East Bay Meditation Center

HYBRID: People of Color Sangha
2024-05-16 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-06-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-08-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
The People of Color Sangha is a growing community of people of color waking up and getting free!
Thursdays
7 – 8:30 PM PST
(please note the 7pm start time is new for 2024)
Closed Captions Provided.
Zoom info: Meeting details are shared through their mailing list (subscribe on their website), and their Facebook group.

HYBRID: Alphabet Sangha
2024-05-21 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-06-04 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-02 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-08-06 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-09-03 19:00 - 20:30 and 2 more dates
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: Enduring Precepts: Basic Buddhist Ethics for Our Times
2024-05-22 18:30 - 20:30
HYBRID: Enduring Precepts: Basic Buddhist Ethics for Our Times
with Mushim Ikeda
Hybrid, with one class Zoom only
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 7 month Curriculum

Wednesdays May 1, 8 (Zoom only), 15, 22 — 2024
6:30 – 8:30PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required
Four 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, 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.

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

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a socially-engaged Buddhist teacher, community activist, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, parent and author based in Oakland, California. She has a background in both monastic and lay Buddhist practice. At EBMC, Mushim is also guiding teacher of the award-winning yearlong Practice in Transformative Action (PiTA) program, which provides secular mindfulness training for justice activists. Mushim is the recipient of a Global Diversity Leadership award; an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School of Ministry; and was named one of Colorlines’s 20 transformative racial justice leaders in 2018.

To offer a gift to support the teachings, please do so Venmo: Mushim Ikeda @MushimPatricia-Ikeda or PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com

To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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 40 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.)
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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID Daylong: Ceasefire! Practice for Liberation with Palestine
2024-05-27 10:00 - 14:00
Ceasefire! Practice for Liberation with Palestine
Hybrid Daylong
With Tania Triana, Ream, Andrés González, Kimi Mojica, and anuradha bhagwati
Monday, May 27th
10 AM – 2 PM
Open to all
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

This nourishing day of practice will hold space for the dharma of Palestinian Liberation. Across the world, people are rising up in support of Palestine. Many thousands of people gather every day, taking action in the streets, making calls and sending letters, organizing their people and communities, to practice with this call for land and freedom, for respect for life and self-determination, and an end to colonization and racism. We follow the call from Palestinians, Jews and people of conscience across the world who say “Ceasefire Now.”
This ceasefire sangha daylong will offer you support and belonging to continue your work for a meaningful and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Through mindfulness practice with the full range of our experience, internally and externally, as well as sharing from the heart and working with the body to contact grief, anger and love with compassion, we intend to strengthen our community’s response to Palestine.
In the streets we hear the chant, “We are not freeing Palestine, Palestine is freeing us.” We know that the work of liberation happens at the individual, collective, and societal level. Our hearts are with Palestine at this time, with gratitude for what we are learning about freedom in taking action to end the genocide in Gaza. We welcome you to practice together in community with us towards this freedom.

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

Teacher Information

Dr. Tania Triana. Pronouns: She/They/Ella/Elle is an educator, activist, and translator who began a Buddhist practice in 2014 soon after relocating to Oakland. She currently serves on the Board of East Bay Meditation Center. Tania is a graduate of EBMC’s Spiritual Teacher and Leadership Program.

Ream. Pronouns: They/Them is a queer organizer of European ancestry on unceded Ohlone Land, working for over 25 years in the labor movement, currently as the Strategic Campaigns Director for the United Domestic Workers’ Union. Ream is a Community Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, a co-founder of EBMC’s Social Justice Sangha, and leads “Racial Justice Skills for White Practitioners” there, and graduated from Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner’s Program in 2016. Ream is a teacher and practitioner with Generative Somatics, co-leading “Somatics for White Racial Justice Organizers.”

Andrés González. Pronouns: He/they/él/elle is 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 walking between these many worlds has informed his path as a healer and Dharma teacher. Trained as a psychotherapist, he holds a masters degree in social work. He is also a graduate of EBMC’s two-year Spiritual Teacher & Leadership Training and is presently participating in the 2023-2024 certificate program in psychedelic facilitation at UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Weaving the sacred traditions of Theravada & Mahayana Buddhism with his ancestral curanderismo lineage, Andrés brings a wide-range of practices & perspectives into his healing-justice work with individuals & communities. He now resides on Yokuts’ land (aka Bakersfield, CA).

