Calming the Heartmind: Practicing Love, Compassion, Joy & Equanimity
2018-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-Month Curriculum
Open to all
with Mushim Ikeda, Debra Kerr, JD Doyle
Wednesdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2018
Mushim April 4 and 25. Debra Kerr April 11. JD Doyle April 18.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Brahmaviharas (Divine Abodes), also called the Four Immeasurables, are Buddhist teachings and practices that help us to access dynamic calming, stilling, and healing mindbody states. As we cultivate the limitless qualities of loving goodwill, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity, in time we harvest true happiness, spiritual strength, and awakening insight. These practices are considered complementary to insight meditation. Dharma talks, discussion, interactive exercises. Instruction provided for beginners in meditation.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Teen Sangha: Spring & Summer Session
2018-04-25 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-23 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-06-06 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-06-13 19:00 - 21:00 and 1 more date
EBMC Teen Sangha – Spring & Summer 2018
Wednesdays: April 11th – June 20th, 2018
7:00 – 8:45PM
Open to teens, ages 14-19
EBMC Teen Sangha is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19. Our focus will be on creating deeper relationships with ourselves and each other, having fun, getting real and supporting each other. Learn mindfulness meditation and explore the dharma (Buddhist teachings) in creative and practical ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a Sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures, beliefs and ways of being.
Led by the EBMC Teen Sangha Team: Raúl Kahlil Betancourt, Anthony “T” Maes, Sarwang Parikh, Nirali Shah, Syra Smith, and Sara Oakes.
Registration: Registration is encouraged and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=Summer18teen
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process)
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment
2018-04-28 10:00 - 16:00
Led by Spring Washam
Learning to meet the inner and outer challenges of life with an open heart takes a fierceness that we can develop and cultivate through practice. On our spiritual path, we balance the two great wings of awakening: wisdom and compassion. Perfect wisdom gives rise to perfect compassion. During this daylong we will explore wisdom, compassion, strength and courage. The day will include periods of meditation, teachings and group discussion. There will be a practical emphasis on how we apply and live these powerful teachings in our everyday lives. This is an excellent program for those new to practice as well as for experienced practitioners.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Mindfulness and Technology: Cultivating a Skillful Relationship
2018-04-29 09:30 - 12:30
Led by Dawn Mauricio
The in-between moments of waiting in line or between meetings used to be opportunities to pause and reflect, but now have become moments where we tune into the world instead of tuning into ourselves. There’s no need to shun technology though; together we’ll discover how it can be a fruitful part of your practice. This class will include guided meditations, discussion, and a meditation with our phones or laptops in hand!
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

To Cherish All Life: Buddha’s 5 Precepts
2018-05-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-23 19:00 - 21:00
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-Month Curriculum
Open to all

4 Wednesdays
May 2nd, 9th, 16th, & 23rd, 2018
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Together we’ll safely take a deep dive into how to hold the questions and ethical complexities that arise when we grapple with trying to live in accordance with the Precepts. The Buddha’s 5 basic guidelines for peace and happiness are: Not to kill but to cherish all life; not to lie but to tell the truth; not to steal, but to respect the things of others; not to commit sexual misconduct but to respect the wholeness of relationship; not to misuse intoxicants but to practice clarity of mind. Dharma talks, contemplative journaling, discussion, interactive exercises. Meditation instruction provided for beginners.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Tender Self-Care in the Midst of Pain
2018-05-06 10:00 - 16:00
A Daylong for People Living with Disability, Illness or Chronic Pain
Led by Debra Kerr
In this daylong meditation retreat, we will explore the possibility of finding space and ease, even while dealing with painful conditions of body or mind. Mindfulness and sangha are powerful tools for finding ways of working with pain, for lessening isolation, and for increasing our compassion, both for our own pain, and for the pain of others. There will be guided and silent meditation, movement practice, lovingkindness and compassion practice, as well as small and large group discussions and dharma talks. As we work with pain, we will also find ways of inviting pleasure and joy into the day. In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Cutting through Spiritual Materialism - A Half Day Book Retreat
2018-05-12 13:30 - 16:30
Core Teacher Diving Deeper Series
Led by Mushim Ikeda
REQUIRED: You need to have read the book and come prepared to discuss it.
