A warm, welcoming, and inclusive community, ever-evolving while offering refreshing teachings and…read moreopportunities to reflectively cultivate engaged practice as applied to daily life. An oasis.

In 2007 I had the good fortune to attend a Qigong workship at the Berkeley Shambhala Center led by…read moreEva Wong. I was somewhat apprehensive about the physical demands of such a practice since I was 60 years old, overweight, and not in good physical condition. I found that the qigong was taught in a gentle way with great sensitivity to participants' physical infirmities. I was quite surprised to find that I felt better after six hours of Qigong than I did before I started and that I was not sore at all the next day. I was even more surprised to find that the second day of instruction was also invigorating and pain free. I have continued to practice this Qigong and have taken additional classes from Eva. My wife and I both have found that this Qigong practice has made us stronger, healthier, and more flexible. It has truly improved our lives at a time when we needed it. Why am I telling you about this old news? Because Eva Wong is returning to teach again at the Berkeley Shambhala Center on December 5-6, 2009. I hope that others can learn to improve their lives as my wife and I were able to.

Super welcoming, efficient and kind... Keep trying the various teachers and I find there's someone…read morefor everyone in terms of style and Dharma offerings with the various programs in wide variety of teachers... Improvement could be made with donating one portal easy like IMC Redwood City and I would really appreciate less aggressive dana talks and an easier portal /platform for donating going to each individual teachers platform and having to sign up with the platform is not a solution and I appreciate your kind attention and hope this can be made easier for all beings to donate to East Bay Meditation Center because basically I'm waiting until the teachers come to Insight Meditation Center Redwood City and donating to them at that venue because easier. Also another Meditation Center that even has an easier platform for donation is Flagstaff Meditation Center you go in pull down the teacher's name click in the donation arrives to the teacher and or Center....

I have been attending workshops at EBMC sporadically for close to 2 years now. I am not a regular…read moremeditator, despite my intentions, I accept what is for now lol. I value EBMC so much as a learning space. The workshops I have attended always provided information for me, whether about the nature of things or about my inner world that was right on time! I have definitely grown as a result and feel helped along through life's challenges & lessons. I love the gift economics model they use, I just wish we could venmo our donations or some other way online where eventbrite doesn't charge fees. I try to pay cash on site instead when I have it, but yea I hate the fees. Tip: scent free space, and they mean it! I actually love fabric softener (it was a luxury my family did not afford when I was a kid) and now I dump it enthusiastically all over my laundry, so attending events at EBMC requires some extra planning on my part, but I appreciate that they are serious to make it accessible for everyone and it's well worth my effort.

Great Tibetan Buddhist place to relax meditate and find yourself…read more Excellent teachers.

