy reflected, they began to notice a pattern.
“I started to realize that every time I came to practice, I would cry,” Amy shared. “It felt like something in me was finally safe enough to release.”
Over time, Amy’s practice at EBMC opened into a deeper relationship with dana and gift economics. Like many of us, they came in carrying a strong sense of scarcity shaped by the world we live in.
“Dana became a way to notice how much abundance I actually have,” Amy reflected. “I wondered if, by giving as if I had enough, I could start to feel in my body that I do.”
For Amy, dana is not only about giving. It is also about receiving generously — trusting that care, connection, and support are not things we must earn, but something we deserve as human beings.
At EBMC, gift economics is a lived practice. It creates space for people to show up honestly, explore their inner lives, and feel held by community while doing that work.
During this Season of Gratitude, we invite you to reflect on what EBMC has offered you.
Your support provides a place of deep refuge — a sanctuary of belonging and care for our community in a time of great suffering in the world.
It keeps EBMC accessible online and in person.
It allows us to offer programs rooted in gift economics, making practice available regardless of income.
If EBMC has supported your practice, please consider making a year-end gift today.
We’ve raised $9,274 toward our $30,000 goal, and your support helps carry us the rest of the way.
👉 Make your gift today: Join us in our Season of Gratitude 2025

