HYBRID CLASS SERIES: Buddhist Love, Compassion, Joy, & Equanimity
2025-04-23 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Buddhist Love, Compassion, Joy, & Equanimity
4 Class series, Wednesdays on April 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd
6:30 – 8:30PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Part 4 of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 6-month Curriculum
HYBRID
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

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 (mindfulness) meditation. Dharma talks, discussion and Q&A. Instruction provided for beginners in meditation.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda
PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com
Please indicate “Brahmaviharas” in the subject line.

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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teacher

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. She is the recipient of an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School for the Ministry. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. www.mushimikeda.com

HYBRID: 8 Step Buddhist Recovery Deep Refuge Group
2025-04-26 10:00 - 11:30
**HYBRID AT EBMC AND ONLINE ON APRIL 26TH 2025!**
Every Saturday from 10AM – 11:30AM PST / PDT ONLINE
Compassionate Dharma Deep Refuge Buddhist meetings focus on ways to heal addiction. Based on the Eight Steps to Recovery developed by Dr. Mason-John M.A (hon.doc) and Dr Groves, we believe this inclusive approach can build a solid foundation for those at any level of recovery and for those who have yet to seek help.
Through these practices we hope you gain a practice that can sustain you in your recovery.
We are a multi-recovery space. Whether you are navigating addiction to substances like drugs and alcohol, or process addictions, such as disordered eating, codependency, or sex and love addiction–you are welcome here.
Advance Registration is not required.
For additional information, please contact: ebmcrecovery at gmail dot com.

HYBRID: Staying Sober During Turbulent Times
2025-04-27 09:00 - 13:00
Staying Sober During Turbulent Times
Sunday, April 27th 2025
9AM – 1PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID
With Vimalasara Mason-John and Shawna Adkins
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Buddhism, the oldest recovery program that we know of to date, teaches us to turn towards our challenges with loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. These practices of the heart help us to face the harsh realities unfolding in the world.
Join Vimalasara and Shawna in person for a morning of 8 step recovery healing.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teaching Team

Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John is the author of the new revised edition of Detox Your Heart – Meditations For Emotional Trauma published by Wisdom Books in 2017. They are co/author of the award-winning book Eight Step Recovery – Using The Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction. They are also a TEDx speaker and are the author and editor of 11 books including their award-winning novel Borrowed Body. They are the curator of Teachings in Uncertain Times, an online retreat by Teachers of Color for Tricycle Magazine February 2017. A founding facilitator of Dr Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry, they are a leading African Canadian voice in the field of Mindfulness for Emotional Trauma and Addiction. Vimalasara is a senior teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Community. And one of the founders of Freedom Together, a mindfulness accredited course by the Global Majority for the Global Majority.

Shawna Adkins was born and raised in the Bay Area and has been practicing at East Bay Meditation Center for over 10 years. She works as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker supervising social workers and has a private practice. Drawing on both her professional and personal experience, Shawna integrates compassion, empathy, and respect for individual choices into her work with others.
Shawna is a graduate of the East Bay Meditation Center’s Practice in Transformative Action Program, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Training Program, and Dedicated Practitioners Program. She is also a former board member of the Buddhist Recovery Network. Shawna finds joy in dancing, listening to music, DIY projects, exercising, and spending time with her husband and three children.

HYBRID CLASS: Finding Liberation in Relationships for BIPOC
2025-04-28 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-05 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-19 18:30 - 20:30
Find Liberation in Relationships for BIPOC
4 Monday evenings
April 28th, May 5th, 12th, & 19th 2025
6:30-8:30 PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID
With René Rivera and Regent Brown
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

For the first time we are offering this popular class series for BIPOC only. As people of color 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 to bring more choice and agency to our relationships with ourselves and others.
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 in our relationships and in the larger world.
As our world is falling apart, conflict is rising and our freedoms are being taken away, we will turn our attention to find our ground in our communities.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.
To support our teachers, please do so via:
Venmo: @Regent-Brown
Paypal: http://PayPal.Me/ReneRiveraOak
(please reference: FLR BIPOC)
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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teaching Team

René Rivera is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people, and offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.

