IN PERSON & ONLINE: We Belong - Heart practice for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPOC)
2022-09-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-09-21 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-09-28 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
An In Person & Virtual Class Series with René Rivera and Patrick Brown
In Person Participation Limited to 40 people. Closed Captions available for those joining us online.
Wednesday evenings: September 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th 2022
6:30 – 8:30pm PT (Time Zone Converter)
As our world burns in conflict and violence we return to heart practice to find refuge and belonging. As Queer and/or Trans People of Color we are under attack, sometimes at multiple identity locations. This class series will create a space for us to practice together, to build community, belonging and resilience to hold our outrage, fear and grief. We will use the four divine abodes of Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity as a foundation to resource ourselves to meet this moment.
This class is suitable for both new and experienced meditators and open to self-identified Queer and/or Trans People of Color.

For those joining us virtually: You will automatically receive a zoom link via your Eventbrite Confirmation email.
For those joining us in person: Please note capacity is limited to 40 attendees, to allow room for social distancing. We ask that participants be fully vaccinated against Covid19 and wear a N95 or KN95 mask while inside of the center. Masks will be available.

ONLINE: Refuge of the Heart: Healing and Resilience in Latinx Community
2022-09-18 10:00 - 14:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Refuge of the Heart: healing and resilience in Latinx community
El Refugio del Corazón: curación y resiliencia en nuestra comunidad Latinx
Sunday, September 18th , 2022 – 10am-2pm, Pacific Time (Time Zone Converter)
Domingo, 18 de septiembre, 2022 – 10am-2pm, tiempo pacífico (Time Zone Converter)
Con Margarita Loinaz y Melvin Escobar
Via Zoom
Closed Captioning Provided
Open to all who identify as part of the Latin American diaspora
Bienvenidos a todos los que se identifican como parte de la diáspora latinoamericana
The Buddhist word for community is “sangha” which has also been translated as “inseparable.” Our diverse Latinx community provides a uniquely rich opportunity to practice connecting to the wisdom and compassion inherent in our experiences. Join us for a bilingual / bicultural experience of meditation, mindful movement, and interactive activities to help co-create the heart of healing and resilience.
La palabra Budista para comunidad es “sangha”- que también significa lo que es inseparable. Nuestra diversa comunidad Latinx ofrece una rica oportunidad para practicar cómo nos conectamos con nuestra sabiduría y compasión. Les damos la bienvenida a esta experiencia bilingüe / bicultural de meditación y movimiento consciente, junto con actividades interactivas que nos ayudarán a co-crear un hogar de bondad, amor y recuperación.

ONLINE: Celebrate Fall Equinox with Tai Chi Chih - Embodying the Heart Qualities
2022-09-22 09:00 - 10:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
An Online Class with Jenn Biehn, nialla rose, and Rosetta Saunders
Thursday, September 22nd
9:00AM – 10:30AM PST (Time Zone Converter) –
Closed captioning will be provided.
Tai Chi Chih is an easy-to learn, accessible and non-strenuous moving meditation. A form of Qi Gong, Tai Chi Chih circulates and balances the chi or energy of the body. Cultivating and embodying heart qualities such as equanimity, compassion, gratitude, generosity while practicing Tai Chi Chih can bring alignment and calm to body-heart-mind. Movement will be taught standing and seated. Join us in celebrating Fall Equinox.
No prior experience necessary.
Co-led by Jenn Biehn, nialla rose, and Rosetta Saunders who have been practicing this movement meditation together for over two years, co-creating various ways of presenting Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Jenn has been a certified Tai Chi Chih teacher for over 30 years and is now training new folks to bring these practices into their communities. nialla, also a certified Tai Chi Chih teacher, is a member of the Order of Interbeing who shares dharma within movement to various sanghas and other groups. Rosetta is a drum artist using sacred rhythms for intergenerational healing and cross cultural ceremonial circles.

All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their EventBrite confirmation email.

ONLINE: Parent's Meditation Group: Practicing with our children & families
2022-09-26 20:45 - 21:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
An Online Meditation Group for Parents
with Lisa Fujie Parks
Monday, September 26th, 2022 8:45PM – 9:45PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
September’s Topic: Practicing with our children and families: Sharing from the heart and beginning anew
Closed Captioning Provided.
EBMC’s Family Practice Class teaching team will be offering a monthly parents’ meditation group for restoration, support and connection during these challenging times. We offer a short talk, guided meditation and sharing. We gather to create a safe refuge to share the joys and the challenges of caring for young people by cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, patience and generosity with the support of the sangha. We welcome all parents/grandparents/caregivers of young people to join us. No prior experience necessary.
Please note: This group is not intended for children’s participation.

ONLINE: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation
2022-10-03 19:00 - 21:30, 2022-10-10 19:00 - 21:30, 2022-10-17 19:00 - 21:30, 2022-10-24 19:00 - 21:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
ONLINE: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation
Ramón Honea, Imee Contreras and Rebekah Eppley
Mondays, October 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th
7 – 9:30PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
Mindfulness is an ancient teaching that has proven to be more relevant and beneficial in these current times. It has been scientifically proven to improve empathy, manage stress levels, and increase present moment awareness. This course is ideal for those who want to begin meditation practice, develop consistency, or to revive a long-term practice.
Beginners and seasoned practitioners are all welcome to explore the basics of mindfulness, establish a daily practice, incorporate various meditation practices, and embody a mindful lifestyle.

