I have been receiving Reiki Tummo healings from Guillaume and the sessions are always what my body,…read moremind and spirit need at the specific times. I feel he is a great connector between the energy from the Divine and one's self. I feel the energy flowing through my body, going to what it needs to go to alleviate my pains and cleansing myself. I feel Guillaume is in tune with this amazing, powerful energy, which makes the healings successful. I am grateful for having the opportunity to experience these blessings through Guillaume.

The healing sessions were life transforming. They opened me up to a new path - to live by the…read moreheart, not by my brain. I was known to be an impatient, short tempered person all my life. But through the introduction of Open Heart Meditation, and Reiki Tummo healing, I have now become a "happy heart" and share positive energy with everyone I connect with. I now also have a lot more patience and in general much calmer. I highly recommend giving Reiki Tummo a try.

I am in my 50's and in a place in my life where I am the sandwich generation. I am caregiving my 2…read moreelderly parents who live in San Diego while I am in the Bay, so I travel monthly to care for them. I am raising 2 kids at the same time. One who has ADHD. Through this stage in my life, there is a lot of stress I experience from caregiving my parents and there is more conflict I have with my wife and kids. Through my life, I sought help from supportive friends and relatives. I went to therapy. I also tried yoga and Taichi. It has not been enough. I researched meditation and came upon SF Meditation and met with Emily. When I first met her, her demeanor and aura was of calm and I already felt better with her presence. I did my first session with Emily and learned the overview of the method. Going through my life cycles was revealing. Learning to meditate with my eyes open showed me I can reflect and make better choices in how I handle life's situations as I go about my day. In the last weeks, my approach with my family is calmer, more open and less rigid. My son said once, "Is this really my mom?" and we had a good laugh. My daughter was experiencing some anxiety and I shared some helpful tips I learned from Emily, and my daughter found them helpful. I look forward to learning more and more. On how the meditation center runs: it is super accessible because they have virtual sessions. In these sessions, you meet other meditation leaders and people from all over the US. I feel like I am not only part of the Bay area community, but also a larger community worldwide. If there is one thing I would change (besides wishing I found the meditation center sooner!), I would want access to weekend in person sessions. But I understand even our meditation leaders need a break :) And on weekends, there is still access to virtual meditation, so still can get support that way.

San Francisco Meditation is a branch of a meditation method with centers around the US. Seven days…read morea week multiple times a day, the centers take turns hosting on-line Zoom meditation sessions open to all members. So as a member of the SF center I have the option to meditate in-person or on-line. It is so great to have this flexibility. I began practicing this meditation 6 months ago - from the time of this writing - and since then have meditated continually 5 days a week mostly on the daily Zooms, but in-person as well. It has been positively life altering. While I never considered myself unhappy or stressed I often let little things bother me yet never took responsibility for that. It was usually someone else's (or thing's) fault. Already I feel like a huge burden in my mind has been lifted. I am significantly less bothered by things and almost never blame. And I catch myself right away when I do. It is so freeing. This meditation method has been around for years and is a prescriptive method consisting of a series of steps that you work through over the course of 1 or 2 years. Such a method requires guidance. And this is where SF Meditation and its sister centers really excel. In particular in SF, Emily who runs the center is amazing. In addition to my joining group Zoom sessions, I have had individual sessions with Emily both on Zoom and in-person. She has not only personally guided me exceptionally well through this method, but she is an incredible listener and is authentically eager to hear my 'story' and make sure the mediation is giving me the most it can. I would highly recommend San Francisco Meditation.

Great Tibetan Buddhist Temple Loved it ! Went for The…read moreMedicine Buddha service. Highly recommend

This place is a hidden gem. The center offers both active programs year-around: they have regular…read moreprograms every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and they have special programs for special guests and events. The center often invites amazing speakers and teachers, and this year, they hosted Robert Thurman and Thubten Jinpa (principal translator of Dalai Lama). The community is warm and welcoming, regardless of your level of interests in Buddhism and meditation. I'm very glad to have this place in the midst of the busy-ness of San Francisco. If you want to explore Tibetan Buddhism and meditation, this is a place to go to.

