East Bay Meditation Center

Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2019-03-24 18:00 - 19:30, 2019-03-17 18:00 - 19:30, 2019-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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
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 and others.
For more info, visit the Every Body Every Mind Sangha Website.

Drop by Drop: Keeping Faith for the Long Haul
2019-03-24 10:00 - 16:30
with Deb Kerr
Changing the mind’s conditioning can be a slow process. We need patience for the long haul. And we need faith that what we are doing is effective to lessen suffering. What does faith mean in a Buddhist context? How does faith in dharma practice develop, and support our deeper awakening? In this daylong workshop, we’ll be exploring these themes using silent and guided meditation, personal reflection and interactive exercises. Participants will learn to uncover and rest on their own bedrock of faith, and to foster its ongoing emergence.
Space is limited and registration is requested. REGISTER HERE
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

People of Color Sangha
2019-03-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-03-14 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-03-07 19:00 - 21:00
The People of Color Sangha is a growing tribe of people of color waking up and getting free!
Thursdays
7:00 – 9:00 PM
For more information, visit the: POC SANGHA WEBSITE

ONLINE: People of Color Yoga
2019-03-21 17:45 - 18:45, 2019-03-14 17:45 - 18:45, 2019-03-07 17:45 - 18:45
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 donate to the Teacher via Venmo use ID: @satyabodyworks
To donate to EBMC click HERE.

Teen Sangha: Winter Session
2019-03-20 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-03-13 19:00 - 20:45, 2019-03-06 19:00 - 20:45
EBMC Teen Sangha
Winter 2019
Wednesdays, January 2nd to March 27th 7:00 pm – 8:45PM pm
EBMC Teen Sangha is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19
Led by Anthony Maes, Raul Betancourt, Louije Kim and Sarwang Parikh
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.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click HERE to register.
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

The Buddha’s “How to” Guide to a Life of Happiness and Well-being
2019-03-20 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-03-13 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-03-06 18:30 - 20:30
with Mushim Ikeda
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-Month Curriculum | This Class is a Four Class Series Open to All
Everyone wants to live and be happy, yet human life is marked by suffering. Many are intimately and historically affected by social injustice, and we all experience loss of what is dear to us, sickness, aging, and death. How do we develop wisdom (insight) and spiritual strength (a practice that sustains us during the hard times)? The Buddha’s teaching of the Eightfold Path is a roadmap for a life well-lived. This class series will include interactive exercises, meditation, Dharma talks, and discussion. Beginners in meditation are welcome.
Space is limited and registration is requested. REGISTER HERE
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Midday Sangha
2019-03-20 12:00 - 13:35, 2019-03-13 12:00 - 13:35
Midday Sangha at EBMC Wednesdays at Noon!
Join our peer-led multicultural sangha for silent meditation practice and community building.
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:
Abe Doherty, Jenn Biehn, Kam McCallum, Karen Jackson, Manuel Vasquez, Preston Justice, Shawki, Yvette Flores

Alphabet Sangha
2019-03-19 19:00 - 20:30, 2019-03-12 19:00 - 20:30
A meditation group for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Same-Gender Loving, and Two-Spirit communities. Because that’s such a mouthful, we call ourselves the Alphabet Sangha.
Tuesdays
7:00 – 8:30 pm
For more information, visit the ALPHABET SANGHA WEBSITE

