East Bay Meditation Center

ONLINE Restorative Practices: Deep Listening in Circle in Uncertain Times
2020-04-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Shahara Godfrey, Kimi Mojica, Jamilah Bradshaw, Jenn Biehn, Kevin Martin, Joan Lohman, and DeNNiS SOmeRa
With social distancing as our recent norm, we invite East Bay Meditation Center practitioners to experience the connection of a virtual community-building/peacemaking circle. The talking circle is an indigenous tradition that is both ceremony and council. In circle, all things are connected, no one is held in a position of prominence, and we function as equals while honoring our differences. The circle is strong enough to hold joy, pain, anger, quiet, paradox, or the anxiety and hope of this uncertain time. (Kay Pranis).
During this two-hour online experience, we will attend to our needs and values, engage in deep listening, and bear witness to the wisdom that emerges as we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
We will adapt the “circle” for online dynamics and include small group sharing to invite intimacy and vulnerability as we listen deeply to one another in this uncertain planetary moment.
Space is limited and registration is required.

ONLINE: Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2020-04-19 18:00 - 19:30, 2020-04-26 18:00 - 19:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Every Body Every Mind Sangha is a weekly practice group for people living with disabilities, limitations, differences and chronic illnesses.
Sundays
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
To join online, please email everybodyeverymind@gmail.com to request a Zoom link.
Please come and take part in this time to meditate, share our lives and support with each other, and learn more about the dharma. There is no need to register for these weekly meetings, just come and share this path together!
Teachers include Charlie Johnson, Deb Kerr, Mushim Ikeda and others.
For more info, visit the Every Body Every Mind Sangha Website.

ONLINE: Queer Joy and Resilience - A Class Series for the LGBTQIA2+ Community
2020-04-20 18:00 - 20:00, 2020-04-27 18:00 - 20:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Jessy Zapanta and JD Doyle
Join in a LGBTQIA2+ community for a three part series to focus on cultivating joy as a source of resilience and resistance. In these challenging times, learning how to nourish ourselves and interrupt the reactive mind is essential for well being. During this series, we will engage in meditation, inquiry, discussions, and radically inclusive movement, focusing on self-care and community-care. We will discover how cultivating joy is a way to support the healing of day-to-day difficulties, as well as intergenerational traumas, and in doing so bring greater freedom to ourselves and our communities.
All registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom.

ONLINE: Embodying Karuna: Access Centered Yoga Class
2020-04-21 18:00 - 18:55, 2020-04-28 18:00 - 18:55 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Jess Dene Schlesinger
Karuna Flow is a Trauma-Informed and “Access-Centered” Yoga class— centering access for all bodies and minds. Connecting breath with movement, we will be invited to embody Karuna (compassion) for our complete selves, reminded that all bodies and minds are perfect and whole as is. Each class will focus on regulating our nervous systems, gentle alignment, connecting to the earth, developing resiliency, and embodying compassion for all living beings.
Drop In Format. No Advance Registration Required. Please Wear Comfortable clothing.
To Join Online:
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/382617023
Phone +1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 382 617 023
Learn More.

ONLINE: Alphabet Sangha
2020-04-21 19:00 - 20:30, 2020-04-28 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
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
Please email alphabetsangha@eastbaymeditation.org to request Zoom link to join online.
For more information, visit the ALPHABET SANGHA WEBSITE

ONLINE: Midday Sangha
2020-04-22 12:00 - 13:35, 2020-04-29 12:00 - 13:35 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Midday Sangha at EBMC Wednesdays at Noon!
Join our peer-led multicultural sangha for silent meditation practice and community building.
To join via Zoom video:
https://zoom.us/j/770028979
To join via Zoom audio (phone):
1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 770028979#
Every Wednesday
12:00 – 12:45 Silent sitting, standing or lying down meditation with optional walking meditation.
12:45 – 1:35 Potluck lunch with facilitated conversation about our practice and being the dharma in the world
Midday Sangha Coordinating Committee:
Bang Nguyen, Darren Lee Brown, emiko yoshikami, Karen Jackson, Marge Sussman and Yvette Flores

