East Bay Meditation Center

ONLINE: People of Color Sangha
2023-06-15 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-06-22 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-06-29 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-07-06 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-07-13 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-07-20 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-07-27 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-08-03 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 5 more dates | 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
7:30 – 9 PM PST
Closed Captions Provided.
Zoom info: Meeting details are shared through their mailing list (subscribe on their website), and their Facebook group.

ONLINE: 8 Step Buddhist Recovery Deep Refuge
2023-06-17 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-06-24 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-07-01 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-07-08 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-07-15 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-07-22 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-07-29 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-08-05 10:00 - 11:30 and 4 more dates | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
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: Pride Celebration: The House of the Divine Abodes
2023-06-17 10:00 - 14:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Pride Celebration: The House of the Divine Abodes – a daylong for the Alphabet community
Saturday June 17th 2023
10 AM – 2 PM PST (Time Zone Converter) Closed Captioning Provided
Come celebrate Pride by taking refuge in the Divine Abodes (Love, Compassion, Joy, and Peace). We will offer guided meditations and interactive activities to help co-create the healing that is possible when we gather in queer community.

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

Melvin Escobar (he/him) is a core teacher at EBMC. He has walked the path of service for most of his life, drawing on his life experiences as a cisgender queer man of color from an immigrant working-class background. He continues daily to learn the revolutionary potential of body-centered contemplative practices based in Buddhism, Yoga and other wisdom traditions for personal and social healing.
If you would like to make a gift to Melvin, please do so via:
PayPal: melvin@melvinescobar.com
Venmo: @Melvin-Escobar

Kinshasa (she/her). Queer, African-American, pet parent. Psychologist by day. Magic weaver by night (and also day). Currently integrating sitting, dancing, praying, and vocal meditation practices. Incorporating ritual, indigeneity, and authenticity into my life as a Buddhist and keeping sangha in my heart. Launched from EBMC in 2009 and Spirit Rock in 2011. You can find me watching Sci-fi, women’s sports, or dancing in my living room.

Rascal Roubos LCSW (they/them) – Rascal is white transmasculine therapist based in Oakland, CA who integrates dharma into daily life through an anti-oppression lens and somatic focused approaches. As a graduate of the Dedicated Practitioners Program, a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructor, and a recent graduate of the Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training program at East Bay Meditation Center, Rascal loves collaborating to share the dharma in community. They feel most connected to dharma and at home in their being when practicing in nature, or when dancing. A favorite recent experience was playing with giant bubbles with their three kids, partner and friends in the redwoods in Oakland.
If you would like to make a gift to Rascal, please do so via:
PayPal: connect@katherinerouboslcsw.com
Venmo: @Katherine-Roubos

My name is Ramón Honea (He/They/Them). With deep roots in the Bay Area, I am biracial gay man who finds service and joy in holding space for education and meditation. I have been in public school education for twenty years as both teacher and administrator. I hold a Master of Science in Educational Leadership, a teaching and administrative credential as well as a Mindfulness teaching certificate and a Mindfulness Mentoring Certificate from the Cloud Sangha. I am recently graduated from the first cohort of EBMC’s 2-year Spiritual Teacher and Leadership training. I am working with Braided Wisdom and Carol Cano, co-teaching and zoom-hosting various classes. Connecting that braiding of my cultural learnings with the Buddha-dharma and the teaching of Mindfulness is my focus. Covid took me from my job as a residential Retreat Manager at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and my current aspiration is to build a residential retreat center, both urban and accessible, for black and brown men+ and to run week long Mindfulness Retreats.
Support the Teacher/Artist
cash.app/$Ramons
Venmo: @Ramon-Honea
Paypal: paypal.me/RamonHonea (phone ends 0967)

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 those wishing to practice in person, space will be limited to 40 people to allow ample space for social distancing. Participants will be asked to wear N95 or KN95 face masks and be fully vaccinated against covid19, which at this time means having received the covid bivalent booster no less than two weeks before the event. (N95 face masks will be available at EBMC.)
To attend in person, you need to be completely free of fragranced body and clothing products — more information and a list of fragrance free products, including those that are especially good for people of color, appears 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.