Dharma in Motion - Access Stillness in the Midst of Activity
2019-03-19 18:00 - 18:50, 2019-03-12 18:00 - 18:50
T’ai Chi Chih – Joy through Movement
with Paul Ciske
Dharma in Motion Class, Tuesdays 6-6:50
February 5 – March 26
T’ai Chi Chih® is a moving meditation consisting of 20 easy-to-learn, accessible movements. A form of qigong, T’ai Chi Chih® circulates and balances the chi or energy of the body with the intention of bringing stillness and calm to the heart mind in the midst of activity. There are variations for standing, sitting, and lying down. Please come fragrance free.
For the past 25 years, Paul has taught and practiced Tai Chi Chih (TCC) – Joy through Movement. His profession revolves around the body as a neurologic body worker, movement trainer and coach, and Conscious Embodiment facilitator. Paul was the original host of Larry Yang’s LGBTQ East Bay sitting group before EBMC existed and is a long-time member of Alphabet Sangha.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Class Series for People of Color
2019-03-18 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-03-11 18:30 - 20:30
with Carol Cano
For Self Identified People of Color
Mindfulness-based meditation is not a religious code as much as it is a social psychology that supports experiences of well-being. -Ruth King (Author of Mindful Race)
This four-week course will introduce you to secular mindfulness meditation. We will get a brief overview of the historically background and the fundamentals of how to start a mindfulness meditation practice. We will explore how this practice can cultivate balance, peace and support at times that are very challenging and difficult to navigate. This series will give you a fresh perspective to an already stressful life during these chaotic times.
The objective is how to address fluctuating mental states of fear, anxiety and other negative or positives mental states that arise by fostering awareness as a tool for creating a clear, less receptive behaviors and develop qualities of the heart to can promote balance and beauty.
Space is limited and registration is requested. REGISTER HERE
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Meeting Pain with Compassionate Presence
2019-03-17 10:00 - 12:30
with Satya de La Paz August
This workshop will offer gentle movement which both strengthens and stabilizes the body, with an special focus on joints. 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. We will explore the relationship between mental, physiological, emotional states and joint pain. Incorporating practices of Tonglen and Ayurveda, we will cultivate a capacity to relate with our pain in a way that awakens compassion and wisdom. Practice cultivating acceptance and kindness to deepen and transform the relationship to physical pain.
Space is limited and registration is required. REGISTER HERE
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

Dharma in Motion - Embodying Heart Qualities through Tai Chi Chih
2019-03-15 18:00 - 18:50, 2019-03-08 18:00 - 18:50
with Jenn Biehn
DROP IN FORMAT, NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
Please wear clothing that allows for gentle movement.
A form of qigong, Tai Chi Chih circulates, balances, and gathers the chi or energy of the body. In this class, we will embody heart qualities including lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity through easy-to-learn, accessed-centered Tai Chi Chih movements. Embodying heart qualities through mindful movement helps ground and strengthen these qualities. Qigong stretches will be practiced at the beginning of each class to prepare the body heart mind for this moving meditation.

Family Practice Class: Opening the Heart through the Buddha's Teachings
2019-03-10 10:00 - 12:30
with Baruch Golden, Eve Decker, Lev White, Michele Ku and Shahara Godfrey
For Children Ages 0-13 and Family / Caregivers
We invite you to come and help create the diverse family sangha at EBMC. We welcome families with babies, toddlers, and children up to age 13. Children under 5 will need to have a parent/caregiver stay with them.
This class features training on “Family Tea Time” and how mindful practices can bind the family together. We will also explore how meditation and meditative movement can contribute to successful family life. Parents/caregivers and young people will meet together and separately during the class. We are committed to creating a diverse family sangha. No prior experience is necessary.
Please bring a snack (without nuts) to share.
Please note, each family only needs one registration. Thank You!
Space is limited and registration is requested. REGISTER HERE.
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.

ONLINE: Multiracial Peer-Led Deep Refuge Group
2019-03-09 19:00 - 21:00
The Multiracial Deep Refuge Group is a monthly exploratory Deep Refuge Group for and by people who identify as multiracial. Our meetings include periods of mindfulness meditation and sharing of narratives and perspectives as we come together to be seen and to see one another. By sitting and exploring our own unique stories, we can come to know and care for the common threads that bind us together. Our collective work bravely expands the narrative that informs multiracial experience today. Meets 7pm-9pm on the second Saturdays of every month. Online and occasionally hybrid (in-person at EBMC + online).
Newcomers welcome- please contact us before your first visit: mrdrcoordinators at googlegroups dot com

Practicing with Sexual Energy: Presence, Precepts and Power
2019-03-09 09:30 - 16:30
Honoring Sexuality While Maintaining Upright Awareness
with Shahara Godfrey and Rev. Daigan Gaither
What is it to be upright and awake in the midst of sexual energy? How do we not turn away from ourselves or our experience in the present? How can we learn to understand and relate to desire in healthy and respectful ways? Are we using our energies or are they using us? Using small group discussions, guided meditations, zazen, and open dialogue we will explore our vow in the context of responsible sexual choices. Join us as we explore what it means to practice while maintaining a healthy relationship to our sexuality.
Space is limited and registration is required. REGISTER HERE
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.
Fragrance-free: In order to protect the health of community members with environmental illness, please do not wear fragranced products (including “natural” fragrances) or clothes laundered in fragranced products to EBMC.
EBMC is wheelchair accessible.