As a dedicated practitioner of meditation since 2003, Kimi Mojica first walked into the doors of EBMC’s POC Sangha in 2007, and has considered EBMC as one of their spiritual and political homes ever since. Their commitment to racial, gender and healing justice is evident through the dynamic ways they hold space and process as a storyteller, facilitator, trainer, coach, and conflict transformation practitioner. Kimi loves creating and exploring liberatory practices in everyday life, and within the context of sangha building.
Kimi is a graduate of Commit2Dharma, and is a proud member of EBMC’s inaugural Spiritual Teacher and Leadership (STL) Training. They have previously served as a Leadership Sangha Board Chair, and a coordinating member of the Restorative Practices for Dharma Practitioners (RPDP) practice group.
Born in San Francisco, Kimi currently lives in Oakland, CA/Ohlone Territory. They believe in the power of creativity and imagination, and can often be found grooving to music, being surrounded by nature, or geeking out on somatics and martial arts.

anuradha bhagwati (she/her) is a disabled, queer, indian-american activist, policy advocate, and writer. She is the critically acclaimed author of Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience and the award-winning co-founder and first executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network. A former United States Marine Corps officer, anuradha helped lead national campaigns to open ground combat positions to women and to stop military sexual assault and harassment. She found her way to her dharma roots as a way of healing from military-related violence. anuradha taught trauma-informed hatha yoga and Buddhist meditation to veterans in New York City for over a decade, and is a long-time practitioner of Theravadan Buddhism. She is committed to cultivating an anti-colonial warrior practice based on love, compassion, equity and justice. She is the founder of Decolonial Dharma, and facilitates both the Buddhists for Justice in Palestine and Disability Solidarity practice groups. anuradha is currently at work on a book about mental health, disability, and life with her rollicking service dog and guide, Duke.

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.

To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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 40 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.)
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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: How Have the Buddha's Teachings Helped Me?
2024-05-29 18:30 - 20:30
How Have the Buddha’s Teachings Helped Me?
With Mushim Ikeda
Hybrid
Wednesday May 29, 2024 6:30 – 8:30 pm PST
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 7 month curriculum

For those who have taken either some or all of EBMC’s 7-month “Buddhist Core Teachings” in Jan – May 2024, 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!

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

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a socially-engaged Buddhist teacher, community activist, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, parent and author based in Oakland, California. She has a background in both monastic and lay Buddhist practice. At EBMC, Mushim is also guiding teacher of the award-winning yearlong Practice in Transformative Action (PiTA) program, which provides secular mindfulness training for justice activists. Mushim is the recipient of a Global Diversity Leadership award; an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School of Ministry; and was named one of Colorlines’s 20 transformative racial justice leaders in 2018.

To offer a gift to support the teachings, please do so Venmo: Mushim Ikeda @MushimPatricia-Ikeda or PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com

To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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 40 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.)
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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: Liberation from Suffering: 4 Noble Truths for BIPOC
2024-06-05 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-06-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-06-26 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-07-03 18:30 - 20:30
Liberation from Suffering: Buddha’s Four Noble Truths for BIPOC
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings – 7-month Curriculum

HYBRID
Wednesdays June 5, 12, 26 & July 3, 2024
(NOTE: no class on June 19th/Juneteenth)
6:30 – 8:30PM PT 6:30 – 8:30PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided
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 People 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.

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

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a socially-engaged Buddhist teacher, community activist, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, parent and author based in Oakland, California. She has a background in both monastic and lay Buddhist practice. At EBMC, Mushim is also guiding teacher of the award-winning yearlong Practice in Transformative Action (PiTA) program, which provides secular mindfulness training for justice activists. Mushim is the recipient of a Global Diversity Leadership award; an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree from the Starr King School of Ministry; and was named one of Colorlines’s 20 transformative racial justice leaders in 2018.

