IN PERSON: Beginning a Meditation Practice at EBMC (May Day 2026)

A special May Day community offering: Come to EBMC to learn (or re-learn) how to meditate with EBMC Core Teacher René Rivera!

Beginning a Mindfulness Meditation Practice at EBMC

May Day Edition

With René Rivera

Friday May 1st 2026

4:30-6pm: Program

6-7pm: Optional potluck and fellowship

In person only at 285 17th St., Oakland CA 94612

Masking is strongly encouraged

The center is fragrance-free and wheelchair accessible

Get a taste of what it's like to practice mindfulness meditation at the EBMC temple! Honor International Workers' Day and learn (or re-learn) how to meditate for personal and collective liberation.

Hear a short dharma talk, try stationary (sitting or lying down) and walking (or gentle movement) mindfulness meditation, and ask questions.

Stay for potluck and fellowship in our kitchen afterward to make new friends! Please bring a snack or drink to share, if you like.

We look forward to welcoming you to the EBMC community, whether you are new or returning to this spiritual home.

Cost

The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.

The ticket prices are listed as different tiers with suggested donations based on income ranges. For those who wish to give more, you may choose an "add-on" to your ticket. For those unable to give, there is an option for that.

Note that all financial gifts received here go directly to EBMC, and we invite you to give separately to our teachers, using the information below.

Other ways to give:

To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.

Please also consider giving a financial gift to our teachers as well, who do not receive a salary for their work, and give their teachings freely to all.

To give to René:

Venmo: @ReneRivera
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ReneRiveraOak

Thank you for the gifts of your generosity and for supporting the work of East Bay Meditation Center and our beloved teachers who have volunteered their time.

For in-person participation:

We strongly encourage masking for all who are able to do so. We will provide N95 masks at the center if you don't have one.

To attend in person, you need to be completely free of fragranced body and clothing products -- more information and a list of fragrance free products, including those that are especially good for people of color, appears on our website:

https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/

East Bay Meditation Center is a scent free / fragrance free space and is wheelchair accessible.

Public Transportation/Parking:

- We strongly encourage public transportation/biking/walking since parking in the neighborhood is limited.

- EBMC has bike parking inside the center.

- Please note that parking meters are enforced Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 12-6pm.

Teacher

René Rivera is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He loves to share his own daily life practice of bringing awareness to how he shows up in all kinds of relationships, with self, beloveds, friends, family, community and with the land. René is a facilitator in training for the School of Consent and a restorative justice facilitator, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.