East Bay Meditation Center

IN-PERSON: Gather & Ground: Compassionate Community Building
2026-09-18 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-09-22 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-09-24 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-09-25 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-09-29 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-10-01 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-10-02 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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

January 2026 note: Dear Sangha, coming together is a form of resistance. Let’s ground and regroup in community with meditation and in solidarity. After which we will gather and discuss ways to respond. Art supplies to make signs of resistance are available. We can brainstorm ways to use our voices. Or provide a shoulder to cry on.

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.

Generally, you can also expect to see: art on Tuesdays, movement on Thursdays, and occasional open mics on Fridays!

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! No registration needed.

ONLINE: Maha Sangha
2026-09-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-10-02 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Maha Sangha for All People & Communities
Creating Freedom in Community
Every Friday night, 7:00 – 8:30pm.
Hybrid, every 4th Friday of the month
Event Details: Meets weekly on zoom, and starting to meet once a month in person, email mahasangha at eastbaymeditation dot org for more info and get on our newsletter
The EBMC Maha Sangha for All People and Communities is a meditation and dharma group with an emphasis on radical inclusivity and social justice.
Maha is a Pali word meaning whole, great, larger/largest, deepest, and Sangha is a Pali word for community, or community of practitioners. Together, these words represent a place where all people and communities are warmly invited to explore the Dharma together in keeping with East Bay Meditation Center’s core mission to foster liberation, personal and interpersonal healing, social action, and inclusive community building. We hope that you will join us.
The EBMC Maha Sangha’s leadership team of teachers, dharma leaders, and sangha members includes: Arisika Razak, Fresh! Lev White, Rebekah Eppley, Sarwang Parikh and Shay.
Contact: mahasangha at eastbaymeditation org

ONLINE: 8 Step Buddhist Recovery Deep Refuge
2026-09-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-09-26 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-10-03 10:00 - 11:30 | 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.

IN PERSON: Kingian Nonviolence Workshop
2026-09-19 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-20 10:00 - 17:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Kingian Nonviolence Workshop
TWO DAYS: Saturday, September 19th & Sunday, September 20th, 2026
10AM – 5PM PT (Time Zone Converter)
With Kazu Haga and Angela Kim
Open to all
The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible
N95/KN95 masks strongly encouraged.

Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation: Developed by Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. and David Jehnsen, two allies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Kingian Nonviolence is sometimes referred to as the “final marching orders of Dr. King.” It is a philosophy that teaches us the depth of nonviolence and conflict transformation.
It teaches us to hold healing and reconciliation as the final goal of any conflict, and also reminds us of the need for justice and accountability as a necessary stepping stone to the Beloved Community.
Whether you are trying to improve conflict in your personal life, cultivate a culture of peace in your school or community, or build a powerful movement for social change, this training can be a transformative tool.

All are welcome! Full participation for both days is required.

Public Transportation/Parking:
– We strongly encourage public transportation/biking/walking since parking in the neighborhood is limited.
– EBMC is 4-5 blocks from 19th Street Bart (about a 7 minute walk).
– EBMC has bike parking inside the center.
– Meter parking is free on Sunday, and enforced Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm.
– 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.

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.
Note that all financial gifts received here go directly to EBMC, and we invite you to give separately to our teachers, using the information below.

Other ways to give:
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may 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.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.
Venmo: @kazuhaga
Paypal: PayPal.me/kazuhaga
kazuhaga.com/support
Please reference “Kingian Nonviolence”.

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 are strongly encouraged 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: 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. 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

Kazu Haga is a trainer and practitioner of nonviolence and restorative justice with over 25 years of experience in social movement work. He is a founding core member of the Ahimsa Collective, a Jam facilitator and author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm and Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging through Collapse. He works with incarcerated people, youth, and activists from around the country. He is a resident of the Canticle Farm community on Lisjan Ohlone land, Oakland, CA, where he lives with his family. You can find out more about his work at www.kazuhaga.com.