To offer a gift to support the teachings, please do so Venmo: Mushim Ikeda @MushimPatricia-Ikeda or PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com

To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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 40 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.)
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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: Coming Home to Liberation: A Daylong with Palestine for White Practitioners
2024-06-23 12:00 - 16:00
Coming Home to Liberation: A Daylong with Palestine for White Practitioners
Jewish, non-Jewish, and all self-identified white people welcome
with JD Doyle, Ream, Allison Shore, and Bernadine Mellis

Sunday, June 23rd 2024
12 – 4PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID on Zoom and in-person at EBMC
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

We hear the call to Free Palestine and respond from our hearts. We know legacies of settler colonialism and racism are being undone by this freedom movement. How are we as white people willing to be changed by this call, and what is needed now in our spiritual practice, our work and lives, in this time of rising up for land and liberation by people across the world, inspired by Palestine.

As white people we know we have a responsibility to end the occupation of Palestine, as we do to move in relationship to Land Back, to the Movement for Black Lives and to all liberation movements that undo the legacies of supremacy. In this sacred time together we will explore what freedom feels like at the level of the body for people committed to Palestine, who benefit from whiteness, even as we act against it in the world. We will nourish our sense of intention, belonging and capacity to hold contradictions as we act to be a force for good in this undoing.
As Jewish and non Jewish practitioners we will work with mindfulness, embodiment and circle sharing to call in the protection and support of the buddhas, elements and our ancestors for this work. There will be dharma reflection and sharing, stationary and moving meditation, and community support.
We welcome you to join us as you are, with your broken heart, your anger and your longings for a home in liberation.
This daylong holds the values of calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, that anti Zionism is not anti Semitism, and that white people in the US have a role to play in ending the occupation of Palestine and that we need each other to do that.
NOTE: There will be a 45-min break from 1:15-2:00 PM PT.

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

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.
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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 40 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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

Teacher Bios

JD Doyle (they,them) co-founded the East Bay Meditation Center’s LGBTQIA+(Alphabet) Sangha over 15 years ago and co-lead the first Buddhist meditation residential retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people. While JD is based in Oakland, CA, they offer meditation retreats and classes for many Buddhist Centers. Their training includes: Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s retreat teacher training, Community Dharma Leader training and the Dedicated Practitioner program. They’ve practiced Buddhism since 1995 in the U.S., Thailand, and Burma. For over twenty years, they worked as a public school teacher. JD identifies as genderqueer. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, addressing the impact of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth.

For more info: www.heartmindteaching.com

Ream, pronouns: They. Ream is a queer organizer and somatics practitioner of European ancestry on unceded Ohlone Land, working for over 25 years in the labor movement, currently as the Strategic Campaigns Director for the United Domestic Workers’ Union. Ream is a co-founder of EBMC’s Social Justice Sangha, and the Deep Refuge Group “Racial Justice Skills for White Practitioner’s” and graduated from Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner’s Program in 2016. Ream is a teacher and practitioner with Generative Somatics. They began practicing in the Western Insight Tradition in 2006, and with Generative Somatics in 2011.

Allison Shore. Pronouns: She/Her. Allison has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 2003. A graduate of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training Practicum at El Camino Hospital, she also trained at the Sati Chaplaincy Training Program, and is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leader Program at Spirit Rock. Allison has taught in a variety of academic, clinical, and community settings, and volunteers at a local hospital as an interfaith chaplain. Part of the Every Body Every Mind teaching team, she is passionate about social justice, and making dharma communities accessible for everyone.

Bernadine Mellis serves as a teacher and staff member at Insight Western Mass (IWM), where she has been generously nurtured and mentored over many years by members of the Teachers Council, including Jean Esther and Tara Mulay, among others. At IWM, she co-facilitates White & Awakening in the Dharma, the Queer & Trans Affinity Sangha, and Saturday Sangha (for families and everyone), among other offerings. She completed her training as a Community Dharma Leader in 2022 through True North Insight. Bernadine is currently a participant in Sacred Mountain Sangha’s Dharmapala program and a student in Harvard Divinity School’s Buddhist Ministry Initiative, where she studies with Charles Hallisey. Bernadine is of mixed Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Irish ancestry.

Generous Giving
In lieu of financial gifts to the teachers, please consider donating to this event’s $150 fundraiser to support the Middle East Children’s Alliance.
DONATION LINK
Thank you!
Learn more about Middle East Children’s Alliance here.