ONLINE: Calming the Heartmind: Practicing Love, Compassion, Joy & Equanimity
2020-04-22 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-Month Curriculum
The Brahmaviharas (Divine Abodes), also called the Four Immeasurables, are Buddhist teachings and practices that help us to access dynamic calming, stilling, and healing mindbody states. As we cultivate the limitless qualities of loving goodwill, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity, in time we harvest true happiness, spiritual strength, and awakening insight. These practices are considered complementary to insight (mindfulness) meditation. Dharma talks, discussion, interactive exercises. Instruction provided for beginners in meditation.
Please register in order to receive a Zoom link & join us online!

Cost: There is no registration fee for attending this event, nor most EBMC events. However, EBMC is not independently funded. The Center and the teachers will be sustained only by your voluntary donations (the practice of generous giving, or “dana”). Please donate generously, in proportion to your ability:
* Either online (you will be offered an opportunity during the online registration process to donate to EBMC; the teachers will not receive any part of this online donation).
* Or at the event, in the two baskets at EBMC, one for the Center, the second for the Teacher.
Thank you for your generosity. EBMC will be only be sustained through our collective generosity.

ONLINE Teen Circle: Teen Meditation Group for Teens Age 14-19
2020-04-22 19:00 - 20:45, 2020-04-29 19:00 - 20:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
EBMC Teen Circle ONLINE
Spring Session
Wednesdays, April 1st to June 10th 2020 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm PST
Led by Raúl Kahlil Betancourt, Anthony “T” Maes, Sarwang Parikh, Louije Kim & Sara Oakes
EBMC Teen Circle is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19. Teens do not need to commit to the entire session.
Our focus is on creating deeper relationships with ourselves and each other, having fun, getting real and supporting each other. Learn mindfulness meditation and explore the dharma (Buddhist teachings) in creative experiential ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures and backgrounds.
Registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom prior to the start of the event.

ONLINE Teen Circle: Teen Meditation Group for Teens Age 14-19
2020-04-22 19:00 - 20:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
EBMC Teen Circle ONLINE
Spring Session
Wednesdays, April 1st to June 10th 2020 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm PST
EBMC Teen Circle is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19. Teens do not need to commit to the entire session.
Our focus is on creating deeper relationships with ourselves and each other, having fun, getting real and supporting each other. Learn mindfulness meditation and explore the dharma (Buddhist teachings) in creative experiential ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures and backgrounds.
Registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom prior to the start of the event.

ONLINE: People of Color Yoga
2020-04-23 17:45 - 18:45, 2020-04-30 17:45 - 18:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Weekly Yoga Practice for Self Identified People of Color led by Satya de la Paz
5:45PM – 6:45PM
Build strength and flexibility while cultivating mindfulness in this all levels hatha yoga class. Each class has a unique, inspiring theme and personalized instruction that will leave you feeling joyous and rejuvenated.
To participate via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/558610086
To donate to the Teacher via Venmo use ID: @satyabodyworks
To donate to EBMC click HERE.

ONLINE: People of Color Sangha
2020-04-23 19:30 - 21:00, 2020-04-30 19:30 - 21:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
The People of Color Sangha is a growing tribe of people of color waking up and getting free!
Thursdays
7:30 – 9:00 PM
Zoom Link will be shared via: POC SANGHA WEBSITE

ONLINE: People of Color Sangha
2020-04-23 19:30 - 21:00, 2020-04-30 19:30 - 21:00 | 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: Unhurried & Unbothered: Yoga for Radical Restoration
2020-04-24 18:00 - 18:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Keisha Turner
Cultivating deep awareness requires us to slow down. There are many lessons waiting to be uncovered in silence, stillness, and slowness. Unhurried & Unbothered: Yoga for Radical Restoration is an invitation to practice slowing down as the antidote for the violent pace of capitalism. In each session, the daily demands so many of us face to move quickly and do more will be greeted with the call to move slowly, do less, and treat our bodies and minds with great tenderness. We will practice poses that are slow, sometimes repetitive, and restorative in nature. Multiple expressions of each pose will be offered and participants are invited to practice lying down, seated, or standing, according to their own body wisdom and access needs.
To Attend via Zoom Video:
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/382617023
Phone +1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 382 617 023