ONLINE: Celebrate Summer Solstice with Chakra Tai Chi
2023-06-21 09:00 - 10:15 | CA
Celebrating Summer Solstice with Chakra Tai Chi
Wednesday, June 21st 9AM – 10:15AM PST (Time Zone Converter)
Closed captioning will be provided.
Chakra Tai Chi is a cleansing, empowering practice that includes easy-to-learn, accessible Tai Chi movements, visualizations, colors, elements, and sounds. This moving meditation brings the chakras – the vortex of energy centers – into balance and allows the energy to move more freely. Once the energy is flowing in our bodies, we can each find our own process for healing, find our own body wisdom.
Movements offered both seated and standing. No prior experience necessary. Join us in welcoming the summer season!
Co-led by Jenn Biehn and Rosetta Saunders who have been practicing this movement meditation together for over two years, co-creating various ways of presenting Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Jenn has been a certified Tai Chi Chih teacher for over 30 years and is now training new folks to bring these practices into their communities. Rosetta is a drum artist using sacred rhythms for intergenerational healing and cross cultural ceremonial circles.

Registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom with their Eventbrite confirmation email.

To make a gift to support the teachings, please do so via PayPal: sweetdrum8@gmail.com or Venmo: @Rosetta-Saunders
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.

ONLINE: Tender Self-Care in the Midst of Pain
2023-07-22 10:00 - 16:00 | Online
An online daylong retreat with Deb Kerr and Kenji Oshima
Saturday, July 22nd
10am – 4pm (Time Zone Converter) Closed Captioning Provided

Mindfulness and compassion practices are powerful tools to help us navigate what the body often offers to us, including disabilities, ongoing illnesses, injuries, aging or pain. In this daylong retreat, there will be time to meditate, practice simple mindful movement, and share our stories in community with each other. We will explore how dharma practice can lead to greater ease in the midst of vulnerability, and how freedom may be accessible when we can allow the truth of our struggles to be held by our natural compassion and wisdom.

Debra Kerr has meditated since 1991, and is influenced by both Vipassana and Dzogchen practices. A graduate of Community Dharma Leader training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, she co-founded and served on the board of the East Bay Meditation Center from 2000-2006. In addition to teaching and leading support groups for meditation practitioners around the Bay Area, Deb teaches mindfulness meditation in assisted living and long term care facilities, where she also works as a speech pathologist.

Kenji Oshima (Coach Kenji) is the graduate of 2 of EBMC’s yearlong programs, Commit to Dharma and Practice in Transformative Action. As someone who has lived with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) for over 3 decades he was on the team that addressed accessibility issues for East Bay Meditation’s move to Harrison Avenue and is a teacher in the EveryBody EveryMind sangha. Kenji is also a Life Coach and an Interfaith Spiritual Director. He has a unique perspective as a bi-racial/bi-cultural/bi-coastal, differently-abled, gay man.

HYBRID: Community Meeting - Shaping EBMC's New Potential Home!
2023-08-26 10:00 - 13:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Join us in an incredible journey to discover our new potential building! Be part of shaping our future as we unveil plans, gather feedback, and explore possibilities together.
We’re excited to share the details of our building search and upcoming fundraising campaign. Your ideas and insights are invaluable, guiding our project’s direction
Saturday, August 26th:
Building Tour – 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM,
In-person & Zoom Discussion – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Register here to get the meeting information for zoom and tours.