All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their EventBrite confirmation email.

ONLINE: Path of the Bodhisattva 1
2022-10-05 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-10-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-10-19 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-10-26 18:30 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Path of the Bodhisattva 1
with Mushim Ikeda
Wednesdays October 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th, 2022
6:30 – 8:30PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
Path of the Bodhisattva Class Series ONE:
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Pacific time
with Mushim Patricia Ikeda, one of EBMC’s core teachers
October 5, 12, 19 and 26
Path of the Bodhisattva Class Series TWO:
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Pacific time
with Mushim Patricia Ikeda, one of EBMC’s core teachers
Note: This is a deepening of the Class Series One materials, not a repeat
November 2, 9, 16, 23
Bodhisattva Vows and Precepts Ceremony
Sunday, December 18, 2022
10 am – 4:30 pm Pacific time
Note: You may participate as a witness/observer, or apply to receive the Bodhisattva Vows and Precepts after participating in the preceding classes
*Separate registration is needed for each part of the Path of the Bodhisattva class series (Part I, Part II + Precepts Ceremony). Participants interested in receiving the Bodhisattva Vows in Dec are required to take Part I + II of the class series.
I, myself, took the Bodhisattva Vows and made the vow, “Life after life, after life, after life, I will continue my practice and continue my work.” – Bhante Suhita Dharma, Buddhist monk and social worker, 1941-2013
These times are full of uncertainty and fear — and opportunities for spiritual breakthrough. In Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva is an archetypal great being who tirelessly and joyfully works to liberate all beings from suffering. For the fourth time, EBMC will offer two class series exploring what it means to creatively embody the Bodhisattva teachings. Those who complete both class series may participate in the final daylong and either witness or take Bodhisattva precepts and vows in order to strengthen their commitment to collective liberation. These are the same vows taken by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Also, those who do not wish to take the Bodhisattva vows may take either of the two class series. The final daylong is open to everyone who wishes to witness the joyful ceremony (you do not need to have taken any of the previous classes, though it is recommended that you do so) and those who have completed the previous classes and have received permission from the teacher may receive the Bodhisattva Precepts, take the Bodhisattva Vows, and at that time they will receive a Buddhist name from the teacher. Meditation (instruction provided for beginners), Dharma talks, and interactive exercises.

All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their EventBrite confirmation email.
Online participation on Zoom is certain; we may be able to do simultaneous in-person participation if hybrid classes are able to be held at EBMC in the fall of 2022. Questions: admin@eastbaymeditation.org

ONLINE: Parent's Meditation Group: Practicing With Our Children & Families
2022-10-24 20:45 - 21:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
An Online Meditation Group for Parents
with Lisa Fujie Parks
Monday, October 24th, 2022 8:45PM – 9:45PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided.
EBMC’s Family Practice Class teaching team will be offering a monthly parents’ meditation group for restoration, support and connection during these challenging times. We offer a short talk, guided meditation and sharing. We gather to create a safe refuge to share the joys and the challenges of caring for young people by cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, patience and generosity with the support of the sangha. We welcome all parents/grandparents/caregivers of young people to join us. No prior experience necessary.
Please note: This group is not intended for children’s participation.

ONLINE: Ancestors Welcome Here: Healing White Supremacy (for white people)
2022-10-27 17:30 - 19:00, 2022-11-03 17:30 - 19:00, 2022-11-10 17:30 - 19:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
ONLINE: Ancestors Welcome Here: Healing White Supremacy (for white people)
with Ream, Sara Oakes, and Rion Pendergrass
Thursdays, October 27th, November 3rd and 10th 2022
5:30 – 7PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
White people*: We need all the help we can get. Working at the level of the body, we will welcome our well ancestors of blood and bone to extend their blessings to us, and to give us their full support and backing in our efforts to end white supremacy in our lifetimes.
We all come from people who lived in interdependence with each other and connection with the Earth. This class invites a reconnection to our lineages through practicing meditation, healing and repair, so that we can know ourselves and our inherent belonging more deeply.
*For self-identified white people. If you identify as white and are committed to racial justice, this class is for you.

All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their EventBrite confirmation email.