HYBRID: bell hooks’ all about love supported by the 4 brahmaviharas
2024-08-04 09:00 - 15:00
bell hooks’ all about love supported by the 4 brahmaviharas
A Workshop on Connections
with Rev. Liên Shutt
Open to PGM (People of the Global Majority)/BIPOC and Multi-racial Identified
And to all expressions of love: friends, partners, siblings, parent/child, roommates, etc.

Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

We all want love.
And, having and holding love and loving feelings can be challenging. Let’s explore how love can be when expressed in conjunction with the qualities of the Four Divine States of Equanimity, Kindness, Compassion, and Inclusive Joy.
While grounded in these teachings and meditation practices, the course will be framed by short readings from bell hook’s All About Love: New Visions; offering a blend of fierce feminist social criticism to ask us to transform our challenges into strength, manifesting the love and caring we want in our lives.
A shortened version of the popular 4-week series.

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

Teacher Bios

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a priest lineage holder in the Shunryu Suzuki tradition. Born to a Buddhist family in Vietnam, she received her meditation training in the Insight and Soto Zen traditions in the United States, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. A founding member of the Buddhists of Color in 1998, she currently is the guiding teacher of Access to Zen, an inclusive, anti-oppression sangha and nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path, was published by North Atlantic Books in 2023. She lives north of San Francisco, on Southern Pomo land, with her partner, exploring waterways and forests as often as they can. Visit AccessToZen.org for ways to connect.

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.
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, please 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.
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: @SuddenLeap-A2Z
last 4 #: 2585
PayPal: SuddenLeap.A2Z@Gmail.com

For in-person participation:
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. (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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: Black Womxn and Aging: Cultivating Self-Love, Creativity and Resilience
2024-08-18 10:00 - 14:00
Black Womxn and Aging: Cultivating Self-Love, Creativity and Resilience
For self-identified African/Diasporic womxn over 50 and of all body types.
A Daylong with Arisika Razak
Sunday, Aug. 18th, 2024
10a.m. – 2 p.m. PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID, ONLINE on Zoom and In-Person at EBMC
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required
As Black womxn over 50, we’re moving into an era of transformation – and it’s time to make medicine out of the diverse experiences of our lives. Our bodies are changing whether we are able-bodied or disabled – and our struggles as mothers, caretakers, artists, activists, leaders, workers, educators, and partners, has both seasoned and exhausted us. It’s time to reflect on what will sustain us in the years to come, and to cultivate ease and resilience even in the middle of our personal and social challenges. In this session, we’ll use meditation and movement, story-telling and art to reflect on the issues that are foremost in our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. Please bring art and writing materials as we share, play, and move together, cultivating the healing that we have taken birth for.
You are also invited to bring something for the altar that represents yourself at this time of life. You may wish to wear clothing that you can do gentle movement in.

Teacher Bio

Arisika Razak, MPH, is the former Chair of the Women’s Spirituality Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Previously a nurse-midwife, her teachings incorporate diverse spiritual traditions, women’s health and healing, multicultural feminisms, queer theory, and diversity theory. Arisika has led national and international healing workshops and ritual celebrations for women for over three decades, as well as embodied spiritual workshops for people of all genders. She has co-facilitated workshops with Marlene Jones at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and regularly leads workshops at EBMC.

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.
PayPal: arisikarazak@gmail.com
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 40 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:

Fragrance Free

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.
For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: Midday Sangha Daylong Retreat
2024-09-04 10:00 - 16:00
Midday Sangha Daylong Retreat
Peer-led
Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
10 am to 4pm (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID in person at EBMC and online
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Join Midday for a daylong hybrid retreat of meditation, movement, music, & potluck to celebrate a decade of peer-led sangha. We’ll be meeting online and in person Wednesday, September 4th from 10am-4pm PT.
Please come for as little or as long as you’d like. As well as time for silent meditation, the morning will include Tai Chi and the afternoon will include dancing and chanting.
From 12-1:30pm we will meet in our usual Midday form (meditation and Dharma discussion). For those in person, this will include a potluck (may change based on current covid info).

