IN PERSON: Gather & Ground: Compassionate Community Building
2025-10-28 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-10-30 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-10-31 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-04 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-07 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-11 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-13 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 13 more dates | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Gather & Ground: Compassionate Community Building
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
5-7 PM PT
In person only

Starting the week of July 7th, we now have the center open every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 5-7pm. The first hour (5-6pm) will be for meditation in our temple or compassion room space or to peruse our library offerings. The second hour (6-6:45pm) will be for a fun social potluck in the kitchen space. Everyone is encouraged to bring something to share with the group. We hope this effort will build some momentum and energy for EBMC and bring more people in our community together in-person.

These new community building hours are the same evenings as our Alphabet (Tuesdays 7pm), BIPOC (Thursdays 7pm) and Maha Sanghas (Fridays 7pm) so we hope this effort will also encourage people to join those groups with a hope to generate enough attendance to bring them back to in-person every week! This was also based on feedback from the survey. See more info about our Practice Groups here.

There are so many reasons to be in community right now and EBMC wants to support this by opening our space during these times to anyone who needs it. We are stronger when we are in solidarity together to meet the moment we are in. We hope to see you soon! Come practice. Come snack. Come as you are. Feel free to bring a friend!

Please note: During these specific hours, masks will be encouraged, but not required. Again, this is a pilot effort that we are trying in this one area based on survey responses, with a goal of expanding our circle, but as of now, our masking policy remains the same for all other programming and events.

Communal Grief Project for BIPOC
2025-11-02 10:00 - 16:00
Communal Grief Project for BIPOC
Part 1: Monday, October 13th 2025
Part 2: Sunday, November 2nd 2025
10 AM to 4 PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
With Mushim Ikeda and Damali Robertston
Open to BIPOC, ages 18+
In person only at EBMC (285 17th St, Oakland CA)
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

This 2-part secular series, open to BIPOC-identified folx, offers a space for reflection and connection through communal listening circles and guided practices to help us move through grief, with the support of a licensed therapist. Together, we’ll look beyond grief related to death and explore how all forms of loss — from police violence and climate anxiety to threats against human rights and bodily autonomy shape our lives.

You are invited to attend both sessions or only one. Daylong #1 (Oct. 13th 2025 – register here) focuses on Communal grief and Daylong #2 (Nov. 2nd 2025 – register here) focuses on individual experiences with grief.

This listening circle is part of The Communal Grief Project, a larger international project on grief in the U.S., Mexico, and Tanzania. To participate you must be 18 years of older and be okay with a member of our team taking notes on the information shared during the listening circles. Information shared will be completely anonymous — your name and information will not be identifiable. We are gathering information about experiences with grief in order to develop communal grief practices to help heal ourselves and our communities. You can learn more about the project here: https://communalgriefproject.com/

These daylongs will include breaks and an extended lunch period. Snacks and drinks will be provided but you are invited to bring a lunch.

NOTE: Space is limited to 25 attendees. Please sign up now to save your spot!

REGISTER FOR PART 1, OCTOBER 13, 2025
REGISTER FOR PART 2, NOVEMBER 2, 2025

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 bit.ly/ebmc-give 100% of our programming on a 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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Public Transportation/Parking:
– We strongly encourage public transportation/biking/walking since parking in the neighborhood is limited.Please avoid parking your car on the street in a metered space during this time as it will cause an interrupted retreat experience.
– EBMC is 4-5 blocks from 19th Street Bart (about a 7 minute walk).
– EBMC has bike parking inside the center.
– Please note that parking meters are enforced Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm.
– Parking on Alice, Jackson and 17th between Alice and Lakeside drive is unmetered and has no time limit on Saturdays. – There are also garages on Harrison at 15th and on Harrison between 17th and 19th. If you are planning to drive, please allow extra time for parking.

Teachers

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

Damali Robertson, MA is a certified Resilience Toolkit facilitator, trauma-informed leader, and emerging filmmaker guided by three values: Love, Liberation, and Compassion. As a sought-after facilitator, she recently co-facilitated a series of BIPOC grief retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She also co-facilitates a weekly forum about spirituality and social justice called Imagining Justice. As Director of Community Engagement at LifeLong Medical Care, She has spent the last two years leading trauma-informed and human-centered work for more than 1,000 staff and hundreds of community members. She is also currently making a film about faith and spirituality as pathways to collective liberation. Damali’s life and work are grounded in mindfulness practices, spiritual principles, and lived-commitments to equity, justice and thriving. Damali holds BAs in Political Science and Literature from Africa and the Diaspora from Pitzer College, an MA in Communications for Social and Behavior Change from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, and an MA in Social Justice and Community Organizing from Prescott College.