ONLINE: Path of the Bodhisattva 2
2022-11-02 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-11-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-11-16 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-11-23 18:30 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Path of the Bodhisattva 2
with Mushim Ikeda
Wednesdays November 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd 2022
6:30 – 8:30PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
This Buddhist curriculum at EBMC has three components:
Path of the Bodhisattva Class Series ONE:
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Pacific time
with Mushim Patricia Ikeda, one of EBMC’s core teachers
October 5, 12, 19 and 26
Path of the Bodhisattva Class Series TWO:
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Pacific time
with Mushim Patricia Ikeda, one of EBMC’s core teachers
Note: This is a deepening of the Class Series One materials, not a repeat
November 2, 9, 16, 23
Bodhisattva Vows and Precepts Ceremony
Sunday, December 18, 2022
10 am – 4:30 pm Pacific time
Note: You may participate as a witness/observer, or apply to receive the Bodhisattva Vows and Precepts after participating in the preceding classes
*Separate registration is needed for each part of the Path of the Bodhisattva class series (Part I, Part II + Precepts Ceremony). Participants interested in receiving the Bodhisattva Vows in Dec are required to take Part I + II of the class series.
I, myself, took the Bodhisattva Vows and made the vow, “Life after life, after life, after life, I will continue my practice and continue my work.” – Bhante Suhita Dharma, Buddhist monk and social worker, 1941-2013
These times are full of uncertainty and fear — and opportunities for spiritual breakthrough. In Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva is an archetypal great being who tirelessly and joyfully works to liberate all beings from suffering. For the fourth time, EBMC will offer two class series exploring what it means to creatively embody the Bodhisattva teachings. Those who complete both class series may participate in the final daylong and either witness or take Bodhisattva precepts and vows in order to strengthen their commitment to collective liberation. These are the same vows taken by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Also, those who do not wish to take the Bodhisattva vows may take either of the two class series. The final daylong is open to everyone who wishes to witness the joyful ceremony (you do not need to have taken any of the previous classes, though it is recommended that you do so) and those who have completed the previous classes and have received permission from the teacher may receive the Bodhisattva Precepts, take the Bodhisattva Vows, and at that time they will receive a Buddhist name from the teacher. Meditation (instruction provided for beginners), Dharma talks, and interactive exercises.

All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their EventBrite confirmation email.
Online participation on Zoom is certain; we may be able to do simultaneous in-person participation if hybrid classes are able to be held at EBMC in the fall of 2022. Questions: admin@eastbaymeditation.org

ONLINE: Parents Meditation Group with Lisa Fujie Parks
2022-11-28 20:45 - 21:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
An Online Meditation Group for Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers
Monday, November 28th 8:45PM – 9:45PM PST
with Lisa Fujie Parks
Closed Captioning Provided.
EBMC’s Family Practice Class teaching team will be offering a monthly parents’ meditation group for restoration, support and connection during these challenging times. We will offer a short talk, guided meditation and sharing. We welcome all parents/grandparents/caregivers of young people to join us. No prior experience is necessary.
Please note: This group is not intended for children’s participation.

Please note: Registered participants will receive a zoom link to join us online with their EventBrite confirmation email. Thank you for your support.

Finding Liberation in Relationship
2022-11-30 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-12-07 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-12-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-12-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Finding Liberation in Relationship: Accountability, Conflict, Boundaries and Feedback
with Dawn Haney and René Rivera
4 Wednesdays evenings: November 30, December 7, 14, 21
6:30-8:30 pm PT (Time Zone Converter)
ASL Interpretation and Closed Captioning Provided
In this time of so much conflict, division and uprising, how do we bring our practice to our relationships, and how do we find freedom and choice there? Our friendships, partnerships, family and communities can be a source of joy and support, and also of struggle and suffering. In this four week class we will explore concrete practices grounded in Buddhist meditation, somatics, and transformative justice. We will practice feedback, boundaries, and nervous system regulation, while applying mindfulness to investigate our conditioned tendencies and positionality in power relations. Through turning towards the delight and difficulty in our relationships we will build resource and resilience and create space to be our most authentic selves.
– – –
100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds. Thank you for the gifts of your generosity and for supporting the work of East Bay Meditation Center and our beloved teachers who have volunteered their time. You are invited to make donations directly to the teachers to support their Dharma service.

ONLINE: Cultivating Home in Our Hearts
2022-12-10 10:00 - 16:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Cultivating Home in Our Hearts: A daylong for adult adoptees and fostered, or child welfare system survivors

With Fresh “Lev” White, Sean Feit Oakes, Phoenix Song

Saturday December 10th 2022
10AM – 4PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
This class is for us who experienced separation from birth families at early ages to explore the heart of the Buddha’s teachings: that pain and loss are built into life and are the seeds of wisdom and liberation. We’ll explore the wounds and potential gifts of adoption, and practices to support self-love, compassion, and the cultivation of deep refuge in the world.
All adult (18+) adoptees, formerly foster home or system youth, and any adult who were forced/separated from their birth family at young ages are welcome. Please have food, drink, or other comfort items available as needed.

HYBRID: Beginning a Meditation Practice
2023-01-04 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-01-11 18:30 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
4 Class series, Wednesdays January 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th 2023
Online on Zoom and in-person @ 285 17th St, Oakland, CA 94612
6:30 – 8:30PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
Part of EBMC’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.

Please note: Registered participants will receive a zoom link to join us online with their Eventbrite confirmation email. Thank you for your support
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 40 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks and be fully vaccinated against covid19, which at this time means having received the covid bivalent booster no less than two weeks before the event. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.)

To attend in person, you need to be completely free of fragranced body and clothing products — more information and a list of fragrance free products, including those that are especially good for people of color, appears HERE.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.
