East Bay Meditation Center

People of Color Sangha
2018-08-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-08-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-08-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-08-23 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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
7:00 – 9:00 PM
For more information, visit the: POC SANGHA WEBSITE

Dharma In Motion with Master John Ellis
2018-08-03 18:00 - 18:45, 2018-08-10 18:00 - 18:45, 2018-08-17 18:00 - 18:45, 2018-08-24 18:00 - 18:45
Master Ellis will lead the Dharma in Motion class series on each Friday in August and will focus on Five Realms Meditative Movement. Five Realms will help us explore how to create and maintain greater mindfulness and spiritual balance throughout the day. Movements are taught standing, sitting, and reclining, and are appropriate for people of diverse abilities. Participants who attend at least four sessions in August will receive a certificate. Master Ellis has more than 30 years of meditation practice in Christian, Zen, Vipassana, and New Though traditions; and has written about martial arts, spirituality and alternative health for major media. Master Ellis currently leads Ananda Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Oakland.

Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2018-08-05 18:00 - 19:30, 2018-08-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2018-08-19 18:00 - 19:30
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.

Dharma in Motion: Tai Chi Chih Joy Through Movement
2018-08-07 18:00 - 18:50
Access Stillness in the Midst of Activity
Tai Chi Chih – Joy through Movement® with Paul Ciske
Tuesdays 6:00 – 6:50 pm July 3 – August 28, 2018
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.
For the past 25 years, Paul Ciske 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.
Dharma in Motion is 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.

Alphabet Sangha
2018-08-07 19:00 - 20:30, 2018-08-14 19:00 - 20:30, 2018-08-21 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

Midday Sangha
2018-08-08 12:00 - 13:35, 2018-08-15 12:00 - 13:35, 2018-08-22 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

Teen Sangha Outdoor Summer Series
2018-08-08 19:00 - 20:45
Join us for our first Teen Sangha Outdoor Summer Series! For five Wednesdays this Summer, July 11 – August 8th, we will walk to Lake Merritt from EBMC and explore the beauty of mindfulness practice outdoors.
For this series, we will be investigating the beauty and wonder of mindfulness practice while utilizing the naturally stimulating outdoor realm. 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 experiential ways. No experience necessary. We are committed to maintaining a sangha (community) that is welcoming to people of all identities, cultures and backgrounds.
This group is for teens, ages 14-19. We will meet and end at EBMC as usual. Outdoor practice will be weather permitting. Dress in layers and be ready for fun!
Led by the EBMC Teen Sangha Team: Raúl Kahlil Betancourt, Anthony “T” Maes, Sarwang Parikh, Nirali Shah, Syra Smith, and Sara Oakes.
Registration: Registration is encouraged 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)
* 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 Yoga
2018-08-09 18:00 - 19:00, 2018-08-16 18:00 - 19:00, 2018-08-23 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.

ONLINE: Multiracial Peer-Led Deep Refuge Group
2018-08-11 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

Beginning Your Meditation Practice: Exploring Diverse Meditation Modalities
2018-08-12 10:00 - 16:30
Beginning Your Meditation Practice:
Exploring Diverse Meditation Modalities
Open to All
with Arisika Razak
Today I wake up empty and frightened. Don’t go to the study and read a book. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground . . . a thousand ways to go home again. – Rumi
The Buddha taught that meditation could be done sitting, standing or lying down; it could take place in monasteries, community sanghas, natural settings, or the home. Meditation may include walking, movement, visualizations, or chanting. Join us as we explore diverse meditative processes to help identify what most truly resonates in our hearts and minds, including guidelines for beginning and maintaining our practice.
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.

Ignite the Fire Within: For Self Identified People of Color
2018-08-18 10:00 - 13:00
Led by Carol Cano
“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The Shadow of your false self is purified through the practice of coming home to the truth of who you are and begin to develop and strengthen your authentic self. The teaching of the Buddha and indigenous wisdom builds a foundation of truth, trust and love.
This series will explore teachings to help you create your life purpose and embrace the “the good, true and beautiful.” The season of summer reunite us with the fire within.
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.

“May I Be a Protector”: Path of the Bodhisattva Follow-up Daylong
2018-08-19 10:00 - 16:30
Open to everyone who took an EBMC Path of the Bodhisattva class in fall 2017
with Mushim Ikeda
“May I be a protector to those without protection.” – Shantideva, in Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva. Refresh your bodhichitta (Bodhisattva energy) and joyfully strengthen your Path. If you took any of the Path of the Bodhisattva classes with Mushim, October thru December 2017, you’re invited to this daylong of meditation, Dharma talks and Dharma dialogue, Q&A and community building and a potluck lunch.
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.

Dharma in Motion: Access Stillness in the Midst of Activity
2018-08-21 18:00 - 18:50
Access Stillness in the Midst of Activity
Tai Chi Chih – Joy through Movement® with Paul Ciske
Tuesdays 6:00 – 6:50 pm July 3 – September 25, 2018
T’ai Chi Chih® is a moving meditation
For the past 25 years, Paul Ciske 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.
Dharma in Motion is 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.

Silence Emboldens: A Weekend Meditation Retreat to Reconnect and Rejuvenate Your Practice
2018-08-25 10:00 - 17:00, 2018-08-26 10:00 - 17:00
Open to all
with JD Doyle and Jonathan Relucio
This two-day retreat is dedicated to deepening your meditation practice through cultivation of mindfulness and loving awareness. Reconnect and rejuvenate with two days of noble silence retreat (held in) to support the practice of going inward and focusing the mind/heart on the present moment. We will devote time to mindful movement to support the release of accumulated stress and tension in order to identify and release body-held stressors through practices of trauma-informed and access-centered body kindness.
Join a nurturing community to boost your mindfulness practice and cultivate loving awareness for yourself and for all beings. This retreat is suitable for new and experienced practitioners.
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.

Compassionate Dharma Deep Refuge: 8 Step Recovery Buddhist Meeting
2018-08-25 13:00 - 15:00
The last Saturday of every month at EBMC, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Beginning Saturday, February 24th, 2018, and continuing on the last Saturday of every month, EBMC offers a Recovery, Deep Refuge Buddhist meeting with a 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.
For additional information, please contact:
Shahara Godfrey slgvibing@earthlink.net