Angela Kim is a visionary organizer and Kingian nonviolence trainer working towards a world where we have increased capacities to sit with our own and each other’s complexities. Angela stewards community spaces where participants can share grief, practice conflict skills, and be co-opted into emergence inspired by the erotic, the intuitive, the divine, the more-than-human. They are deeply and fully in love with this world we get to live in and on a life-long journey to learn how to love everything that comes with it with compassion and accountability. Their work is guided and influenced by the land and their ancestors as well as the work and teachings of Grace Lee and Jimmy Boggs, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, and Nêgo Bispo. Angela is a second-generation Korean born in Brazil and moved with their family to Tovaangar (LA) when they were thirteen. They now live in multiple homes and hearts across California.

IN-PERSON: Earth Drum Medicine: Women’s Drum Circle
2026-09-19 12:30 - 14:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Earth Drum Medicine, Women’s drum circle facilitated by Afefe Oke’ and Rosetta Saunders.
Combining meditation with the powerful practice of drumming, this group will meet at our Webster site on the third Saturday of each month at the EBMC Webster St site, 2406 Webster St., Oakland.
The circle is open to all women-identified folks and gender-expansive folks who identify with women’s community.
While some drums will be provided, you are encouraged to bring your own if you have one!

Third Saturday of each month
12:30pm-2pm
Please arrive early to allow time for parking

All skill levels are welcome! Everyone is welcome regardless of their drum abilities. We sit in a circle and will do what we can to help this with mobility limitations.
To register, or for more information, please contact Afefe Oke’ at ginittaglass at gmail dot com
PLEASE NOTE: There will NOT be a meeting in May 2026. We will resume in June 2026.

In-Person Kapwa Gathering for Filipinx/a/o Practitioners
2026-09-19 15:00 - 17:00 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Dear Kapwa Sangha,
You’re invited to a new monthly gathering for self-identifying Filipinx/a/o (including mixed) practitioners offered at EBMC this spring. The intention is to offer a consistent, low-pressure space for practice and community connection.
Gathering Details
Dates:
Third Saturdays
March 21, April 18, and May 16
Time:
3:00–5:00 pm PT
Location:
East Bay Meditation Center
285 17th St, Oakland
Format
– Peer-led meditation or contemplative practice
– Potluck and time for informal connection
Food offerings are completely open. If possible, please label items with ingredients or common allergens (e.g., dairy-free, nuts, gluten).
Accessibility & Care
This gathering will follow EBMC’s existing policies regarding masking, fragrance-free spaces, and accessibility.
Children are welcome. Adults are responsible for any minors they bring. No childcare will be provided.
Attendance
This is an in-person offering; no Zoom option will be available.
Participants are always welcome to just show up. If you plan to attend, you’re also welcome to email me (mpapaya3 at gmail dot com) in advance so I can get a general sense of attendance. You’re welcome to attend one gathering, some, or all of them. Building community happens through presence; through showing up, sitting together, sharing food, and practicing alongside one another over time. This gathering is offered in that spirit, with the hope of creating a space that can be shaped collectively through our participation.

ONLINE: Kapwa Deep Refuge Group for Filipinx/a/o Practitioners
2026-09-20 09:00 - 10:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
This is a peer-led deep refuge group for self-identifying Filipinx/a/o (including mixed) folks. Together we cultivate a special community space in the intersection of Filipinx/a/o identity + culture + history and Buddhist spiritual practice. We gather to support each other, heal, and walk the Dharma path.

Kapwa Deep Refuge will meet every 3rd Sunday at 9am PST – 10:30am PST via Zoom. The inaugural meeting will be on April 21, 2024.

If you identify as Filipinx/a/o and would like to join, please contact us at: kapwa.deep.refuge@gmail.com

Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2026-09-20 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-09-27 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

ONLINE WITH SPECIAL HYBRID DATES
March 23rd 2025 with Arisika Razak
April 20th 2025 with Anne Finger
May 18th 2025 with Mushim Ikeda
June 22nd 2025 with Anne Finger
No registration needed to attend these meetings in person. More hybrid dates may be announced in the future.

To join online, please email: ebem at eastbaymeditation dot org 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!
EveryBody, EveryMind Teacher Group: Debra Kerr, Kenji Oshima, Anne Finger, Master John W. Ellis IV, Beth Smith, Mushim Ikeda, Victor Jih, & Zac Krohn
For more info, visit the Every Body Every Mind Sangha Website.

