Events

“The Power of Compassion” An Evening with Tara Brach and Konda Mason

“The Power of Compassion”
An evening to benefit the East Bay Meditation Center with Tara Brach
Moderated by Konda Mason
Musical Performance by Naima Shalhoub with Tarik Kazaleh

Often hailed as “the most diverse meditation center in the country”, East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) is a shining star in the constellation of Bay Area mindfulness and meditation communities. Centering social justice practices, EBMC is an urban refuge for meditation, charging no set fees for any classes, workshops or meditation groups and instead creating a more equitable and accessible alternative to racial capitalism. The organization recently began our 12th year and have offered donation based programming since our inception.

“The Power of Compassion” welcomes acclaimed Buddhist Meditation Teacher, Author and Psychologist Tara Brach, moderated by Konda Mason on Monday, April 22nd at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. The evening benefits the East Bay Meditation Center.

Tara Brach, Ph.D is an internationally known meditation teacher and author of bestselling Radical Acceptance and True Refuge. She is founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC, offers a popular weekly podcast and teaches meditation workshops and retreats in the United States and Europe. Tara and her colleague Jack Kornfield have created a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Certification Program that is currently serving participants from 49 countries. Tara is also active in bringing meditation into DC area schools, prisons and to underserved populations.

The evening will also include a performance by Lebanese American Songstress, Educator & Activist, Naima Shalhoub accompanied by Tarik Kazaleh.

Monday, April 22nd 2019
“The Power of Compassion”
w/ Tara Brach
Moderated by Konda Mason
Live Performance by Naima Shalhoub & Tarik Kazaleh

Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
All Ages + ADA  Accessible and ASL interpreted
Tickets: $150 – $25

Family Practice Class: Opening the Heart through the Buddha’s Teachings

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.

The Buddha’s “How to” Guide to a Life of Happiness and Well-being

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.

#MuditaRevolution: Cultivating the Heart of Joy to Counteract Capitalism

with Dawn Haney, JD Doyle, Lisa Moore and Rene Rivera

Open to All

The heart practices taught by the Buddha, including loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity, offer a path to building resourced and resilient alternatives to capitalism.

Cultivating  Mudita, known as empathetic or appreciative joy, has the power to nourish community through  the celebration of our connections with each other. Shifting our focus from material accumulation, to joy in the present moment, has the revolutionary power to bring us increasingly aware of the aliveness in our relationships, in the natural world, and in all we contact, and bringing greater freedom for ourselves and our communities. This workshop includes guided meditation, interactive activities, and discussions.

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.

 

Liberation: A True Refuge

A seeker’s path to healing and awakening

For LGBTQIA Identified

with Carol Cano

“Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a practice.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

This three-week series will give a basic understanding and overview of the essential Buddhist teachings and practices of mindfulness meditation. We will explore a cross-cultural approach to Queer spirituality by braiding our dharma practice with indigenous wisdom and develop a trusting relationship with the Great mystery of life.

We will practice deepening our relationship with intentional community and integrate practices in Nature. We will also build an altar that represents our teachers of past, present and future each time we meet.  In the beginning of the class we will create an altar of freedom fighters, teachers of the heart and wisdom holders from our community. Each time we break the altar down we will acknowledge how precious life is and connect with our purpose in life.

We are not alone on this seeker’s path to Liberation.

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.