I didn't realize I could review IMC on Yelp but it's a place after all, so why not. And it's not…read morejust a place, it's a very lovely place. It's the real real. No flash, all substance. Truly, it changed the direction of my life. I am still myself, always will be, but this place and its people transformed and impacted me in ways I couldn't have predicted. My introduction to the practice and teachings from IMC was very important for my personal development and spiritual growth. When I lived in RWC 5 years ago I was located on Main Street near the In-N-out which was walking distance to the meditation center. I ended up going to the center weekly, regularly. I've been living in Arizona since that time and I am still very much connected to this group. I come back yearly to attend silent vipassana meditation retreats at their center in Santa Cruz, simply named Insight Retreat Center. I told you, no flash. It's refreshing to support and be connected to a place that isn't part of the heavily capitalized society we live in, in which everything seems to come down to its monetary value. Not here my friend! IMC has core employees but what it really runs on is the commitment of volunteers. I typically function as a retreat manager when I come to IRC and if I lived closer I would happily give time to this place. In 2017 when I came often, it really helped me with personal challenges I was experiencing. I gained a community of practitioners that are serious about the dharma yet also kind people. I've met some amazing teachers and found my personal teachers of Gil and Max to be wonderful people in the world. 2 of my favorites :D IMC is a Buddhist meditation center that has some very excellent teachers and programs overall. It used to be a former church, turned Buddhist meditation hall. Very peaceful place. It's a place of refuge and to learn about the practice of mindfulness and get your feet wet. Or, be a longtime meditator and get your practice even more in depth. Whatever you are looking for on this path, it's there. I couldn't recommend this place enough. Don't miss it, you could easily walk by it not noticing, and never know the treasures it holds within. If you're unsure how to navigate coming here for a first time, a tip is to go online to their website. They have a robust schedule of classes, guided meditation sits, and general information about the place and people. It's very useful.

Incredible place and teachers, especially Gil who is the pillar of IMC. They hold frequent online…read moreand in person gatherings, kind community, and food for thought. Highly recommend

I've tried many other meditation practices, so many apps, and videos but Quiet Path Meditation has…read moremade the most profound and lasting changes for me. What's even better is it's easy. The other practices I've tried felt like the minutes were dragging on, but QPM feels like the most restful vacation I've had, then suddenly the 20 minutes is up. Sometimes it feels like time sped up or disappeared because it's such a restful practice. It's a brilliant way to reset twice a day and get centered. I'm very thankful to have found Paul and learn from him. I took his virtual course and found him to be an excellent and generous teacher. His deep care for his students and desire for us to heal is very motivating and life-affirming.

I have been practicing Pauls QuietPath of Meditation for about 3 years now, Its a simple, natural,…read moreeffortless technique practiced twice a day while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. This technique allows my active mind to easily settel inward, through quieter levels of thought, until i experience the most sielent and peaceful level in my own awarness thanks Paul your the best.

SFZC practitioners are friendly and serious about the practice. The teachings here are excellent…read moreand have helped in my spiritual exploration. Also the food is delicious.

Sexual harassment, psychological abuse, negligence, dishonesty, and poor ethics. Please please…read morebeware if you are looking for something real. They are not unbiased, are prone to dangerously self-interested thinking, and lack integrity. Unfriendly to meditation practice that is not thoroughly dominated by their teachers, who are less equipped than they want you to think. Very manipulation-prone and small-minded community - you are likely to be scapegoated and abused if you are internally healthier than the people who are running things. They will take any opportunity to gaslight you into hating yourself and doubting your sanity, if you aren't insecure enough. A few bright spots but not enough to assuage the aggressive onslaught of egotism and brutality from a few genuinely unstable people who want to run the show and mimic wisdom without embodying or truly respecting it. They have a hard time listening when it matters - will aggressively force you into sharing more of yourself than you want or feel comfortable with in order to exploit and dominate you. They will not tell you they're doing this. Serious narcissism and cult dynamics. They equate wisdom with social power, which is why they're so threatened by anyone who seems to possess any - because it could meaningfully topple their own place in a hierarchy they've built their sense of self on. They will do this with new students who mean no harm. Do not come with faith in their ability to wield power well - the staff and teachers abuse it, and they give you no options for dialogue, after claims that you're the problem to imagine that they don't. Please watch out for triangulation dynamics. Very very toxic, and it's baked in, so it's hard to avoid even if you just want to sit, work, and enjoy the beautiful setting - if you appear to have any openness to people, or if you unintentionally trigger them for any reason - for being too peaceful - they will draw you into intensely toxic dynamics you have no interest in, then blame you for their unhealed parts. These are the staff and teachers who do this - everyone here generally needs real therapy and a reality check, and you'll know because if you are sane, they will tell you you're the problem. The role of the scapegoat is to absorb and express the toxic dynamics in the environment - if I'm saying it, it's happened, and if they don't "see" it, it's because part of the toxicity is in their giving their dysfunction over to me. The abusive mechanism is to blame the one who holds the trauma - the messenger - and absolve true perpetrators of emotional responsibility - which plays into patterns of avoidance and manipulation others may also be prone to. Scapegoating is possible because of the amount of people benefiting from it, who choose to Dorian Gray their suffering instead of dealing with it. It is abusive and dysfunctional, not wise. This message is for anyone who may be seeking true refuge and who doesn't want to fall prey to toxic spiritual communities. My experience here was about 10 months cumulative in residence, ongoing close contact with a teacher, and friendships with others who have spent time in residence. Be very very wary of their ability to treat you well. Sexual assaults and suicides committed in residence, probably more than I know, without care for victims or meaningful resolution. There is something wrong here, and they work hard to cover it up - do not give them the benefit of the doubt and end up psychologically brutalized like I did. I came here at 25 on multiple recommendations, from a trusted friend and from my therapist, and I was immediately roped into their problems without mercy. I was sexually aggressed and assaulted as a new guest student, in 2019, and a good friend killed herself last spring after spending time here in residence - she may have been in residence at the time. They will not communicate with me about either of these events, following aggravated attempts on their part to get me to open up, be vulnerable with, and talk to them. If you have anything going for you, do not come here. They want to be able to eat your soul.