NOTE: Zoom link provided after event registration.
We hope you’ll join us for any or all of our time together. If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to us at middaysangha@eastbaymeditation.org.
May we all find some ease and peace today,
May we all experience well-being, safety and be protected from harm.
Gratitude for your practice, your presence, your generosity!
Midday Sangha Coordinating Committee

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.
The ticket price is a suggested donation of $10 to the center and you may give more if you wish, or less if you are unable to give at this time.
Thank you for the gifts of your generosity and for supporting the work of East Bay Meditation Center and our beloved community.

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:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

HYBRID: 8 Step Buddhist Recovery Deep Refuge
2024-09-07 10:00 - 11:30
NOTE: The meeting on Saturday, September 7th will be HYBRID! Participants may join at EBMC or online.

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.

Every Saturday from 10AM – 11:30AM PST / PDT ONLINE (hybrid on 9/7/24)
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: Nourish to Flourish: A Daylong Retreat for Teachers
2024-09-15 10:00 - 16:00
HYBRID: Nourish to Flourish: A Daylong Retreat for Teachers
with Tania Triana and Kinshasa Bennett
Sunday September 15, 2024
10 AM – 4 PM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Open to all
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

Description
This daylong retreat aims to create a space of rest and restoration for teachers as the academic school year ramps up. The daylong will consist of silent and guided meditation time, gentle movement, time for rest, and mindfulness practices to replenish our compassionate hearts and learn to release what is not ours to carry. During our time together we will explore the heart practices (compassion, love, joy, and equanimity), with special attention to cultivating equanimity and inner resilience as we begin the school year.

Teacher Bios

Tania Triana (they/she/elle/ella) joined the EBMC community in 2014, attending POC and Alphabet Sanghas. In 2017 Tania received the Bodhisattva vows and precepts from Mushim Patricia Ikeda at a ceremony at EBMC, and renewed them again in 2020. Tania is grateful to have found a spiritual home and social justice community here. They served on EBMC’s Leadership Sangha (board of directors) for the last several years, and graduated from the center’s inaugural Spiritual Teacher and Leadership Program.

Kinshasa (she/her). Queer, African-American listener, healer, learner. 15 years of experience as a psychologist by day. 46 years as a student of life. Currently integrating sitting, dancing, praying, and vocal meditation practices. Exploring sacred reciprocity in relations with all beings. Incorporating ritual, indigeneity, and authenticity into my (spiritual) life. Launched from EBMC in 2009 and Spirit Rock in 2011 into the spheres of Buddhism, ancestral knowledge, and plant medicine. My formal training includes graduating from the EBMC Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training program in 2023. You may find me watching women’s sports, exploring the community by foot, or dancing in my living room.

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.

~ For Tania Triana ~
Venmo:@Tania-Triana
Paypal: taniatriana@gmail.com

~ For Kinshasa Bennett ~
Venmo: @Kinshasa-Bennett

HYBRID: Path of the Modern Bodhisattva (Class Series 1)
2024-10-09 18:30 - 20:30
Path of the Modern Bodhisattva (Class Series 1 of 2)
with Mushim Ikeda
Wednesday Evenings
October 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th 2024
6:30 – 8:30 PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
HYBRID (if we can get at least 20 in-person sign-ups!)
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

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
Embodiment! Joy! Commitment! Strategic Action! In Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva works and plays ceaselessly to liberate all suffering beings, lifetime after lifetime. And – how do you and I show up, day after day, in the gigantic mess of our times, to do the great work?
For the sixth 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 and by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Mushim (Patricia) Ikeda received Bodhisattva precepts and vows at the Zen Buddhist Temple-Toronto, Canada in 1983. She is an EBMC core teacher, a widely-published writer, and a social justice activist based in Oakland, California. Mushim has practiced as both a monastic and a lay householder. For events, writing, video teachings, go to www.mushimikeda.com
*PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited resources, we will ONLY run these meetings hybrid IF we get at least 20 in-person sign-ups. If a meeting has fewer than 20 in-person sign-ups, we will notify all registrants to meet online only (at least 24 hours in advance). Thank you!

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:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

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 “Bodhisattva” 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.

