Santa Cruz Zeb Center is the loveliest, most serene space to meditate in Santa Cruz County. One…read morefeels immediately at peace upon entering the door. There is a lovely garden and benches in the back where one can spend time before or after meditation. As others have mentioned in their reviews, it's a very vibrant place as well, with the fullest range of offerings of any other Buddhist center in the county: morning and evening sits every week day and a Saturday morning sit, as well; Dharma talks follow meditation every Wednesday evening, and those are followed by tea and cookies. PLUS there is a full menu of events going on next door, in their "Sangha Home," including book groups, Dharma study groups, a Parent Support group, a Wellness Support group, an Aging Support group, an Art Group, a mostly-monthly Vegan Cooking Class -- oh, yes, and, of course a monthly Introduction to Zen group. And, if that's not enough activity to engage in when you're not meditating, they have a very active and engaged Earth Care/Climate Justice monthly group; march annually in the Santa Cruz and Pajaro Pride parades; and host the Japanese Cultural Fair activities, calligraphy, bonsai demonstration, and a kimono fashion show in their garden! Despite all the black clothing you'll see there, this is a very colorful and relaxed place! Check out their web site at sczc.org to see what resonates with you!

One doesn't ordinarily write of "Zen" and "buzzing with activity" in the same sentence, but this…read moreparadox drew me to Santa Cruz Zen Center. There'a lot going on: three daily meditations on weekdays and one on each weekend day; a regular schedule of Buddhist ceremonies; weekly lectures, study and discussion groups; calligraphy and other artistic workshops on weekends; visiting speakers; and community service projects. There are regular multi-day meditation retreats for those who want to deepen their practice. This place has three main teachers, and lots of long-time practitioners, so there are lots of opportunities to find a mentor (or mentors) whose practice fits your own. The facility is accommodating of all this activity yet still feels cozy. The community is large enough that it represents a range of interests, yet small enough that you don't feel lost. Wednesday is typically the most popular night, since there is a talk given after meditation. In my personal experience, though, this is not the easiest night to make a connection to the community, unless you're pretty outgoing. The established members are catching up with old friends, and not usually focused on reaching out to newcomers --- many of whom drop in only once or a few times anyway. And besides, rushing up to strangers with hugs doesn't really fit the relatively reserved spirit of Zen practice. So, if you are even slightly introverted, my advice about connecting with this community is to a.) sit regularly in the zendo --- people will start to recognize you, and you'll recognize those who share your schedule; b.) get involved in the center's more focused activities, like cooking for the homeless on Fridays, or one of the many study and discussion groups; c.) show up for the "intro to Zen" meeting on the 4th Saturday morning of any month, which is a great way to get oriented, meet a teacher, ask a bunch of questions about establishing a practice, and find out who else is new. [Full disclosure: I am (now) a member here, the things I've described are what led me to join this community.]

One of two Soto Zen centres in Santa Cruz, this one is headed by Teacher Carolyn Atkinson who is…read morethe dharma heir of Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi. Everyday Dharma Zen Center aims to combine complementary elements of Vipassana (Theravadan) with Soto Zen, primarily a mindfulness practice and a stillness abiding practice. This is a great Buddhist centre to come to if you want to begin the path of bringing meditation into your everyday life. The anchor sitting for the week is on Wednesday night from 7pm to 7:40pm. Dharma talk usually follows afterwards. There are also sittings at noon 7 days a week. No dharma talk given at noon. Carolyn is a wonderful, generous, and compassionate teacher.

I've come to rely on this center for their silent meditation sessions offered @ noon everyday…read more Great place to go "get your sit on."

Jordan is a wonderful human being. His meditation talks are self-reflective as well as…read moreall-inclusive. Bring yourself as you are, where you are, and I promise you leave with a sense of discovery.

I did a thorough search for a good taichi school when moving to Santa Cruz, 2 years ago. I am so…read morehappy to have found Linda Gerson. She is a serious practitioner, continuously studying taichi. She is a kind, dedicated and supportive teacher, whether one is a beginner or advanced.

As a yong man I praticed martial arts. Now in my seventies I have found Tai Chi extremely…read morebeneficial as I age with its gentle flow and rhythm. Linda's inclusion of warm up stretching and Qigong sets round out a solid practice. Linda's ability to be funny and instructive during practice helps insure students learn the key basics as well as advanced movements. Her classes have made my life better and highly recommend you check them out on your road to health and longitivity.

Javiera and Sebastian are the real deal! In the year that I've worked with them, as a Psychedelic…read moreSitters School trainee, ganja yoga student, and microdosing hike client, I have been humbled and amazed by their wisdom, maturity, and graciousness. They have my wholehearted endorsement. Please support them in their work as best you can. They deserve it.