Regent Brown (Queen) is a biracial Afro-Indigenous, disabled, two-spirit womxn who has been practicing the Dharma since 2016 and part of the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) community of practice since 2018. Regent’s story has had many twists including surviving cancer twice, relocating during the pandemic, and being married for over a decade. And these twists have only deepened Regent’s passion for liberatory practices. Regent supports liberation and decolonization as a coach, circle keeper, trainer, healer, facilitator, and participant in interdependent community wellness. As a recent graduate of the inaugural, Freedom Together Mindfulness Teacher Program, Regent joins a bountiful group of BIPOC mindfulness teachers working to weave decolonized practices through their work, relationships, and communities. Regent’s other practices of manifesting joy include karaoke, goats, traveling to photograph sunsets, gardening, and discovering small parks while walking her 7 year old Corgi mix pup, Perkelsnertz.

HYBRID CLASS SERIES: The Enduring Precepts (5 Precepts)
2025-04-30 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-07 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-21 18:30 - 20:30
The Enduring Precepts: 5 Precepts
4 Class series, Wednesdays on April 30, May 7, 14, & 21, 2025
6:30 – 8:30PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Part 5 of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 6-month Curriculum
HYBRID
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Five years ago, pandemic-panicked people in the United States were hoarding toilet paper and steaks. Today we’re dealing with ongoing volatile ethical issues such as war, climate crisis, use of AI (artificial intelligence) in tech, forced deportations, and political divisiveness.
Rooted in EBMC’s mindfulness-based, diversity-equity-inclusion and social justice-centered mission, this four-class series offers a path to reflect on current ethical discernment and action. Buddhist life, for both laypersons and monastics, is rooted in Five Precepts, guidelines that are paths of deep contemplative investigation resulting in behaviors and actions aligned toward non-harm, in the service of all life.
The compassionate realization of our “interbeing,” and the sometimes complex relationship of intent to impact are woven into this “Living Dharma” approach.
Dharma talks, discussion and Q&A. Instruction provided for beginners in meditation.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda
PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com
Please indicate “Precepts” in the subject line.

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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teacher

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. She is the recipient of an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School for the Ministry. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. www.mushimikeda.com

HYBRID: Alphabet Sangha
2025-05-06 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-03 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-06-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-07-01 19:00 - 20:30
A meditation group for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Same-Gender Loving, and Two-Spirit communities. Because that’s such a mouthful, we call ourselves the Alphabet Sangha.
Tuesdays
7:00 – 8:30 pm
HYBRID on First and Third Tuesdays of the month! Meet at EBMC or online.
Please email: alphabetsangha at eastbaymeditation dot org to request Zoom link to join online.
For more information, visit the ALPHABET SANGHA WEBSITE

HYBRID: Midday Sangha
2025-05-07 12:00 - 13:35, 2025-06-04 12:00 - 13:35, 2025-07-02 12:00 - 13:35
Join our peer-led multicultural sangha for silent meditation practice and community building.
Every Wednesday
12:00 – 12:45pm PST Silent sitting, standing or lying down meditation with optional walking meditation.
12:55 – 1:35pm PST Facilitated conversation about our practice and being the dharma in the world
HYBRID EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY, ONLINE FOR OTHER MEETINGS (unless otherwise noted)
Midday Sangha Coordinating Committee:
emiko yoshikami, Jennie Powe Runde, Sakshi Uomoto, Elese Lebsack and Robert Gavino
email middaysangha at eastbaymeditation dot org for zoom link and password

HYBRID: Open Hours Open Mic (May 25th)
2025-05-25 16:30 - 19:30
HYBRID: Open Hours Open Mic at EBMC

Sunday, May 25th 2025
4:30 – 7:30 PM PT
With Ramón Honea, EBMC Community and Facilities Liaison
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Do you have a song to sing, a poem or written word to share, personal art to show? Then come on down to the center on Sunday May 25th! If you can’t come down, join us on Zoom (sharing online is welcome too). This will be a hybrid way of gathering in community.
The theme is Metta and Resistance, although all shares are welcome. Each share will be maximum three minutes long with a bell rung to end it. BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices will be invited to share first.
NOTE: Sign-ups are ONLY between 4:30-5 PM, in-person or online. We cannot take any sign-ups after 5 PM.