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. 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 founding and guiding teacher of EBMC’s Practice in Transformative Action, a yearlong program that completed its tenth cohort in July 2023, providing secular mindfulness training for justice activists and agents of change. Mushim was selected by Lion’s Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six “Great Buddhist Teachers” in the January 2022 issue. If you would like to make a gift to our beloved teacher, please do so via Venmo: @MushimPatricia-Ikeda or PayPal: info@mushimikeda.com

ONLINE: Maintaining the Calm Within the Storm: Anxiety in Times of Elections
2024-10-11 12:00 - 13:30
HYBRID: Maintaining the Calm Within the Storm: Anxiety in Times of Elections
3 Fridays: October 11th 2024, November 15th 2024, January 24th 2025
12:00 – 1:30 PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
with Kinshasa Bennett, Renata Moreira, Andrés González, & Anjali Sawhney
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
N95/KN95 Masks Required at EBMC

This will be a 3-part series where we have stationary practice, dharma talks, and discussion as related to using the dharma and mindfulness to relate differently to anxiety as it arises in the mind and body (physical, emotional and energetic) in times of elections. We ask participants to attend all sessions if possible. This series will advance the principles of Engaged Buddhism and address current concerns.

Open to all who are interested and no experience necessary.

NOTE: In-person ticket sales end on January 22nd at 1pm PT so we can finalize our headcount. If we have fewer than 20 in-person registrations, we may opt to run online only. We will confirm with everyone by January 23rd. Thank you!

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

For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– Please keep your camera still when it’s turned on
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.

Teaching Team

Kinshasa (she/her). Queer, African-American listener, healer, learner. 15 years of experience as a psychologist by day. 46 years as a student of life. Currently integrating sitting, dancing, praying, and vocal meditation practices. Exploring sacred reciprocity in relations with all beings. Incorporating ritual, indigeneity, and authenticity into my (spiritual) life. Launched from EBMC in 2009 and Spirit Rock in 2011 into the spheres of Buddhism, ancestral knowledge, and plant medicine. My formal training includes graduating from the EBMC Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training program in 2023. You may find me watching women’s sports, exploring the community by foot, or dancing in my living room.

Renata Moreira, M.A.S.T, CCHT (She/they/Ela/Elu) is a queer mixed race lifelong educator of Indigenous Xucuru Kariri and Portuguese ancestries. She brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, development and strategic communications to the intersections of trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and culture making. This dynamic first generation immigrant mama is connected to an eclectic lineage of spiritual wisdom and earth keepers across the Americas. Currently, Renata serves as a social impact and wellness consultant, transpersonal therapist, and mindfulness teacher. She has brought a passionate Metta praxis to countless educational, public, and private sectors since 2012; always holding the firm belief that all people within systems can liberate themselves towards the rise of a more loving and just world for all beings. She is certified as an MBSR instructor, is a graduate of EBMC’s Pita Program, and has served EBMC as Transition Director. When not co-creating beloved communities, cultivating medicinal allies, or geeking out on somatics and liberation, Renata can be found dancing with her 8 yr old magickal daughter and cooking up new ways to play into healing. Connect with Renata via renatametta | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Andrés González, MSW (he/they/él) is a queer, 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 curandero, dharma teacher, and healing-justice practitioner. Trained in harm reduction 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 resides on Yokuts’ land (aka Bakersfield, CA) and lovingly traverses life with his adored service dog, Junior.

Anjali Sawhney (she/her/s) is a Certified Integral Life Coach and a trained international Leadership Embodiment Teacher (somatic coaching based on Aikido & Mindfulness). Anjali has coached & facilitated somatics & mindfulness workshops in the non-profit, corporate, and educational sectors including the Richmond Community Foundation, California Endowment, UCSF & City of San Francisco. Anjali also serves directly with untapped BIPOC students, those unhoused, and those in recovery by providing coaching, counseling & series workshops through various non-profits as well as independently. She is currently on the EBMC Program Committee and Leadership Sangha (Board). She is passionate about rallying people through community & spirituality as well as street protests for equity & systemic change, is in awe of nature & live music, & on rare occasions is allowed to groove with her children, Aanika and Jai.

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. Please scroll through the entire menu to see all the options. 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.
To offer a gift to the teachers for their teachings, please do so via:
Venmo: @Kinshasa-Bennett
(the teachers will share the gifts with each other)

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.