Due to staff capacity and health safety, space for the physical tours and in-person discussions at the center will be limited to 40.
Building Tour:
Get a firsthand look at the potential building, exploring its space and envisioning the possibilities it holds. Whether you’re a longtime community member or new to the fold, this tour will help you become familiar with the layout and start imagining how it could become a vibrant hub for our activities. Address of the tour about .5 mile from 19th st. BART and EBMC’s current space. It will be shared after registration
Hybrid Meeting: During this interactive meeting, we will:
Share insights on our building search and fundraising campaign.
Provide an opportunity for you to voice your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.
Clarify any questions you might have about the project’s goals and direction.
Introduce the proposed building’s floor plan for review.
Our architect team, who will present the building plan and address your queries live on August 16th, which will be recorded and shared August 26th.
Your Role:
Participate actively, share thoughts, and help us understand your priorities. This open forum welcomes all voices, fostering an inclusive environment where every opinion matters.
Join Us:
Save the dates and contribute your enthusiasm on these important occasions.

Using practice, demonstrations, and discussions, this retreat will use meditation and movement to explore how to create and maintain greater mindfulness and spiritual balance throughout the day. Simple meditation techniques are taught for a range of practitioners, especially beginners. Movements embodying the Five Elements are taught standing, sitting and reclining, and are appropriate for people with diverse abilities. This retreat will be held at Snow Park, so bring a water bottle, a snack and a blanket to sit on. The park is highly shaded from many trees, and bathrooms are available. Because this is an outdoor event, masks are optional, but social distancing is encouraged.

ONLINE: Apranihita: Meditation as Radical Rest
2023-09-04 10:00 - 16:00 | Online
Daylong Program – 10AM – 4PM
Labor Day Monday, September 4th
Online over Zoom

Apranihita: Meditation as Radical Rest
Thich Nhat Hanh identifies apranihita (aimlessness) as one of three doors of liberation. In the context of capitalist culture that values people based on their productivity, the practice of apranihita invites us to feel our wholeness, worth, and perfection in our very being. Our facilitation team brings lived experience of chronic illness and psychiatric disability in our queer bodies of color. This practice has been central for some of us in navigating the world at these intersections. We hope to share how the practice can support us in rewriting dominant narratives around “laziness,” value, and rest.
In this daylong retreat, we will practice aimlessness and explore a relationship with this form of radical rest. Our time together will include talks, breakout groups, easeful meditation practice, and opportunities to reflect on what rest means for you and your community. All levels of practice and familiarity with Buddhism and meditation are welcome!
TEACHER BIOS:

emiko (she/they) was raised with the Dharma through the Western Insight tradition and began practicing Vipassana meditation as a child. Ancestrally, she comes from a long lineage of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist priests. Seeded with Insight meditation, steeped in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, guided by Kuan Yin, touched deeply by Dzogchan, and growing into Higashi Honganji, emiko welcomes the many Dharma streams that flow through their life. They are a graduate of the East Bay Meditation Center’s first Spiritual Teacher & Leadership training and is currently a participant in the Sacred Mountain Sangha’s Dharmapala Training. She facilitates various sanghas locally and internationally, and works to create Dharma spaces by and for marginalized groups such as sex workers, and those disabled, neurodiverse, and/or chronically ill. As a mixed-raced, mixed-Buddhist queer, they practice holding contradictions with equanimity as they strive to co-create a more just and compassionate world.

Rahil Rojiani (they/them) is a queer, genderfluid, South Asian Ismaili Muslim, and an abolitionist trauma-focused psychiatrist. Their Dharma journey is held in multiple Tibetan and Theravadin lineages, including as a student of Lama Rod Owens. Rahil has been facilitating healing spaces and teaching meditation primarily for BIPOC and community organizers since 2014. With a particular love for element and shadow work, Rahil is dedicated to the intersection of justice and somatic healing for collective liberation.

Guangping Chu (all pronouns) is a student in the Plum Village tradition with the dharma name Playful Freedom of the Source. Meditation practice is an integral part of their healing journey, which includes uprooting patriarchy, singing to trees, making reparations for intergenerational wealth, navigating chronic Lyme Disease, and generous amounts of play time. Guangping facilitates meditation in numerous spaces on land and online, including Heartwood: A BIPOC Mindfulness Community.
