East Bay Meditation Center

Taming Anxiety
2017-03-11 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | East Bay Meditation Center, 285 17th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, United States
with Rev. Keiryu Liên Shutt

Does your mind seem to “be all over the place”? Do you find yourself worrying a lot? Do you feel easily overwhelmed and filled with anxiety? Do you obsess about “shoulds” and “coulds” and, therefore, find it hard to focus?
Buddhist teachings and meditation practices have long addressed ways to be with such emotions and thoughts. In this one-day workshop, we will gather and to learn ways in which we can work with worry and anxiety. You’ll learn ways to be with these emotions and be able to practice meditations, which can foster calm and ease in body and mind.
Sitting and walking meditation, Dharma teachings, group discussions and experiential exercises will be used.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=mar17anxiety
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
2017-03-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-03-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-02-23 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-02-16 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

The Buddha’s “How to” Guide to a Life of Happiness and Well-being
2017-03-08 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-03-01 19:00 - 21:00
A class series on the Eightfold Path
4 Wednesdays: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 2017
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
With Mushim
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.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=feb17fourtruths
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 Teen Sangha Winter
2017-03-08 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-03-01 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-02-22 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-02-15 19:00 - 20:30
EBMC Teen Sangha
Winter 2017
Wednesdays: January 11 – March 29
7:00 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.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=winter17teen
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
2017-03-08 12:00 - 13:30, 2017-03-01 12:00 - 13:30, 2017-02-22 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
2017-03-07 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-02-28 19:00 - 20:30, 2017-02-21 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

Every Body Every Mind Sangha
2017-03-05 18:00 - 19:30, 2017-02-26 18:00 - 19:30, 2017-02-19 18:00 - 19:30
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.

Decolonizing Mindfulness: Teachings for Emotional Trauma for People of Color
2017-03-05 10:00 - 16:00
with Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John and Shahara Godfrey

This daylong retreat will take the participants on an exploration of negative mental states and how we can begin to transform them. The day will unfold with meditations to help soothe our internalized trauma due to the racism and other suffering that we experience. There will also be interactive meditation and reflective exercises held in a realm of Metta (loving-kindness).
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://mar17poc.eventbrite.com
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
2017-03-04 10:00 - 16:00
Open to all in recovery
with Shahara Godfrey and Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John

During this one-day retreat we will explore, from a cross-cultural approach, ways to heal addiction. We will introduce you to the eight steps to recovery by Dr. Mason-John and practice specific meditation and wisdom teachings to work with our 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.
We ask that you 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.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=feb17fourtruths
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.

POC Retreatants Peer-Led Deep Refuge
2017-03-03 19:00 - 22:00
This is a monthly meetup open to people of color who have attended residential people of color retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Deer Park Monastery, or both. This Deep Refuge Group is intended to nurture the experience of retreat — mindfulness, sangha, dharma sharing, and the Five Mindfulness Trainings — in our everyday lives. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at EBMC, from 7-10pm, and feature a potluck meal, eaten in mindful silence, a practice period, and discussion about the dharma. The group is open to new members until early 2017, so please attend a monthly meeting before March if interested. And please bring a dish to share!

Contact info: pocretreatantgroup@gmail.com

Living with Passion & Purpose
2017-02-27 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-02-20 19:00 - 21:00
Mondays, February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2017
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
with Spring Washam
Discovering your life’s purpose can help you to move with greater focus and clarity in your everyday life. You can start to find and develop your own purpose by asking two questions: What is most important to me in my life? What are my deepest values and beliefs? In this class series we will explore these questions and many others to discover what touches and inspires us most deeply. There comes an important moment in life when we consciously choose to dream a new dream. Join us for this uplifting and inspiring class.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=feb17living
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.

ONLINE: Trans/Gender-Expansive Deep Refuge Group
2017-02-27 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!

A Day of Healing, Love & Celebration for Self-Identified Women of African Descent
2017-02-25 10:00 - 16:00
with Noliwe Alexander & Shahara Godfrey
Spend an insightful day celebrating your journey to freedom and deep love. With engaging exercises of deep listening and wise speech, through sitting, walking and movement meditation, we will create a framework for the Buddha’s 8 fold-path, cultivating a strong pure heart, while holding the possibilities for self-love, self-care & healing.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
https://feb17celebration.eventbrite.com
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.

Buddha’s 4 Big Truths: Liberation from Suffering
2017-02-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2017-02-15 19:00 - 21:00
Part of EBMC’s Core Buddhist Teachings: 5-month Curriculum
4 Wednesdays: February 1, 8, 15, 22, 2017
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
with Mushim
Why do we suffer? How can we be released from suffering? The Buddha’s first teaching after his Enlightenment is called the Four Truths for Noble Ones, which form the foundation of Buddhist life and understanding. These four “big” truths address human suffering and oppression, analyze their root causes, and describe a path of liberation from human suffering that is both profound and practical. Dharma talks, interactive exercises, journaling, meditation and optional readings. Beginners in meditation are welcome.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=feb17fourtruths
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.

Cultivating a Compassionate Heart
2017-02-18 10:00 - 16:00
A Day of Practice for the Alphabet Sangha
with Shahara Godfrey
As Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Same Gender Loving and/or Two-Spirit people (LGBTQISGL) and others in our Alphabet Sangha, we are often faced with societal challenges that can marginalize us. Together in community, this daylong will focus on the practice of compassion, which is the energy of our hearts that calls forth love in response to our own suffering, to the pain in the world, and to historical suffering carried within us and by institutions. Compassion practice is a powerful antidote to help transform suffering and allow us to engage with, rather than distance from, challenging situations.
All who self-identify as LGBTQISGL, are welcome to this day of cultivating gratitude in sangha.
Registration: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here or the link below to register.
http://eastbaymeditation.org/ebmcreg/?event=feb17alphabet
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.