What a fun concept! This is the first cannabis-yoga experience I've done or heard of and it was…read morequite enjoyable. I normally struggle focusing on breath and movement and the cannabis really helped me zone in. I found it to be very therapeutic. It's BYOC and for the first maybe 15 or so minutes people consume their cannabis and we went in a circle sharing a little bit about our relationship with cannabis and yoga. The instructor was great, welcoming, and provided a soothing routine. She even served tea and vegan chocolate at the end and some people stayed behind to relax or mingle. There was maybe 10 people so it's pretty intimate which felt nice since a lot of other yoga studios get packed mat to mat. The first class was free which is always awesome, especially for a new experience. They have a class pack as well for a more economical option. I had a little trouble finding the place. It's through the squid row alley by the goodwill and looks like a residence. I was hesitant to knock or open the door because it looked dark but then once you're inside it's clearly a yoga studio. Btw - this review is of the Thursday night in person class. I'm looking forward to going back!

There's spiritual wisdom, uplifting music and good community at every Center for Spiritual Living…read more There are three in Oakland. East Bay Church-A Center for Spiritual Living (ebcrs.org) was voted Best Place to Worship several times via the EastBay Express weekly newspaper's best in Bay Area annual survey.

This is an absolutely wonderful place to gather among like-minded people, learn and love . It is a…read moreprime example of practice what you preach. This place is filled with peaceful social activists and incredibly inclusive loving people who are truly trying to make the world a better place. I've honestly never been to a better church in my life. It is devoid of hypocrisy. It is the real deal. They offer classes as well. It's an amazing community . We also have lunch after service. It has truly given me the sense of community and the connection to source that I needed. Thank you!

I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for Nicole's classes. After this first month I have…read morehad such a relief of the anxiety and physical pain that I have been feeling. She is changing my outlook and healing my spirits. It has been an incredible transformation. I am so thankful forl the comfort she gives me with every session.

Nicoletta is tuned into the most core methods of healing and restoration which encompass body, mind…read moreand spirit. Her breathwork and fascia release sessions have been instrumental for me to breakthrough some serious hip and leg pain I have suffered from for years. Today I am pain free and am continuing to do the "homework" she has assigned to me for my self-care. In addition, I am continuing sessions with her and am learning so much due to her comprehensive approach to self-awareness, healing and well-being. I highly recommend her for next level healing because she is deeply intuitive and has many certifications that qualify her to treat people using important and diverse modalities. Check her out on her website chameleonbreathwork.com Cheers!

Kaysi Contreras was very reassuring, as I was apprehensive and skeptical of this upcoming…read moreexperience. She explained things prior to receiving this energy session. Offered to cancel with money back if I did not want to move forward since I was not clear about this situation. I enjoyed the relaxation and feedback but mostly I enjoyed the horses that had participated and were allowed to come close, I felt safe, the horses were beautiful.

From the owner: What makes our business unique is our deep commitment to both the well-being of horses and the…read morecommunities we serve. We are an equine education and sanctuary organization focused on promoting a deeper understanding and advocacy for horses through interactive, consent-based practices. Our programs, such as Journaling with Horses, grief support groups, and equine-guided meditation, are designed to foster reflection, healing, and a respectful connection between people and horses. What sets us apart is our holistic approach—encouraging emotional growth and personal development while emphasizing the ethical treatment and care of horses. Since starting operations in January 2024, we’ve directly impacted over 80 participants, giving each of them the opportunity to engage with horses in a meaningful, hands-on way that promotes both healing and education.

I Love this studio! the vibes are good. It is always clean and the staff is always nice and…read moreprofessional. The teachers are the best! I highly recommend!

I rarely leave bad reviews but this experience was so strange. For context I've been practicing…read moretraditional hot Bikram / 26&2 yoga for 14 years at studios around the world, so I was genuinely excited when this studio opened. I wanted to like it so bad and give it a fair shot, so I took three classes before forming an opinion. First class: I arrived early to sign up, pay, and sign the waiver. There was no one at the front desk so I walked around the studio trying to find anyone who worked there. Eventually I found the teacher, who told me to go to the front desk. I explained no one was there, and she said we'd deal with it after class. There was no hello, no welcome to the studio, no what is your name. After class I again looked for staff so I could pay, and asked to purchase the two-week intro special. She struggled to figure out how to sign me up with my existing MindBody account, and then told me not to worry about it; "teachers don't get paid more based on how many people took the class, so you can just go online and do it later." I didn't feel right leaving without paying regardless, so I ended up purchasing the intro offer myself through the MindBody app before leaving. While doing this, I noticed a bunch of students saying "thank you" on their way out the door and not a single one of them were acknowledged by her. I came back two more times, trying out the 90 min classes. The turnaround time between classes is only 15 minutes, which felt way too tight. After my second class I was kicked out of Savasana because people were waiting outside the doors to come in and staff needed to clean the floors. After my third class, staff were cleaning the floors so close around my mat the Swiffer touched my mat. I'm all for clean studios, but the tight turn around time sets students up to be rushed out of savasana and creates unnecessary stress for everyone. The classes themselves are OK; toward the end of the classes the room got cold. Classes are not taught on traditional dialogue. They describe it as the "original" series on Mind Body but it isn't; the teacher doesnt use dialogue, the teacher practices with the students, and there were some variations of the series all in all making it feel like a watered-down version of the original series. There was nothing spiritual, grounding, or welcoming about the experience and I will continue to drive over to San Jose where the original 26&2 series is taught, and the staff acknowledge students like human beings.