East Bay Meditation Center

Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2017-10-01 18:00 - 19:30, 2017-09-24 18:00 - 19:30, 2017-09-17 18:00 - 19:30, 2017-09-10 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 sitting 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.

Healing the Healer: A Daylong for Compassion, Selfcare and Restorative Practices
2017-10-01 10:00 - 16:00
With Melvin Escobar, Louije Kim, Kat Roubos, David ShihChun Wu

This daylong is offered to those that are in service to others, bringing together healers and caregivers to learn and relearn selfcare practices. The metaphor of “first securing one’s own oxygen mask before helping others” is foundational to being of true service. The facilitators of this daylong are professionally trained psychotherapists. We will offer strategies for surviving and thriving based on the timeless wisdom of the Buddhadharma. Through meditation practices and interactive exercises, we will explore how to manage vicarious trauma and burnout to support healers in their own healing.

Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=oct17healing
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)
* 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.

Break through Denial: A Buddhist-based Approach to Death & Dying
2017-09-30 10:00 - 16:30
With Mushim & Rev. Tova Green

Birth inevitably leads to death in the Buddhist view of life. Yet the closer this reality presents itself, the harder it can be to accept and prepare for our own death and the death of loved ones. In breaking through denial about death and dying, we might find, surprisingly, that beyond resistance and fear lies joy and everyday wise action. This daylong includes meditation (beginners are invited), Dharma talks on a Buddhist understanding of death, and culturally-informed, interactive activities around grief and loss, as well as practical preparations to leave our affairs in order.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=sept17lovingkindness
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)
* 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
2017-09-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-09-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-09-14 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

People of Color Yoga
2017-09-28 18:00 - 19:00, 2017-09-21 18:00 - 19:00, 2017-09-14 18:00 - 19:00
Weekly Yoga Practice for Self Identified People of Color led by Satya de la Paz
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
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.
No registration required. No mat or special clothes required.

EBMC Teen Sangha: Fall 2017
2017-09-27 18:30 - 20:30, 2017-09-20 18:30 - 20:30, 2017-09-13 18:30 - 20:30
EBMC Teen Sangha – Fall 2017
Wednesdays: September 6 – December 6 (no meeting on November 22)
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Open to teens, ages 14-19
EBMC Teen Sangha is a weekly meditation group for teens, ages 14-19. Our focus will be 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 and practical ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a Sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures, beliefs and ways of being.
Led by the EBMC Teen Sangha Team: Raúl Kahlil Betancourt, Anthony “T” Maes, Sarwang Parikh, Adrienne Price, Syra Smith, and Phoenix Soleil
Registration: Registration is encouraged and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=sept17teen
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)
* 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.
Raúl Kahlil Betancourt began his buddhist studies when he was 16 in L.A. and has been studying steadily since. He has studied Vietnamese Zen in LA and Soto Zen in Santa Cruz and SF as well as Green Gulch and Tassajara. He spent a year as a personal student to a head instructor from Eijeiji, at his home temple in Japan. He also earned a black belt in Aikido. He eventually found his spiritual home at EBMC in Oakland. He is currently teaching science at a high school in SF where he is also a teacher meditation leader.
Anthony “T” Maes was born and raised in the East Bay. He has practiced Buddhist meditation since 2003 including long retreats and living in a monastery in Thailand. He has volunteered on many teen meditation retreats since 2009 where he enjoys leading mixed-heritage liberation, relational mindfulness, and acrobalance. “T” graduated from UC Berkeley in 2004, completed the yearlong Commit2Dharma program at EBMC in 2011, and is a graduate of the Heart Mind Curriculum mindfulness teacher training program.
Sarwang Parikh is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern who has worked with young people for over a decade. He has meditated and practiced yoga for the past 10 years. He is currently a part of Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner Program and EBMC’s Men of Color Deep Refuge group. Sarwang has worked therapeutically with young people across cultures and around the world in a variety of therapeutic, school-based and community settings. He currently provides holistic counseling, leads mindfulness groups, and facilitates trainings on mindfulness in education with Seeds-of-Awareness.org. Sarwang is passionately committed to integrating social change and personal healing through practicing mindfulness and developing relationships.
Adrienne Price is an educator, cultural producer, and social justice organizer living in Oakland, CA. Since she discovered Dharma practice in 2008, she has worked to deepen her learning. She looks forward to co-leading her first Teen Sangha through EBMC this summer. She has worked as a high school teacher and currently coordinates an education non-profit. She also organizes with SURJ (Standing Up for Racial Justice) and the Bay Area Childcare Collective. She hosts a weekly radio show on Radio Valencia entitled Pure Pop for Queer Lovers (Sundays 10am-12:00pm, www.radiovalencia.fm).
Syra Smith is an engaged artist, activist, community organizer, sharing cultivator and mindfulness educator interested in deep ecology and manifesting a culture where we can turn toward fearless abundance and generosity. Syra has been educating and working with young people for over 15 years. A lifetime meditator, she completed EBMC’s Commit to Dharma program in 2011 and is participating in a two year non-monastic ordination and lineage teaching program under the guidance of Venerable Pannavati Bhikkuni. In addition to co-leading EBMC’s Teen Sangha, she has joined the team at the Mind Body Awareness Project, providing transformational tools to at-risk and incarcerated youth.
Phoenix Soleil is an artist and trainer committed to creating more fun, authenticity and compassion in our society. She is a teacher and practitioner of the Vipassanna meditation tradition. She is also a teacher and practitioner of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a form of compassionate communication that supports us to attune to our feelings and values. Whenever possible she invokes her background in conscious dance, Laughter Yoga, acting, and the expressive arts to build healthy, authentic, joyful, and engaged communities of all ages.