Buddha Bingo Fundraiser!
2025-11-08 17:00 - 19:00
Buddha Bingo!
Saturday, November 8th at 5pm PT
At our new building: 2406 Webster St., Oakland, CA

Come play bingo with the East Bay Meditation Center. In our version, everybody wins! Food, fun, fabulous prizes and fundraising for EBMC!

During a time when the world can feel heavy with challenges, we need spaces where we can reconnect, laugh, and experience the lightness and joy of being in community.
Join the East Bay Meditation Center for Buddha Bingo, our one-of-a-kind, joy-filled year-end FUNdraiser — an evening of connection, celebration, and collective generosity. This isn’t your typical bingo night: in true EBMC style, everybody has an opportunity to practice generosity and everybody wins!

What to expect at Buddha Bingo:

A playful twist on classic bingo
Fabulous prizes and surprise moments throughout the night
Delicious food, big laughs, and joyful connection
A very special guest bingo caller, drag queen and harm reduction activist, Kochina Rude – who you won’t want to miss!

Whether you’ve been a part of EBMC for years or you’re new to our community, this is the perfect chance to celebrate what makes this space so special. Your participation directly supports our mission to offer mindfulness-based teachings rooted in liberation, inclusivity, and belonging.
When you register, please let us know if a Table Host invited you so you can be seated together.
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 the “Donation at any amount” option. For those unable to give at this time, there is an option for that as well.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is at our new space at 2406 Webster St., Oakland

At EBMC we rely on a generosity-based model of financial sustainability called Gift Economics. This means that there is no set fee for any of our offerings, and everyone is invited to give at the highest level they can for the benefit of all. Through this practice we are encouraged to shift our relationship to money and to capitalism and to invite equity and radical inclusivity into our process of healing and spiritual liberation.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible. To protect our most vulnerable Sangha members, everyone is asked to wear a mask. N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.
For a list of our offerings and more information please visit our website at www.eastbaymeditation.org.

IN PERSON: Volunteer Training
2025-11-22 10:00 - 12:00
Hello Dear Ones,

We are hosting an in-person volunteer training at EBMC (285 17th St, Oakland CA) on November 22nd, 10am-12pm. We will show you how to set up the center, greet people, use our A/V equipment, and clean up.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, November 19th.

Our volunteers are a critical part of our operations and every little contribution goes a long way. As we work toward bringing more people back to the center, helping out in-person is much needed. Volunteering is also a form of dana (generous giving), a great way to deepen your practice, and a bridge to building more connections with the EBMC sangha.

Thank you for your support!

-EBMC Staff

Communal Grief Project for BIPOC, Part 1 (rescheduled)
2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00
Communal Grief Project for BIPOC, Part 1
Saturday, December 6th 2025
10 AM to 4 PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
With Mushim Ikeda and Damali Robertston
Open to BIPOC, ages 18+
In person only at EBMC’s NEW BUILDING (2406 Webster St, Oakland CA)
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks required

This 2-part secular series, open to BIPOC-identified folx, offers a space for reflection and connection through communal listening circles and guided practices to help us move through grief, with the support of a licensed therapist. Together, we’ll look beyond grief related to death and explore how all forms of loss — from police violence and climate anxiety to threats against human rights and bodily autonomy shape our lives.
NOTE: This program was the first of the two-part series and focuses on communal grief. We were unable to host it on the original date of October 13th, so December 6th is the rescheduled date. The second part was already hosted on November 2nd. Participants from that day are welcome to join this one.
This listening circle is part of The Communal Grief Project, a larger international project on grief in the U.S., Mexico, and Tanzania. To participate you must be 18 years of older and be okay with a member of our team taking notes on the information shared during the listening circles. Information shared will be completely anonymous — your name and information will not be identifiable. We are gathering information about experiences with grief in order to develop communal grief practices to help heal ourselves and our communities. You can learn more about the project here: https://communalgriefproject.com/
These daylongs will include breaks and an extended lunch period. Snacks and drinks will be provided but you are invited to bring a lunch.

NOTE: Space is limited to 25 attendees. Please sign up now to save your spot!

