This place charges for meditation, which is antithetical to everything the Buddha taught. I don't…read moremean that they ask for donations. I mean they ask you for cash or credit card payment before you can sit down and meditate. This is not a Buddhist center. No place that requires payment to sit in meditation with the sangha is a Buddhist center.

There current location is in Penngrove, they moved there several years ago. They offer a modern…read moreapproach to traditional Kadampa Buddhist meditation. Each class normally includes short prayers at the beginning and end, a guided meditation and a teaching on a Buddhist topic. The prayers are translations of traditional Tibetan chants that present aspects of the Buddha's teachings. Introductory classes are currently available 3 days per week. Every couple of months they have a more in depth training session on Saturday's. My wife and I found the center about a year ago and have found the training on inner peace to be very helpful in our lives.

I cant say enough what a special "sweet spot" this really is! Sheila has made this tranquil space…read moreopen to share with the community to heal our souls. From Yoga to sounds bath meditations to art in nature with a Monk, the vibe here is so peaceful. Sheila's upbeat friendly approach welcomes everyone, nobody is a stranger here. I have a bit of social anxiety and she makes me feel relaxed and welcome. She has all the goodies for classes from yoga mats, blankets, headphones, pillow wedges, you name it...its very comfortable! It really is the "Sweet Spot" of Sonoma!

This is the most wonderful yoga center, aptly named "The Sweet Spot". The instructor is amazing…read more With or without the gentle music of headphones, it is a magical place: outside in the peaceful backyard with birds gently cooing, and butterflies occasionally fluttering by, it's like communing with nature and finding your zen all in one. Love love love this place. Can't recommend it highly enough.

I did the weekend-long silent meditation retreat here after wanting to do one for several years and…read morethe time finally came. They certainly delivered and exceeded expectations. The facilitators, Nira and Elizabeth were both so soothing and comforting with their voices and instruction. They gave informative and entertaining anecdotes, riveting and practical lectures and lessons along with hatha yoga and different forms of breathing. The nature walks were amazing too and this center is situated in a stunning location with nature and views all around to see. The food is incredibly delicious. Like a fellow retreat goer had mentioned, I could certainly come back for the food alone and the overall experience was life changing. I feel even more serenity and at peace than I did when I first arrived at the center and I am continuing to feel the deep effects of silence, stillness and being in deep thought. This experience has truly allowed me to notice every small, subtle detail in the environment around me and I feel life has become more vivid and vibrant than before. Overall, the experience felt like a warm bowl of soup; deeply comforting for the soul and subconscious.

Just had the most beautiful retreat here. Everything about the people, the food, the hospitality,…read morethe grounds was superb. I was given so much on all levels, it was truly the most beautiful, full experience. Thank you 100 million fold!!!!

Great resources for seniors! Very helpful and friendly…read morestaff. We love their classes.

Vintage House is a great place for meeting new friends, enjoying social events, and they offer a…read moregreat variety of classes and events! The Sonoma NewComers Club ought to include Vintage House as part of their events.

I've been more in touch with my spirituality lately so have been visiting more temples. The power…read moreof prayer is real. Stopped at this beautiful Cambodian temple with the gang, and prayed for a lot of things and people. I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't even take as many photos as I normally do. Just know this Buddhist temple has many beautiful statues representing multiple reasons: peace, love, positive energy, happiness, etc. So -- if you're in the area, stop in to visit the beautiful grounds and say hello to the monks who reside there. Keep praying y'all.