First off, let me say that this is NOT an actual temple or monastary. That does not take away from…read morethe fact that this is a beautiful & peaceful place that you can learn from. Ive been in an odd situation so out of semi desperation I took the liberty in making my stay into a "mini retreat". The workshop I took was a half day (10-1) intro to meditation, chanting & kum nye at $45 w/ accommodations of an overnight stay being another $45. If you stay overnight you get free access to to the morning meditation & kum nye session of the next day. The instructor Ken was a very light, open minded person who had a very peaceful vibe to him. While he did mention some overall basic tools towards meditation I found that I had gathered more information/knowledge on my own through reading books and articles online. I think the longest we sat was 15 mins w/ generally a couple of 10 min intervals. I did enjoy the chanting & the kum nye. Although chanting wasn't necessarily new to me kum nye was a whole new experience. Quite different from other yogas I had partaken in. It seemed that there was more focus on the entire body, paying attention to "smaller" details that other yogas (at least from my experience) tend to overlook. This definitely helped me to relax more and get into a deeper practice. Around 11:30 we took a 20 min break for tea and snacks. I thought this was a nice touch, but with such a short workshop I felt the break was a little too long. After our workshop we were served food in their dining room. Although there are signs everywhere in that room thanking people for respecting their requests to keep meals silent, I guess our instructor said it was okay to have "light talking". I still personally chose to eat my meal in silence. This of course is for people to become more mindful of their food/eating habits. If you wish to talk there is a separate room w/ a gorgeous view in which you can do so. After that I went to my room which had an absolutely BEAUTIFUL view. I cannot believe I had paid only $45 for the room considering that is generally motel prices. However i used that room to justify my overall purchase of $90 since i didnt think the workshop was worth the $45. It was on the very top of the "new house" (there are two buildings) w/ a view of both the bay & golden gate bridge, absolutely breathtaking during sunset! Their meditation garden is also very beautiful & peaceful. They had a large prayer wheel which spins 24/7 as w/ the rest of the prayer wheels that border the back of the main house. I found it peculiar that all of the prayer wheels were mechanical since it seems to defeat the purpose; however, as mentioned earlier this is not a temple. One of my favorite things about this place though was the library. They had quite a few number of books which can be overwhelming but I stuck with reading "The Way of the Bodhisattva" for hours and even almost finished it. The only odd thing was that they requested for people to leave the books in the library & said that if you wanted to take them to your room you should buy it in the main house (they have a little gift shop but i suggest you go to an actual Tibetan store/ amazon instead). Luckily the library is VERY comfortable so i preffered reading in there anyways. The library is in the new house, which you actually need to have a key to get in so I don't believe it is open to the public. Maybe if you offer a donation they'll let you in. That is another thing I'm not so sure about. With workshops being $45+ what are the needs for donations? There is no mention as to giving back to the actual Tibetan community or anything so this was something I was skeptical of..I should have asked so it's nothing I'll hold against them. They do not serve dinner Saturdays but there are options close by and downtown is about a 20 minute walk (maybe a good time to practice walking meditation). Even though they arr closed to the public they give you keys so you don't have to worry about getting locked out. This place is not wheel chair accessible. If you have bad knees or whatever there are quite a few set of stairs throughout the place. They have free chanting session and dharma talks Sunday evenings! You can also do a drop in for their Sunday morning meditation and kum nye for a decent price. If you stay overnight it is suggested that you wash your sheets. Quarters are needed and it's a dollar for both the washer and dryer (8 quarters needed, they have change in the main building). You are allowed to use their kitchen in the main house to cook meals. They have a small fridge & an electric kettle in the new house. While I did really enjoy my stay, if I had honestly had more time, not only planning but for retreat in general and had better means of transportation I would prefer to go to an actual temple. Also temples will often offer free meditation classes. But if you just need a quick getaway or are planning last minute I think this is a good alternative

Empty Gate Zen Center is a true hidden treasure, an oasis of peace and wisdom. Still little known,…read moreit sits quietly, as in meditation, in a pretty street at a walking distance from downtown Berkeley. The folk at the Center are warm, welcoming and have no interest in having you believe anything. It is a rare place where I have received unconditional support along my journey and have been asked for nothing in return. If you are looking for gurus who will give you ready answers, then this is not the place for you. If you prefer to see by your self and find your own answers, then you found what you are looking for. The Center is a gate to become a more open, aware and generous person. Go to the next Wednesday welcoming meditation and talk at Empty Gate and check it out by yourself. If your heart is open you will probably sense the unpretentious power of this caring community dedicated to help all of us live more conscious, peaceful and compassionate lives. And take your time, breathing gently, after going to Empty Gate for three years I feel that I am just getting started. This is a place to cultivate the art of being, where you can nurture your love of humanity and a passion for the mystery of being alive. As good as it gets!

From the owner: Empty Gate Zen Center provides Zen meditation instruction within a kind and supportive environment…read more We offer a daily practice schedule and regular monthly retreats, as well as Dharma talks, and private interviews with our guiding teacher, Zen Master Bon Soeng (Jeff Kitzes). All of our programs are open to everyone, regardless of previous experience or background.

I highly recommend this program to all living beings! Neelam is the perfect teacher! I promise that…read moreyou'll be able to breathe and live easier after completing the Happiness Program. I haven't had a proper vacation in 10 years, and this surely made up for it!