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 bit.ly/ebmc-give 100% of our programming on a 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.
East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Public Transportation/Parking:
– We strongly encourage public transportation/biking/walking since parking in the neighborhood is limited. Please avoid parking your car on the street in a metered space during this time as it will cause an interrupted retreat experience. There is an ACE parking structure on Webster St., right behind the YMCA.
– EBMC is 5 blocks from 19th Street Bart (about a 7 minute walk).
– EBMC has bike parking inside the center.
– Please note that parking meters are enforced Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm.

Teachers

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

Damali Robertson, MA is a certified Resilience Toolkit facilitator, trauma-informed leader, and emerging filmmaker guided by three values: Love, Liberation, and Compassion. As a sought-after facilitator, she recently co-facilitated a series of BIPOC grief retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She also co-facilitates a weekly forum about spirituality and social justice called Imagining Justice. As Director of Community Engagement at LifeLong Medical Care, She has spent the last two years leading trauma-informed and human-centered work for more than 1,000 staff and hundreds of community members. She is also currently making a film about faith and spirituality as pathways to collective liberation. Damali’s life and work are grounded in mindfulness practices, spiritual principles, and lived-commitments to equity, justice and thriving. Damali holds BAs in Political Science and Literature from Africa and the Diaspora from Pitzer College, an MA in Communications for Social and Behavior Change from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, and an MA in Social Justice and Community Organizing from Prescott College.

IN PERSON: Toward a Just Yoga (Book Event)
2025-12-07 17:30 - 19:00
Toward a Just Yoga
Anjali Sawhney in conversation with authors Anjali Rao and Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Featuring opening music from vocalist Deepti Warrier
Sunday, December 7th 2025
5:30-7:00pm PT
In-person at EBMC: 2406 Webster St., Oakland CA

More than ever we need yoga spaces that offer solace, community, and healing, that can cultivate capacity to hold complexity and disrupt ongoing and past oppressions.
As we look toward building these spaces, we might consider the following questions:
What does yoga have to do with caste, gender, and power?
Why is a feminist and a critical lens on yoga history relevant during these times?
How can we re-envision yoga spaces that are truly welcoming and liberatory for all?
Join Anjali Rao and Thenmozhi Soundararajan, co-founder of Equality Labs, for a generative discussion that explores these core questions from Anjali’s thought-provoking book, Yoga As Embodied Resistance. This discussion sheds light on ways in which we can build authentic and embodied solidarities across differences.
We begin with a musical performance and a brief centering practice before diving in. The discussion will be followed by audience Q&A and a book signing, and samosas and chai will be served before and after the event. Copies of Yoga as Embodied Resistance will also be available for purchase during the event, courtesy of Womb House Books
Do join us on December 7th: 5:30-7:00 pm!

Please note the address for EBMC’s new space:
2406 Webster St., Oakland, CA
Doors open 5:00pm, event begins at 5:30pm

This event will be in-person. Space is limited to the first 200 people who register. Registration does not require a donation, but the offering of a financial contribution is deeply appreciated. People of all ages and abilities are absolutely welcomed.
Donations are welcomed even if you’re unable to attend.

For a list of our offerings and more information please visit our website at www.eastbaymeditation.org.

Presented in partnership with North Atlantic Books and Womb House Books.

BIOGRAPHIES

Anjali Rao brings an intersectional and decolonial feminist lens to the study of philosophy and yoga history integrating storytelling, art and poetry. Emphasizing an embodied approach, her work deconstructs the dynamics of caste, gender, nationalism and colonialism. She is on the faculty of multiple yoga teacher training programs. She is the host of The Love of Yoga podcast bridging scholarship, activism and yoga.
She is currently pursuing a PhD in Philosophy and Religion in California Institute of Integral Studies.Her first book, Yoga As Embodied Resistance: A Feminist Lens in Caste, Gender And Sacred Resilience in Yoga History, North Atlantic Books is available for order.

Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a Dalit rights artist, technologist, and theorist. Currently, Thenmozhi is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Equality Labs, a Dalit Civil Rights organization that uses community research, cultural and political organizing, popular education and digital security to build power to end caste apartheid, white supremacy, gender based violence, and religious intolerance.
Through her work across mediums she centers the voices of communities into the vital debates of our time. Her work has been recognized by the Producers Guild of America Diversity Program, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Sorbonne, Source Magazine, Utne Reader, The National Center for the Humanities, The National Science Foundation, and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. You can follow her work as a Robert Rauschenberg Artist as Activist Fellow and the Atlantic Foundation for Racial Equity. To learn more about her work around caste equity, abolition, and healing, you can find her book, The Trauma of Caste, from North Atlantic Books. You can find her on twitter, instagram, and facebook at @dalitdiva and Equality Labs @equalitylabs.

