East Bay Meditation Center

Balanced Not Busy: Creating a Nourishing Life
2019-01-28 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with JD Doyle, René Rivera, Jonathan Relucio
Monday, Jan 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th 6:30 – 9:00PM
So many of us focus on what is unfinished or incomplete in our lives rather than recognizing what is going well. In this four class series, we’ll explore Buddhist practices that cultivate balanced and sustainable lives that nurture contentment and harmony. We will learn practical tools to shift our attitudes to bring more kindness and joy into our daily lives.
This series will include a diverse array of practices, including mindfulness, guided meditations, writing activities, and interactive discussions. Gather in a supportive community to set intentions for your daily life and explore how to navigate from busyness to balance.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.
We 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.

Beginning a Meditation Practice
2019-01-30 18:30 - 20:30
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of East Bay Meditation Center’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 5 Month Curriculum
Are you looking for a way to start a mindfulness meditation practice, but don’t quite know how? These classes will give you the basics of stationary and walking/gentle movement meditation in the vipassana (insight) style, and metta (loving kindness or good will) meditation. Don’t worry about “getting it right” – if you can sit – on a folding chair, on floor cushions, in a wheelchair – or lie down – and breathe, you’re off to a good start! This series is for those seeking stress reduction, or it can be the gateway to those new to Buddhism. Meditation can help you, over time, to develop a sense of increased physical well-being, mental clarity, compassionate connection, and spiritual growth.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Teen Sangha: Winter Session
2019-01-30 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-02-06 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-02-13 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-02-20 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-02-27 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-03-06 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-03-13 19:00 - 20:45
EBMC Teen Sangha
Winter 2019
Wednesdays, January 2nd to March 27th 7:00 pm – 8:45PM pm
EBMC Teen Sangha is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19
Led by Anthony Maes, Raul Betancourt, Louije Kim and Sarwang Parikh
Our focus is 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 experiential ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures and backgrounds.
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 Series: Having Joy in the Moment as Parents and Caregivers
2019-02-02 10:00 - 13:00
A half day for parents, grandparents and caregivers
with Shahara Godfrey and Baruch Golden
“Joy awakens our love for life, and it’s contagious,” James Baraz Awakening joy in ourselves is a way to care for others. By staying in touch with our own appreciation for life, we remind those around us of their capacity to do the same. Having joy in the moment as parents and caregivers can be both easy and challenging. Through the lens of the dharma, we will have opportunities to explore practices that encourage feelings of happiness and joy. The half daylong involves having fun and includes interactive exercises with silent and guided meditations.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Trust the Struggles: Making Peace with the Five Hindrances to Mindfulness
2019-02-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-02-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-02-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-02-25 19:00 - 21:00
Open to all
with Melvin Escobar
This class series will explore The Five Obstacles (Hindrances) to mindfulness meditation and ways to work with them. Buddhist teachings will be interwoven with contemporary psychological frameworks and informed by an understanding of structural oppression. Through talks, interactive exercises, stationary and gentle moving meditation, and recommendations for home practice, participants will gain awareness and how to use them as gateways to deepen our practice.
Attend some or all:
Feb 4th: Doubt
Feb 11th: Sloth + Torpor
Feb 18th: Restlessness + Worry
Feb 25th: Sensual Desire and Ill Will
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Buddha’s 4 Big Truths: Liberation from Suffering
2019-02-06 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-02-13 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-02-20 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-02-27 18:30 - 20:30
with Mushim Ikeda
Wednesday’s Feb 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th 6:30 – 8:30PM
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-month Curriculum
Why do we suffer? How can we be released from suffering? The Buddha’s first teaching after his Enlightenment is called the Four Truths for Noble Ones. These form the foundation of Buddhist life and understanding. The four “big” truths address human suffering and oppression, analyze their root causes, and describe a path of liberation from human suffering that is both profound and practical. Dharma talks, interactive exercises, journaling, meditation and optional readings. Beginners in meditation are welcome.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Decolonizing Sexuality: A Workshop for Men, Masculine Identified and Non-Binary People
2019-02-09 09:00 - 17:30
with Lama Rod Owens and Rev. Daigan Gaithers
Through retreat, meditation, dialogue, sharing and personal storytelling, journaling and ritual, we will together unpack how patriarchy has shaped our expressions of masculinity and the self more generally. We will take up a dharmic lens to examine our relationship to violence and domination, power, femininity, love and sexuality along a path to unveiling and honoring non-patriarchal expressions of who we are as human beings. Our intention is to illuminate how patriarchal expressions of self create suffering for all of us as we begin to develop a relationship to a more sacred masculinity. Our hope is that these efforts will not only further our own liberation, but begin to cultivate spiritual communities and a human world where both the sacred feminine and masculine are held in loving balance.
Space is limited and registration is required. 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
2019-02-10 10:00 - 12:30
For Children Ages 0-13 and Family / Caregivers
Led by Baruch Golden, Eve Decker, Michele Ku 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.
Space is limited and registration is requested. REGISTER HERE.
Please note, each family only needs one registration, thank you!
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.