For accessibility, please:

Limit the use of instruments
Provide visual descriptions of yourself and any art
Provide content warnings when appropriate
Follow the Agreements for Multicultural Interactions

There will be snacks in our kitchen. It is a potluck so add any food that you can bring. We will finish the night with some dancing.

SCHEDULE
4:15 PM: Doors open
4:30-5 PM: Sign-ups, potluck, and 20-min meditation
5-7 PM: Open mic time
7-7:30: Dancing, potluck, and clean up
Remember parking is free on Sunday and all are welcome.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The speaker may be unmasked while speaking at the mic.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

HYBRID CLASS: Buddhist Curriculum Wrap-Up Q & A Class
2025-05-28 18:30 - 20:30
Buddhist Curriculum Wrap-Up Q & A Class
May 28, 2025
6:30 – 8:30PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Wrap-Up of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – January to May Curriculum
HYBRID
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

For those who have taken either some or all of EBMC’s Buddhist Core Teachings” in Jan – May 2025, this is a wrap–up class where you can bring your “biggest” Buddhist questions, meet Dharma companions on the Path, and rejoice in the merit you have generated! Please note: The focus of his class is on what you are doing to deepen your spiritual practice and to transform your life through these wisdom teachings. We’ll offer a toast with our favorite beverages!

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda
PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com
Please indicate “Wrap-up class” in the subject line.

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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teacher

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. She is the recipient of an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School for the Ministry. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. www.mushimikeda.com

HYBRID DAYLONG: Pride - Embracing Love and Beauty in the Midst of Trouble
2025-06-01 10:00 - 16:00
HYBRID DAYLONG
Pride – Embracing Love and Beauty in the Midst of Trouble
A Day of Reflection and Celebration for the BIPOC LGBTQIA+ Communities
Sunday June 1st 2025
10am-4pm PT
With Amana Brembry Johnson and Andrés González
Open to self-identified BIPOC LGBTQIA+ only

As societies at home and around the world travel backwards in time, we move deeper into a realm of toxicity and instability. LGBTQIA communities are confronting an escalated endeavor to erase the hard-earned strides that affirm our place of belonging. Despite these efforts, our dignity and strength to resist this downward spiral, warrants acknowledgement and celebration. Love, compassion, beauty and the cultivation of joy will be central to this daylong celebration. During our time together, we will expand our growth in mindfulness practices, remember the sacredness of our being, embrace the nobility of our hearts and savor the joy that lifts our spirits to face what is ahead.
Through silent and guided meditations, talks, discussion and reflective writing we will deepen our practices of liberation and skillful means. All experience levels are warmly welcome. Movement will be offered in ways that are accessible for all types of bodies.

This is part of a joint weekend event and benefit with Spirit Rock, which will be hosting a hybrid daylong on Saturday May 31st: “Touching the Heart of Joy as Spiritual Medicine” with EBMC teachers Amana Brembry Johnson and JD Doyle.
Click here for more information about the May 31st offering.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.

SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS
~ Amana Brembry Johnson
Venmo: @amanajohnson
PayPal: @amanabrembry
Ca$happ: Amana Brembry Johnson or $AmanaBJohnson
~ Andrés González (traveling from outside the Bay Area – we invite support for his travel costs and teachings)
Venmo: @andres-roy-leon
PayPal: paypal.me/andresroyleon
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teacher Bios

Amana Brembry Johnson has been a student and practitioner of many spiritual traditions throughout her life. The journey of Vipassana practice began 10 years ago with the early People of Color Retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She completed the Community Dharma Leaders Program in 2017, and is a graduate of the 2020 Spirit Rock Teacher Training. Amana leads meditation and contemplative yoga that interweaves Dharma with movement. She mentors practitioners who wish to deepen their practice and understanding of the teachings. An accomplished visual artist, Amana creates imagery that exposes emotional and spiritual barriers of the heart.