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.

Deepti Warrier is a vocalist trained in the Indian classical musical tradition. She trained with Guru, Dr. Sisirkana Dhar Choudhury in the Hindustani tradition. Deepti enjoys composing and singing ghazals, and brings a deeply soothing melodic tone invoking visceral responses at all levels. She brings a range of vocal technique and emotion to all aspects of her artistry. She has performed and collaborated with classical dance and theater artistes in India, Pakistan and the United States, and is passionate about creating art that fosters conversation around social justice.

IN PERSON: Gather & Ground: Compassionate Community Building - OPEN MIC NIGHT
2025-12-19 17:00 - 19:00
Gather & Ground: Compassionate Community Building
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
5-7 PM PT
In person only

DECEMBER 19TH: OPEN MIC NIGHT! Come at 5pm to sign up! Share poetry, music, or art.

Starting the week of July 7th, we now have the center open every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 5-7pm. The first hour (5-6pm) will be for meditation in our temple or compassion room space or to peruse our library offerings. The second hour (6-6:45pm) will be for a fun social potluck in the kitchen space. Everyone is encouraged to bring something to share with the group. We hope this effort will build some momentum and energy for EBMC and bring more people in our community together in-person.

These new community building hours are the same evenings as our Alphabet (Tuesdays 7pm), BIPOC (Thursdays 7pm) and Maha Sanghas (Fridays 7pm) so we hope this effort will also encourage people to join those groups with a hope to generate enough attendance to bring them back to in-person every week! This was also based on feedback from the survey. See more info about our Practice Groups here.

There are so many reasons to be in community right now and EBMC wants to support this by opening our space during these times to anyone who needs it. We are stronger when we are in solidarity together to meet the moment we are in. We hope to see you soon! Come practice. Come snack. Come as you are. Feel free to bring a friend!

Please note: During these specific hours, masks will be encouraged, but not required. Again, this is a pilot effort that we are trying in this one area based on survey responses, with a goal of expanding our circle, but as of now, our masking policy remains the same for all other programming and events.

IN PERSON: Ancestors Welcome Here Practice Group
2026-01-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:30
IN PERSON: Ancestors Welcome Here Practice Group 2026
Facilitated by Ream
Third Wednesdays, 6-7:30 PM PST
January 21, February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20
At EBMC, 285 17th Street, Downtown Oakland
For self-identified white people

This group invites a reconnection to our ancestral lineages through meditation, healing, and repair, to inspire our action to end injustice in the world, with the support of our wise and loving ancestors.
Practices we will be in together include: directly engaging with our ancestors of lineage, working with unhealed patterns in order to relate more wisely and compassionately to ourselves and our people, inviting connection with the Earth through tending our relationship to land and spirit by offering gratitude, and listening and receiving the Earth’s wisdom. This ancestral healing work makes it possible for us to more fully embody our commitment to justice.
💥 This group is offered through the practice of radical generosity.
Suggested donation per session: $20-75.
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 reference “Ancestors” in the donation info. 💥

Scent Free and Masking Policy
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. Masks are strongly encouraged and will be provided by the center.

Register here:
TinyURL.com/AncestorsAtEBMC

IN PERSON: New Year, New Member, & Birthday Celebration
2026-01-24 13:00 - 15:00
EBMC New Year, New Member, & Birthday Celebration!
Saturday, January 24th 2026
1 to 3 PM
In person only at 285 17th St., Oakland CA 94612
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
Masks strongly encouraged

Dear Community, let’s ring in 2026 together with new and returning sangha members! Join us at our 285 17th St. building to fill the space and our hearts with joy and community-building. We’re also celebrating our 19th birthday (getting ready for the big 2-0 next year!) with song and cake. Bring your friends and families as we gather in spiritual community to ground in our practices of mindfulness and collective liberation here at EBMC.
If you want to volunteer to help with setup, greeting, or cleanup, please submit a form. Thank you for your generous service.

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 bit.ly/ebmc-give 100% of our programming on a 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:
We strongly encourage masking for all who are able to do so. We will provide N95 masks at the center if you don’t have one.
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.

Public Transportation/Parking:
– We strongly encourage public transportation/biking/walking since parking in the neighborhood is limited.
– EBMC has bike parking inside the center.
– Please note that parking meters are enforced Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 12-6pm.