Midday Sangha
2017-09-27 12:00 - 13:30, 2017-09-20 12:00 - 13:30, 2017-09-13 12:00 - 13:30
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, Bang Nguyen, Jenn Biehn, Kam McCallum, Karen Jackson, Manuel Vasquez, Preston Justice, Shawki, Yvette Flores

Alphabet Sangha
2017-09-26 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-09-19 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-09-12 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
2017-09-26 17:30, 2017-09-19 17:30, 2017-09-12 17:30
A weekly offering of access-centered movement practices for all ages and abilities. Teachers and modalities will rotate every 5-6 weeks. Drop in format, no experience necessary. Please wear clothing that allows for gentle movement.

ONLINE: Trans/Gender-Expansive Deep Refuge Group
2017-09-25 18:30 - 20:00
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!

Community Meeting
2017-09-23 09:30 - 12:00
Community Meeting: Building our collective vision for the future of EBMC
All EBMC Sangha members, past and present, are invited!
We need your input to shape EBMC’s future!
Saturday, September 23, 2017
9:30 am – 10:00 am light breakfast and social time
10:00 am – 12:00 pm noon Community Meeting
Open to All – RSVP HERE
We, the EBMC Leadership Sangha, invite you to our community meeting on Saturday, September 23rd to inform and share in ideas for how EBMC’s strategic plan should guide our collective journey for the next ten years.

We encourage all members of the EBMC community to attend. Click HERE to RSVP or for more information.

Awakening Bliss and Ecstasy
2017-09-17 09:30 - 12:30
With Satya de la Paz

Bathe in the nectar of Yoga with movement, chanting, breath and meditation practices that ignite bliss and ecstasy. Soma, or nectar, is a manifestation of our life force when harnessed reveals a deep sense of peace and nourishment. Soma is described in the Vedas, ancient texts of Yoga, as liquid moonlight that descends from the crown chakra to vitalize, activate, and center our being. Explore kriyas, series of postures, breath, and sound that release emotional and physical blocks to our innate state of bliss. This access-centered practice will stabilize and stretch the hips and low back with variations provided for all levels of practice and experience.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=sept17yoga
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)
* 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.

Exploring Addictions Through the Lens of the Buddhist and Wisdom Teachings
2017-09-16 10:00 - 16:00
With Shahara Godfrey

During this one-day retreat we will explore, from a cross-cultural approach, ways to heal addiction. 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.
Please attend this daylong sober with respect for others that may be actively in recovery.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=sept17recovery
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)
* 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.

EBMC at Oakland Pride
2017-09-10 11:00 - 19:00
EAST BAY MEDITATION CENTER is proud to be an Exhibitor at OAKLAND PRIDE on
Sunday, September 10th 2017 from 11AM – 7PM. The festival is located on Franklin between 19th & 21st Streets in downtown Oakland and features multiple stages of live music, a Family Area, Senior Area, bike parking, food & beverage for purchase and more. Visit OAKLANDPRIDE.ORG for more information and to purchase tickets.
If you’d like to volunteer at EBMC’s booth during the festival, please email: candi at eastbaymeditation dot org

Oakland Pride is all ages & wheel chair accessible.

Family Practice Class: Opening the Heart through the Buddha's Teachings
2017-09-10 10:00 - 12:30
For Children Ages 0-13 and Family/Caregivers
With Master John Ellis, Mushim Ikeda and Jenn Biehn
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.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=sept17family
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)
* 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.