A half-day retreat on the modern spiritual classic, Cutting through Spiritual Materialism. In this book, “the Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa highlights the commonest pitfall to which every aspirant on the spiritual path falls prey: what he calls spiritual materialism. The universal tendency, he shows, is to see spirituality as a process of self-improvement—the impulse to develop and refine the ego when the ego is, by nature, essentially empty. ‘The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use,’ he said, ‘even spirituality.’ [amazon.com description]” Instead, Chögyam Trungpa says, we need to understand that “true and joyous liberation…inevitably involves letting go of the self rather than working to improve it.” Dharma talks, contemplative journaling, discussion, interactive exercises. Meditation instruction provided for beginners. For those who cannot afford to purchase their own copy of the book, EBMC will have a limited number of copies to loan. Please inquire immediately upon registering for this class if you are requesting a loaner copy. Please contact: Candi (at) eastbaymeditation (dot) org
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Register HERE
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Family Practice Class: Opening the Heart through the Buddha's Teachings
2018-05-13 10:00 - 12:30
with Baruch Golden, Eve Decker, Fresh! White, Keisha Turner and Michele Ku
For Children Ages 0-13 and Family / Caregivers
We invite you to come and help create the diverse family sangha at EBMC. We welcome families with babies, toddlers, and children up to age 13. Children under 5 will need to have a parent/caregiver stay with them.
This class features training on “Family Tea Time” and how mindful practices can bind the family together. We will also explore how meditation and meditative movement can contribute to successful family life. Parents/caregivers and young people will meet together and separately during the class. We are committed to creating a diverse family sangha. No prior experience is necessary.
Please bring a snack (without nuts) to share.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Honoring Our Ancestors: Telling The Truth and Reclaiming Our Wisdom
2018-05-26 10:00 - 16:30
with Arisika Razak
for Self Identified People of Color
Based on who we are and what we’ve been through and how we survive and where we stand, we are on kind of sacred ground. We stand on the backs of our ancestors. – Ava DuVernay
How are our lives informed by the actions of our ancestors – and what can we learn from their choices and experiences? How do we integrate multicultural linages, intergeneration trauma and ancestral wisdom? Join us for a day of storytelling, dharma teachings, movement, writing, and music in which we compassionately examine our diverse ancestral histories, celebrate our multicultural heritage/s and create a new liberation story.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

EBMC 5 Month Buddhist Basics Curriculum: Evening for Practice Q&A
2018-05-30 19:00 - 21:00
with Mushim Ikeda
For those who have taken either some or all of EBMC’s 5-month “Buddhist core teachings” curriculum an evening class where you can bring your “biggest” Buddhist practice questions, meet Dharma companions on the Path, and rejoice in the merit that you have generated! Please note: The focus of this class is on praxis rather than abstract theory – in other words, what you are doing to deepen your spiritual practice and to transform your life through these wisdom teachings. If you like, bring a snack or non-alcoholic beverage to share for the OPTIONAL brief social immediately afterward. (9:00 – 9:30PM)
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Healing the Oppressor Within: A Space for White Men to Explore the Intersection of Whiteness and Masculinity in the Context of the Dharma
2018-06-02 10:00 - 16:30
Open to White Men
with Baruch Golden, Gregory Mengel & Tom Malarkey
White men, including many of us who are committed to social justice, continue to wreak havoc in our world. We are ill prepared to unlearn the patterns of oppression we enact in part because of the social conditioning we receive as young boys. We’ve been taught to “man up,” “never show weakness,” and “always have the answer.” This work, however, requires humility and vulnerability, which are the precise opposite. In this daylong we will explore our personal and interpersonal views and beliefs about whiteness and maleness through small group work, storytelling, dharma teachings, and mindfulness practices to help participants gain awareness of our conditioning and hold ourselves and each other with compassion.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Community Celebration of Strategic Plan
2018-06-02 18:00 - 20:00
Community Meeting: Celebrating East Bay Meditation Center’s Strategic Plan!