(Please reference my photos of our last visit to see the challenges this Wat is facing now, this is…read moremy updated, concerning review, please reference my last one to see what it used to be like). For some time now, the board and the leaders have changed at this organization. The change has consequently created some concerning rifts and made the new organization leaders act in some questionable ways. I hope you might read this review not to deter you from entering this temple, but so that if they do allow you to enter, that it might grant you an awareness and deep compassion that might also affect those around you. So yes, the people voted and like so many countries and "democracies" out there, new people were brought into this Wat to tend to prior complaints about "a poor looking temple". These people have big plans to have bigger statues, sturdier buildings, and corporate minded monks. And it's just what we need at buddhist temples; just like some others pointed out-- I mean how dare a place of worship LOOK poor? I mean what are they doing even housing buddhist monks who practice austerity to provide walking examples of how to implement moral instruction---those monks should have jobs and maybe even pay rent just like the rest of us who worship there! Well, that wish just came true. The new leaders have requested that monks that live there, if they are not aligned with the new changes, must pay rent. And when they do not, those new organization leaders find the legal support to evict those monks who want to uphold true buddhist values so that they are forced into the streets, obliging them even more so to fully implement the sacred doctrines that the Buddha has taught them to embody. And now we spectators are witnessing a moment of darkness and deep internal struggle that is so a part of the duality of life, hoping that the darkness will recognize its interdependence with its equally needed opposing force, so that the sacred balance can be restored both at this temple and in the hearts of those who frequent it. I witnessed all these changes the last time I visited this temple as members of the community rallied up to support the monk that was ousted but we were not allowed to enter as the gates were chained and locked. Even as a little girl, the gates of buddhist temples were never locked. This meant that I could always come into say a prayer to an ancestor or light some incense hoping that my mantras might be heard at anytime of the day. It meant that even without an appointment or a phone call, that in the most hopeless of times, I could show up unannounced to find my mother feeding the monks to fulfill her duties as a layman by filling the stomachs of the monks who live there, who chant into the night when our dead are gone to ensure us that we might get a glimpse of a life far from samsara. Now you see, I gave this place 3 stars because even as the gates of this temple are locked to me and selective community members, the gates of enlightenment are not. They remain open inside me and to those of us who still choose unity, compassion, and the path towards true nirvana even as the quaint Sunday days of community and worship are taken from us, with not even an inkling of hope that they might return. They remain open as the false ideologies of despotic regimes have not completely dissipated from some of the minds of those they used to tyrannically rule. Finally, these internal gates remain open because the moral values and philosophies are the true foundations of a temple and even if I stand alone, I will stand---- no I will sit here, and maybe under a tree, until we all have been awakened.

Sally is an amazing massage therapist!…read more First and foremost, she is incredibly skilled and intuitive. Through her training and experience she is able to find the points of tension or tightness easily. I'm an athlete, and I have several areas that are often troublesome. She worked on them with just the right amount of pressure and dilligence to provide good relief! Though Sally is very strong and has the capacity to apply deep pressure to trouble spots if needed, she is communicative and can adjust. She is responsive and thorough. She's also worth every penny! I won't waste my money going to anyone else for massage after being treated by Sally!

If you are thinking about attending a Body Flows retreat, stop thinking and just go for it! The…read moreretreat I attended this past July in Sonoma was the reset I didn't know I needed. Sally did a wonderful job of outlining a group-based health and mental wellness-minded weekend while guiding us to take some time to turn inward for self-reflection. Not to mention, this all happened in a gorgeous setting that perfectly facilitated the journey. Body Flows is 10/10!

If you are looking for a therapeutic, healing, and restorative sound healing session, this is the…read moreplace for you. The 60 minute session is like nothing I have experienced before. The amount of stress and tension that I no longer feel is remarkable. Ignacio is a reiki healer, his touch is healing, calming, and will restore the healthy flow of energy within you. I will definitely be adding this to my TLC list ‍ P.S I had a headache going into the session and afterwards the headache was gone.

WOW! Honestly I was pretty much left speechless because it was just such an amazing experience over…read moreall. Fantastic Ignacio guided me through my sound bowl and reiki journey. This was such a special moment for me. I actually felt relaxed and so safe the second I walked in. I would highly recommend Ignacio, such magical hands! Truly blessed and grateful that I was able to have this experience. I will certainly be back. Thank you so much Ignacio!!

Unfriendly. People talk to those they know. Went many times. Volunteered. Nobody as in nobody…read moretalked to me. Older congregation. As in mostly 70 and up. Edward is a great speaker. Sadly, Russ is not.

As a kid, I was curious about the idea of church and this was a place my parents took me to to get…read morea similar experience that was more in line with our values. I went back recently after visiting many other types of religious organizations and wanted to offer my thoughts. Disclaimer: Metaphysical New Thought stuff doesn't personally appeal much to me, but that has no bearing on my review. The music was great and the sanctuary space is beautiful! The speaker gave a wonderful talk that I felt like would resonate with people of many backgrounds! It was a little bit sleepy, but maybe that's just because I went during the 9am service. The congregants may not have the same outward enthusiasm as some of the practitioners at many Christian churches, but that was okay, it was a service about peace after all. My main critique comes from the system of classes they have. It was frustrating to me, as someone coming from the UU church for the past year, the way that everyone is encouraged to take classes that can cost up to a few hundred dollars just to be a part of what is essentially a spiritual book club. That gave it almost a pyramid scheme feeling as congregants spend hundreds to become prayer practitioners (people who can pray for you or help you pray) and experts in new thought philosophy or in a combination of other religious ideas, especially from Eastern religions. Most churches have bible studies or other book groups, and fellowship opportunities open to any members, but it seems that here they're either one-on-one meetings with staff members or paid opportunities-- which may only be waived if you have the intention on becoming a staff member. Great little spot, but I'm not sure it would facilitate the same level of comradery and friendship among members as other spiritualist communities.