ONLINE Compassionate Dharma Deep Refuge: 8 Step Recovery Buddhist Meeting
2020-04-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2020-05-02 10:00 - 11:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
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 ask that you attend sober on the day with respect for others that may be active in recovery. Open to all in Recovery.
Advance Registration is not required.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/133635556

For additional information, please contact:
Shawna Adkins blublackb@gmail.com
Walt Opie waltopie@gmail.com

ONLINE: Trans/Gender-Expansive Deep Refuge Group
2020-04-27 18:30 - 20:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Trans/Gender-Expansive Deep Refuge Group
Fourth Mondays (online over zoom)
6:30-8pm PM PST
This deep refuge group is by and for trans/gender-expansive people. Our goal is to provide a welcoming community space for trans/gender-expansive folks who are interested in exploring meditation and other aspects of Buddhist practice. Both beginners and experienced practitioners welcome!
To be added to the email list, please email tgedeeprefuge@eastbaymeditation.org with a quick note about your interest in the group. We look forward to practicing with you!

ONLINE: Queer Leather Peer-Led Deep Refuge Group
2020-04-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Off Site Venue
The Queer Leather Meditation Deep Refuge Group is a peer-led meditation group for those of us who have a meditation practice and are queer and leather/kink-identified. We meet on the 4th Friday of every month from 7–8:30 p.m. We are open to and welcome new drop-in participants, whether this is your first sit or your 10,000th! For upcoming meeting details or to join our mailing list or online groups, please visit http://www.queerleathermeditation.org/. If you have questions please contact admin@queerleathermeditation.org.

ONLINE: Pandemic Precepts: Buddhist Ethics during COVID-19
2020-04-29 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
online class series with Mushim Ikeda
ASL interpretation provided by Aaron Brace and Brooke Fulton
Wednesdays, April 29th, May 6th, 13th and 20th 7-8:30PM PST / PDT
What does toilet paper hoarding have to do with Buddhist ethics? Based in EBMC’s mindfulness-based, diversity-equity-inclusion and social justice-centered mission, this four-class series offers a path to reflect on the bases of ethical discernment and action. Buddhist life, for both laypersons and monastics, is rooted in Five Precepts, or ethical 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 current events-based study of the Precepts.

ONLINE: May Day Meditation
2020-05-01 10:00 - 11:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with JD Doyle and Carol Cano
Join our meditation to honor and offer love to all workers on May Day, International Workers’ Day, which commemorates the many struggles and gains made by labor movements throughout history. We honor all workers at this moment in time, when we are interwoven in community supporting each other and sustaining each other during the Pandemic. We will meditate together, share reflections on struggle, resilience, and joy and connect with our lineages, the earth and each other.
Registered participants will receive a link to join us via Zoom.

ONLINE: Mindful Yoga
2020-05-01 18:00 - 18:45 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Jonathan Relucio
We will devote time for gentle yoga and breathing practice to calm the mind, relax the body and nurture the heart. Reconnect and rejuvenate through the cultivation of mindfulness and kind awareness.

Zoom info: https://zoom.us/j/382617023
Phone +1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 382 617 023

About Jonathan: For nearly a decade, Jonathan Relucio taught trauma-informed yoga and meditation in urban schools, health clinics and juvenile detention centers as a Senior Trainer for Niroga Institute. He has completed Spirit Rock’s Mindfulness, Yoga and Meditation program, co-founded AllThriveEd.org, and supports transformation in social justice movements through his work at Rockwood Leadership Institute. Jonathan values yoga and meditation as practices for liberation that heal us from the impact of oppressive systems.