All EBMC Sangha members, past and present, are invited!
Join us as we come together to celebrate the completion of our Strategic Plan! Our evening together will include an interactive presentation of our Strategic Plan, a lively discussion of the next two, five and ten years of EBMC, a Community Meditation and time to be in Beloved Community.
Appetizers provided courtesy of Reem’s California. Tea courtesy of Numi Tea.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability. You will have an opportunity to donate at the event via cash, check or credit card.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Practicing with Strong Emotions
2018-06-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-06-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-06-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-06-25 19:00 - 21:00
Practicing with Strong Emotions :
Seeing our Difficulties as Opportunities for Growth
Open to all
with John Mifsud
Undeniably, strong emotions cause great stress. Suppressing them can increase our suffering. Spaciousness helps us make healthful choices during difficult times. Buddhist teachings offer many tools to work with challenging feelings and increase ease.
Overwhelming feelings are a simply part of being human. They can cause suffering. Denying them can cause even more. Opening to them can further our personal liberation. In community, we’ll build both the safety and the courage to proceed skillfully.
All sessions are stand-alone. Attend any or all four.
June 4 th: Anger & Disappointment
June 11 th Love & Lust
June 18 th: Fear & Anxiety
June 25th: Grief & Loss
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Family Practice: Opening the Heart through the Buddha's Teachings
2018-06-10 10:00 - 12:30
with Baruch Golden Fresh! White and Shahara Godfrey
We invite you to come and help create the diverse family sangha at EBMC. We welcome families with babies, toddlers, and children up to age 13. Children under 5 will need to have a parent/caregiver stay with them.
This class features training on “Family Tea Time” and how mindful practices can bind the family together. We will also explore how meditation and meditative movement can contribute to successful family life. Parents/caregivers and young people will meet together and separately during the class. We are committed to creating a diverse family sangha. No prior experience is necessary.
Please bring a snack (without nuts) to share.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Opening Our Hearts: A Day of Lovingkindness Practice for the Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Variant, and Genderqueer Communities
2018-06-16 10:00 - 16:30
Open to all self identified Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Queer, Gender Variant, and Gender Non-conforming people
with JD Doyle, René Rivera and Fresh (Lev) White
Lovingkindness is a powerful practice that enables us to cultivate our capacity for an open, fearless, and loving heart. This day will include meditations, sharing, and discussions that nurture kindness and love.
We will join in community, as Trans* and Gender Queer/Gender Variant people to share our stories, our practice, and create a space to practice freeing our hearts, not only for ourselves, but for our communities and for the freedom of the planet.
This daylong is suitable for both new and experienced meditators and is an opportunity to practice in a space which will be lead and held by Trans* identified individuals.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Dharma in Motion: Malaya Flow
2018-06-29 18:00 - 18:45
Dharma in Motion: Malaya Flow with Jessy Kondo Zapanta
Malaya means freedom in Tagalog. Malaya Flow allows you freedom of movement, to inhabit your body, to reconnect to spirit. Weaving indigenous Filipino community wisdom with years of physical therapy, somatic practice, and training in trauma-informed Raja yoga, qi gong, and 5-element acupressure, Jessy will guide you through dynamic movements and stationary meditation based on your own body’s accessibility needs. You will build strength, spaciousness, and self-compassion. All movements can be done sitting, lying down, or standing up.
With extensive education in bodywork/somatic/energy practices and deep intuition informed by their life experience as a Bay Area-born mixed person of color navigating trauma and chronic illnesses, Jessy Kondo Zapanta brings compassion, curiosity and mind-body wisdom to class. Jessy is no stranger to injuries and accessibility needs, and hopes to create a nurturing space where all bodies feel welcomed.