Andrés González relates to himself firstly as a spiritual being embodying, Earth-side, the multiplicity of gender, sexuality, race, & culture as a two-spirit Mestizo with primarily Yaqui, Mexican, Spanish, & Scottish ancestries. He’s also a transracial adoptee, connected to a lineage of Indigenous adoptees separated from family, land, & culture by way of the U.S. child welfare system. Andrés’ lived experience integrating these many worlds has informed his path as a practitioner of curanderismo, dharma teacher, and community mental health clinician. Trained in harm reduction, healing-justice, & Indigenous psychology as a psychotherapist, he holds a masters degree in social work. He is also a graduate of East Bay Meditation Center’s two-year Spiritual Teacher & Leadership Training and the 2023-2024 Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics’ certification program in psychedelic facilitation. Andrés presently resides on the land of the Yokuts people (aka Bakersfield, CA) and lovingly traverses the ceremony of life with his adored service dog, Jr.

HYBRID CLASS: Liberation from Suffering: Buddha's 4 Noble Truths for BIPOC
2025-06-04 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-11 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-18 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-25 18:30 - 20:30
Liberation from Suffering: Buddha’s Four Noble Truths for BIPOC
4 Class series, Wednesdays on June 4, 11, 18, & 25, 2025
6:30 – 8:30PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 6-month Curriculum
With Mushim Ikeda
HYBRID
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

What do the basic teachings of Buddhism have to offer BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)? It is said that the Buddha’s first teaching after his Enlightenment is called the Four Truths for Noble Ones. Together we’ll explore how “The Four Noble Truths” have been and continue to be a deep and empowering way for Black, Indigenous and Peoples of Color and multiracial persons to understand human suffering and oppression, analyze their root causes, and engage as individuals and collectives in moving towards profound spiritual liberation, ease and joy.
Dharma talks, mindful journaling, meditation, community building and optional readings. Beginners in meditation are welcome.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda
PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com
Please indicate “4 Noble Truths BIPOC” in the subject line.

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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teacher

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. She is the recipient of an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School for the Ministry. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. www.mushimikeda.com

HYBRID: Celebrate the Changing Seasons w/ Mindful Movement: Summer Solstice
2025-06-21 09:00 - 10:30
Celebrate the Changing Seasons with Mindful Movement: Summer Solstice
Saturday, June 21st 2025
9:00 – 10:30AM PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID
with Rosetta Saunders and Jenn Biehn
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

We invite you to join us in practicing the mindful movement – Chakra Tai Chi as we welcome the season of Summer 2025. Chakra Tai Chi is a cleansing, empowering practice that includes easy-to-learn, accessible tai chi and qigong movements, visualizations, colors, elements, and sounds. The Sanskrit word “chakra” comes from India and means a wheel or vortex of energy. This movement meditation brings the chakras into balance and allows healing energy to move freely through mind-heart-body-spirit … so important in these challenging times.
Movements will be offered both seated and standing. No prior experience necessary.
Join us as we welcome the Summer Solstice – June 21, 2025.

OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING AT THE CENTER: After the class, you’re invited to stay for snacks and fellowship in the EBMC kitchen, from 10:30-11:15AM!

Save the Dates for Our Other Classes!
Fall Equinox – Sunday, September 21st from 9:00-10:30 AM.
Winter Solstice – Sunday, December 21st from 9:00-10:30 AM.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so at https://bit.ly/ebmc-give 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.
Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.

To make a gift to support the teachings, please do so via
PayPal: sweetdrum8@gmail.com
or Venmo: @Rosetta-Saunders
Please indicate “Summer Solstice” in the subject line.

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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teachers

Rosetta Saunders is a retired educator and historian with over 20 years teaching “People of Colors History” in the United States. Currently a core facilitator for Deep Time Liberation, Ancestral Healing retreats, Rosetta’s passion for West African and Afro-Cuban drumming has primarily been a source for individual and collective healing. She aligns herself with her ancestral lineage through Earth based practices. She was introduced to the Buddha/Dharma in 2002 and completed a two-year Dharmacharya program with Venerable Pannavati and Pannadipa receiving Confirmation of Ordination and recently completed the Braided Wisdom Leadership training program and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction certification program.