ONLINE: Alphabet Sangha
2026-09-22 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-09-29 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 at eastbaymeditation dot org to request Zoom link to join online.
For more information, visit the ALPHABET SANGHA WEBSITE

ONLINE: Kapwa Meditation for Filipinx/a/o Community
2026-09-23 07:00 - 07:30, 2026-09-30 07:00 - 07:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
We are happy to announce that a weekly Kapwa Meditation for Filipinx/a/o folks will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 7:00 to 7:30 AM Pacific Time. We will continue to gather every Wednesday morning, coming together for support and practice, on our paths of individual and collective transformation.

In addition to our weekly meditation, we would like to remind everyone of our monthly Kapwa Deep Refuge Group for Filipinx/a/o folks. Launched in the Spring of 2024, we meet on the third Sunday of every month, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM Pacific Time.
Together, in both spaces, we aspire to cultivate a special community space in the intersection of Filipinx/a/o identity + culture + history and Buddhist spiritual practice.
The Zoom credentials are the same for both our weekly Wednesday meditation and our monthly gathering.
If you identify as Filipinx/a/o and would like to join, please contact us at: kapwa.deep.refuge@gmail.com

ONLINE: Midday Sangha
2026-09-23 12:00 - 13:35, 2026-09-30 12:00 - 13:35 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Join our peer-led multicultural sangha for silent meditation practice and community building.
Every Wednesday
12:00 – 12:45pm PST Silent sitting, standing or lying down meditation with optional walking meditation.
12:55 – 1:35pm PST Facilitated conversation about our practice and being the dharma in the world
HYBRID EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY, ONLINE FOR OTHER MEETINGS (unless otherwise noted)
Midday Sangha Coordinating Committee:
emiko yoshikami, Jennie Powe Runde, Sakshi Uomoto, Elese Lebsack and Robert Gavino
email middaysangha at eastbaymeditation dot org for zoom link and password

ONLINE: BIPOC Sangha
2026-09-24 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
The BIPOC Sangha is a growing community of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color waking up and getting free!
Thursdays
7 – 8:30 PM PT
**Online on Second, Fourth (and the possible Fifth) Thursdays
**Hybrid on First and Third Thursdays
**Potluck in the EBMC kitchen on the Third Thursday meeting, from 6-7 PM PT! Bring a dish or beverage to share.
Closed Captions Provided.
Zoom info: Meeting details are shared through their mailing list (subscribe on their website), and their Facebook group.

ONLINE: Queer Leather Peer-Led Deep Refuge Group
2026-09-25 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.

HYBRID: Maha Sangha
2026-09-25 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
Maha Sangha for All People & Communities
Creating Freedom in Community
Hybrid, every 4th Friday of the month, 7:00 – 8:30pm.
Event Details: Meets weekly on zoom, and starting to meet once a month in person, email mahasangha at eastbaymeditation dot org for more info and get on our newsletter
The EBMC Maha Sangha for All People and Communities is a meditation and dharma group with an emphasis on radical inclusivity and social justice.
Maha is a Pali word meaning whole, great, larger/largest, deepest, and Sangha is a Pali word for community, or community of practitioners. Together, these words represent a place where all people and communities are warmly invited to explore the Dharma together in keeping with East Bay Meditation Center’s core mission to foster liberation, personal and interpersonal healing, social action, and inclusive community building. We hope that you will join us.
The EBMC Maha Sangha’s leadership team of teachers, dharma leaders, and sangha members includes: Arisika Razak, Fresh! Lev White, Rebekah Eppley, Sarwang Parikh and Shay.
Contact: mahasangha at eastbaymeditation org

ONLINE: Trans/Gender-Expansive Deep Refuge Group
2026-09-28 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!

HYBRID: BIPOC Sangha
2026-10-01 19:00 - 20:30 | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
The BIPOC Sangha is a growing community of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color waking up and getting free!
Thursdays
7 – 8:30 PM PT
**Hybrid on First and Third Thursdays (online only on other Thursdays)
**Potluck in the EBMC kitchen on the Third Thursday meeting, from 6-7 PM PT! Bring a dish or beverage to share.
Closed Captions Provided.
Zoom info: Meeting details are shared through their mailing list (subscribe on their website), and their Facebook group.