What's Race, Skin Color, Gender and Sexuality Got To Do with Non-Self?
2019-02-16 09:30 - 16:30
with Dr. Vimalasara Valerie Mason – John and Shahara Godfrey
Open to Self Identified People of Color
This is a day for us to come together as People of Color to explore one of the seminal text in the Buddhist teachings -‘ Non-Self’. Paraphrasing the late Pat Parker – she once wrote ‘first you remember I’m a person of color and second you forget I’m a person of color’. What would it be like to be free from all our labels and not attached to the identities we give ourselves and identities forced upon us? Join senior teachers Shahara Godfrey – Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John for a day of meditation, dharma talks and compassionate inquiry.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Regional Buddhist Recovery Summit: Let's Talk about 12 Step Programs and Buddhist Recovery
2019-02-17 09:30 - 17:00
with Dr. Vimalasara Valerie Mason – John and Shahara Godfrey and Guest Speakers
The daylong will include two panels including speakers from the 12-step, Buddhist Recovery and mindfulness communities. Speakers will discuss the relationship between Buddhist Recovery and 12-step programs, and also discuss what does the World need in the midst of the current addiction crisis. There will be an opportunity to attend a recovery meeting in the morning at 9:30am prompt.
Guest Speakers:
Father Tom – 12 step Programs
Enrique Collazo – Refuge Recovery
Laura Burges – San Francisco Zen Center
Dr. Vimalasara Mason-John – 8 Step Recovery
George Gomez – Heart of Recovery
Kevin Griffin – Buddhism & 12 Steps
Steve Tierney – San Francisco Zen Centre
Augusta Hopkins – Mindfulness Coach
Panels hosted by Shahara Godfrey and Walt Opie
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Queer (LGBTQIA2+) Resilience Daylong: Get your Heart On!
2019-03-02 10:00 - 17:00
with JD Doyle and Patrick Brown
Join us for a day of practice in LGBTQIA2+ space to connect and learn tools to support building resilience for ourselves and our communities. In these tough times, learning how to interrupt the reactive mind and learn ways to nourish ourselves, is essential for our well being and to support the healing of ongoing, intergenerational traumas. This day will include silent meditation (mindfulness and heart practices), as well as interactive small group activities and reflective journal writing.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Class Series for People of Color
2019-03-04 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-03-11 18:30 - 20:30
with Carol Cano
For Self Identified People of Color
Mindfulness-based meditation is not a religious code as much as it is a social psychology that supports experiences of well-being. -Ruth King (Author of Mindful Race)
This four-week course will introduce you to secular mindfulness meditation. We will get a brief overview of the historically background and the fundamentals of how to start a mindfulness meditation practice. We will explore how this practice can cultivate balance, peace and support at times that are very challenging and difficult to navigate. This series will give you a fresh perspective to an already stressful life during these chaotic times.
The objective is how to address fluctuating mental states of fear, anxiety and other negative or positives mental states that arise by fostering awareness as a tool for creating a clear, less receptive behaviors and develop qualities of the heart to can promote balance and beauty.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

The Buddha’s “How to” Guide to a Life of Happiness and Well-being
2019-03-06 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-03-13 18:30 - 20:30
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-Month Curriculum | This Class is a Four Class Series Open to All
Everyone wants to live and be happy, yet human life is marked by suffering. Many are intimately and historically affected by social injustice, and we all experience loss of what is dear to us, sickness, aging, and death. How do we develop wisdom (insight) and spiritual strength (a practice that sustains us during the hard times)? The Buddha’s teaching of the Eightfold Path is a roadmap for a life well-lived. This class series will include interactive exercises, meditation, Dharma talks, and discussion. Beginners in meditation are welcome.
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Practicing with Sexual Energy: Presence, Precepts and Power
2019-03-09 09:30 - 16:30
Honoring Sexuality While Maintaining Upright Awareness
with Shahara Godfrey and Rev. Daigan Gaither
What is it to be upright and awake in the midst of sexual energy? How do we not turn away from ourselves or our experience in the present? How can we learn to understand and relate to desire in healthy and respectful ways? Are we using our energies or are they using us? Using small group discussions, guided meditations, zazen, and open dialogue we will explore our vow in the context of responsible sexual choices. Join us as we explore what it means to practice while maintaining a healthy relationship to our sexuality.
Space is limited and registration is required. 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
2019-03-10 10:00 - 12:30
with Baruch Golden, Eve Decker, Lev White, Michele Ku and Shahara Godfrey
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.
Please note, each family only needs one registration. Thank You!
Space is limited and registration is requested. 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.

Meeting Pain with Compassionate Presence
2019-03-17 10:00 - 12:30
with Satya de La Paz August
This workshop will offer gentle movement which both strengthens and stabilizes the body, with an special focus on joints. Multiple expressions of each pose will be offered and participants are invited to practice lying down, seated, or standing, according to their own body wisdom and access needs. We will explore the relationship between mental, physiological, emotional states and joint pain. Incorporating practices of Tonglen and Ayurveda, we will cultivate a capacity to relate with our pain in a way that awakens compassion and wisdom. Practice cultivating acceptance and kindness to deepen and transform the relationship to physical pain.
Space is limited and registration is required. 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.