A Buddha/Dharma.Sangha practitioner for the past 40 years and active with EBMC for the past 14 years, Jenn Biehn has served on the Leadership Sangha and is a co-founder of Dharma in Motion, Restorative Practices for Dharma Practitioners, and Midday Sangha. She has taught Transforming White Privilege on the Path to Racial Equity with Neighbors for Racial Justice and currently teaches Tai Chi Chih – Joy Through Movement through EBMC and other Bay Area community centers. She was recently an elder mentor for the Braided Wisdom Leadership Training Program which included cross cultural mindfulness practices. Jenn’s spiritual practice includes engaging with nature through cross country skiing and backpacking in the high Sierra as well as embodying awareness and healing movement in her life-long journey of building community.

HYBRID: 8 Step Buddhist Recovery Deep Refuge
2025-06-28 10:00 - 11:30
June 28th 2025: Hybrid at EBMC and online!
Every Saturday from 10AM – 11:30AM PST / PDT
Compassionate Dharma Deep Refuge Buddhist meetings focus on ways to heal addiction. Based on the Eight Steps to Recovery developed by Dr. Mason-John M.A (hon.doc) and Dr Groves, we believe this inclusive approach can build a solid foundation for those at any level of recovery and for those who have yet to seek help.
Through these practices we hope you gain a practice that can sustain you in your recovery.
We are a multi-recovery space. Whether you are navigating addiction to substances like drugs and alcohol, or process addictions, such as disordered eating, codependency, or sex and love addiction–you are welcome here.
Advance Registration is not required.
For additional information, please contact: ebmcrecovery at gmail dot com.

HYBRID: Open Hours Open Mic: Pride Edition
2025-06-29 16:30 - 19:30
HYBRID: Open Hours Open Mic at EBMC
Sunday, June 29th 2025
4:30 – 7:30 PM PT
With Ramón Honea, EBMC Community and Facilities Liaison
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Happy Pride Month!!
Do you have a song to sing, a poem or written word to share, personal art to show? Then come on down to the center on Sunday June 29th! If you can’t come down, join us on Zoom (sharing online is welcome too). This will be a hybrid way of gathering in community.
The theme is Pride and Resistance, although all shares are welcome. Each share will be maximum three minutes long with a bell rung to end it. BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices will be invited to share first.
NOTE: Sign-ups are ONLY between 4:30-5 PM, in-person or online. We cannot take any sign-ups after 5 PM.

For accessibility, please:

Limit the use of instruments
Provide visual descriptions of yourself and any art
Provide content warnings when appropriate
Follow the Agreements for Multicultural Interactions

There will be snacks in our kitchen. It is a potluck so add any food that you can bring. We will finish the night with some dancing.

SCHEDULE
4:15 PM: Doors open
4:30-5 PM: Sign-ups, potluck, and 20-min meditation
5-7 PM: Open mic time
7-7:30: Dancing, potluck, and clean up
Remember parking is free on Sunday and all are welcome.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so at https://bit.ly/ebmc-give 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.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The speaker may be unmasked while speaking at the mic.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

HYBRID: Better Together: How Can Health Equity Partnerships Improve Communities?
2025-07-09 18:00 - 19:30
Better Together: How Can Health Equity Partnerships Improve Communities?
Wednesday July 9th 2025
6 – 7:30 PM PT
With UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health researchers Ariana Thompson-Lastad, Chloe Atreya, Maria Chao and EBMC Core Teacher Mushim Ikeda
Moderated by EBMC Community Teacher Margarita Loinaz, MD
HYBRID in person and on Zoom
Open to all
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Buddhism and the field of public health try to address the same question:
Why and how are we suffering?
For the first time ever, please join us for a special panel discussion about community well-being with researchers representing the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health, Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD; Chloe Atreya, MD, PhD; and Maria Chao, DrPH, MPH; along with our very own EBMC Core Teacher Mushim Ikeda! We’re also grateful to have EBMC Community Teacher Margarita Loinaz, MD as our moderator for the evening.
Did you know that EBMC has been involved with academic research on health equity, neuroscience, and how meditation can impact social justice? What is the significance of Buddhism and meditation in academic health research? How can we improve our communities by integrating these fields?
Learn about recent and potential partnerships between EBMC and UCSF that connect mindfulness practices with health justice and equity. These topics are part of the exciting, emerging field of integrative health equity, which addresses issues of inclusion, social justice, multiculturalism, and healthcare accessibility in our communities. Together let’s explore how wisdom traditions from Buddhism and other lineages can meet modern medicine to support collective healing.
There will be time for audience Q&A, so please bring your questions!
All are welcome to attend.

Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an “add-on” to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.
Note that all financial gifts received here go directly to EBMC, and we invite you to give separately to our teachers, using the information below.
Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teacher Mushim as well, who does not receive a salary for her work, and gives her teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda
PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com

Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

For in-person participation:
For those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 60 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.) Please note: The teacher may be unmasked while teaching.
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 on our website: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Universal Access Requests on Zoom to help with sound and video quality. If possible…
1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.
2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.
3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.
4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.
5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.
6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.
7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Panelists

Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD is Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine and core faculty at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health. Dr. Thompson-Lastad conducts research on the role of integrative healthcare in advancing health equity, using qualitative and community-engaged methods. Her work primarily examines innovative approaches to primary care, including integrative group medical visits implemented in US community health centers and the community midwifery model of postpartum care. Trained as a medical sociologist, she joined the Osher Center as a TRIM postdoctoral fellow in 2018. Dr. Thompson-Lastad served as a board member of Integrative Medicine for the Underserved and is a leadership team member of the Bay Area Structural Competency Working Group. Prior to becoming a researcher, she worked in a community health center as a diabetes care coordinator and group medical visit facilitator.

Chloe Atreya, MD, PhD is a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers at the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC). She co-directs the Integrative Oncology Research Hub and is affiliated with the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health (OCIH). A physician scientist, she has expertise in bridging clinical practice and research. Her grant-funded research focuses on the interplay of tumor biology, the gut microbiome, lifestyle factors, and response to therapies for colorectal cancer. She is dedicated to practicing personalized medicine, with an emphasis on health equity and treating the whole person. Her integrative oncology concentration is on evidence informed mind-body practices. She serves on the Society for Integrative Oncology Research Committee and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Guidelines panel. She also serves on San Francisco Zen Center’s City Center Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Committee and co-coordinates the East Bay Meditation Center’s Multiracial Deep Refuge Group.

Maria Chao, DrPH, MPA, is Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and the Director of Research and Associate Director for Health Equity and Diversity at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health. Dr. Chao’s overarching research goal is to investigate how complementary and integrative medicine can advance health equity. Her current studies focus on nonpharmacologic approaches to improve quality of life among diverse and historically underserved populations living with chronic conditions. Dr. Chao co-directs two NIH-funded training fellowships on integrative health research, with the goal of building pipelines to improve diversity in the scientific workforce.

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. She is the recipient of an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School for the Ministry. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. See her eco-related writings, “The Pine Tree Koan,” at https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/the-pine-tree-koan/ and “I Take Refuge in the Buddha,” in Lion’s Roar Buddhist media, https://www.lionsroar.com/taking-refuge-in-the-three-jewels/. Mushim’s website is
www.mushimikeda.com

H. Margarita Loinaz, MD, is a retired public health physician and Buddhist teacher trained in the Theravada and Tibetan traditions. While in public health, she worked at Tom Waddell Clinic and Homeless programs in San Francisco. On the clinical faculty at UCSF she mentored students and residents on the care of underserved communities. With one of her students, she published two seminal articles on the plight of day laborers who often work in unprotected dangerous jobs where injuries are devastating. Later, through training in Biodynamic Osteopathy, she learned to recognize the self-correcting drive within the body and its potential for profound healing.
Dr. Loinaz has been a Buddhist practitioner since 1977 and trained with Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1994 becoming one of the early teachers of MBSR in the SF Bay Area. She developed mindfulness programs for the Spanish-speaking community and homeless patients of the clinic, including an ongoing support group. In an effort to make convert Buddhist meditation centers more inclusive, she and Marlene Jones co-organized the first People of Color retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1999. Over the past 20 years she has gradually focused her studies and teaching on the Dzogchen lineage of the Tibetan tradition. These teachings are based on the recognition of our essential nature as human beings which provides a powerful refuge and perspective, particularly while living under cultures of domination. She sees parallels between the self-correcting drive within our bodies with the drive in the mind to understand and free itself..
See Dr. Loinaz’s article “Recognizing Our True Nature” in Lion’s Roar magazine here: https://www.lionsroar.com/meditations-on-buddhanature/