I love that there is a spot in Berkeley where we can have Art of Living workshops and events! This…read moreis a sweet gathering spot and the teachers and people are wonderful. I love the Art of Living and highly recommend signing up for the next local Happiness Program!

I have been to one of the talks by one of the meditation students. Very friendly atmosphere inside…read morethe building. I liked how down-to-earth and practical the approach to meditation was, basically it's about giving people tools to gain a first hand experience about states of consciousness. And they had snacks!

I have been taking weekly meditation classes here for years and love it!!! The instructors are…read moretop-notch and the material is solid.

This is such a cool, community experience in the East Bay. I've heard about Wat Mongkolratanaram…read morefor quite some time from friends in the area, and both read about and viewed so much content about this local Sunday event as well. Finally was able to go and experience it! If you've been, would love to hear about your experience too! Essentially, Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Buddhist temple located on Russell Street in Berkeley. They serve lunch to the community (I believe 10a to 1p, although do research ahead of time to ensure they're serving the day you come). I would recommend coming earlier than later, as some items do go quickly. Bring cash with you because your cash = how many coins/tokens you will receive to give the food stations. Right by the coin checkin area, you will find the beverage area of water/Thai tea, and other bevvies. The Thai Tea goes fast too, so also recommend grabbing one early if that's your go-to. There are community-style tables/chairs and also a grass area to enjoy your meal. I noticed several groups bringing blankets and picnic baskets for their afternoon set up. A great idea! For vegetarians or those looking for a more veggie focused lunch, there was a separate line for that. We arrived a little late, so the food stall I waited in line for only had minced pork, yellow curry, and rice, although that alone was filling enough and so delicious. My husband stood in a line for a beef noodle soup. I noticed a food stall with papaya salad, potentially fried chicken, and I believe a mango sticky rice. For dessert we waited in line for the Thai coconut pancakes or Kanom Krok, in cinnamon and plain flavors..they also were serving chive too! I love that you can 'leave a bag/take a bag' if you want to grab these items to-go, as well as grab plastic to-go containers too. There are napkins, utensils, and a sauce station. This is run by all volunteers I think, and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Parking isn't impossible, but because this happens only on Sundays, it did take a few minutes additionally to grab street parking nearby. All in all, a lovely afternoon paying homage to the beautiful Thai culture through food and community. Would def do it again and just prepare to arrive closer to the beginning of the event.

CASH ONLY! Sunday brunch…read more Just based off sheer selection, the Thai temple in Berkeley is the place to go to eat on Sundays. Came on a rainy day and the place was still pretty packed. I really enjoyed the plate and all the sides were pretty solid. Well-spiced and perfect with rice. The soup noodle was good, the celery kind of threw me off but it's filling and warm. The mango sticky rice is classic. Definitely going to stop by again.

great facility- have happily participated in a few events here, tho it's been awhile since I…read moredarkened that door. Always clean and well lit.... the only negative I remember is difficulty Parking

LOVE TUES YOGA CLASS: I came almost every single day for a week (free yoga class week), about two…read moreor three months ago. Now I go regularly on my favorite day which is Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:15 PM with Juliana (who is the nicest person ever!!!). She focuses on your breath (ujayee?) which helps me focus on the present and on my body. Otherwise my mind wanders and worries. Her class is very relaxing, and her poses are not too difficult. She also has a style that doesn't stay on one pose for too long. She sees yoga as a way to enhance your connection to your body. If you really want a work out, this class is not for you. FEE IS DONATION BASED- recommended price is $10-15- but no one checks, you just put the money in a box on the side. Honestly, what I put it depends on the week.

All I can say is this experience was AMAZING... I was able…read moreto check out the kitchen and see the chefs prepare my meal. The ambiance was light and comfortable.

Great place! I was here years ago and with a big group and still love to come back because of their…read morebest organic ingredients! We tried all the appetizers and everything were delicious! the atmosphere upstairs is simple and comfortable.