I really love this meditation center. The meditation classes here are excellent -- after attending,…read moreI've noticed less stress and much better sleep. They also offer a variety of meaningful activities, and the staff are always warm, welcoming, and supportive. I've met so many people who genuinely enjoy meditation here, and I truly love this community. Their oracle readings and energy blessing services are offered for free, which is incredibly generous -- I highly recommend coming to experience it for yourself.

This place has been incredibly helpful for both my mental and physical well-being. The atmosphere…read moreis very welcoming, and after practicing Bodhi, I felt a deep sense of relief. Definitely recommended!

I love love love this studio! It is truly my escape that I use to destress after work and is full…read moreof amazing instructors that are both knowledgeable and helpful. They also offer morning workout classes that get me energized for the day. I also love that they provide all of the equipment you could ask for like the basics of mats and blocks to the more extra things like straps, blankets, mat cleaner, etc. It really feels like a community at this studio and I highly recommend!!

The Mats is a cozy little yoga studio that has become my escape for self-care. The studio space…read moreitself is a little small but I love how intimate the classes are! They provide quality yoga mats, blocks, blankets and bolsters so you can focus on your flow if you're new and don't have equipment. I've been attending classes here for a few months now and have found an instructor for every mood. Stephenie's evening classes are perfect when I want a slow, meditative flow. She gently guides us through poses and holds each one long enough for my body to fully sink in. I always leave her class feeling loose and limber. Joann's morning Hatha class is great for de-stressing. The sequences are simple but rejuvenating. We move through meditations and breathing exercises at a leisurely pace. When I want more of a challenge, I go to Josh or Tiffany's Vinyasa classes. They seamlessly flow us through faster-paced flows focused on breath and building up to more advanced arm balances or backbends. Both are so encouraging and help modify poses for all skill levels. I come out of their classes energized and empowered. Overall it's a gem for anyone looking to establish or deepen their yoga practice. I feel lucky to have discovered this oasis in my neighborhood!

I've tried a few meditation practices. I found this one to be flat on my expectations. You're asked…read moreto give a donation based on income. I donated 1k and when I arrived the mediation coach was warm and friendly but she complained to me about the fact that she knows how much people make and that their donations don't reflect that. I found that strange to share. I wouldn't recommend this place - there are so many others in SF that are more effective imo.

Jane and Brett are wonderful teachers. I had heard about TM before and finally decided to try it…read morebecause I'd read that there are studies that show it can help with high blood pressure and anxiety. I'm always a skeptic but I figured it couldn't hurt! The cost of the program is not low, but I appreciate that they are very upfront about it (no hidden fees or add ons or upsells - just one course fee) and it does scale with income. No one has asked me to pay for anything since then and I'm always welcomed back for group check ins or meditations. About a month in, other people have already noticed positive changes in my mood and general anxiety. I also really enjoy the meditation sessions. And for what it's worth (small sample size, I know) my blood pressure is down about 8-10 points on average. The training was absolutely worthwhile for me. I'm really glad I decided to start doing TM and I highly recommend Brett and Jane as instructors.