ONLINE: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation

ONLINE: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation

4 week course

Mondays on November 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th 2025

6:00 – 8:00PM PT (Time Zone Converter)

With Imee Contreras, Janet Roos and Rebekah Eppley

Online only

All are welcome

This 4-week introductory course invites you to explore the foundations of mindfulness while nurturing compassion, joy, and ease in daily life. Drawing from both Buddhist teachings and contemporary science, we will practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness alongside guided meditations on the Brahma Vihāras — loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.

Each session combines guided meditation, short talks, and group reflections to deepen understanding and connection. Participants will also receive resources and practices to support mindfulness during the week, helping to establish or strengthen a regular meditation practice.

Our aim is to create a safe, inclusive space for:

• Learning practical mindfulness tools for everyday life
• Cultivating steady presence and emotional balance through weekly practices
• Connecting with Sangha — a supportive community of practitioners

Open to beginners and experienced meditators alike. No prior meditation experience is needed.

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.

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.

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 Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:

1. When speaking, introduce your name, pronouns, and (optionally) a brief physical description of yourself.

2. If using virtual backgrounds, please use static, simple, high-contrast backgrounds.

3. Please keep your camera still while your camera is on.

4. Please repeat your name when you speak to help those with visual impairment.

5. The host/volunteer will attempt to read any comments that appear in the chat out loud.

6. Please strive for clear audio and mute when you are not speaking. Phone access is also available.

7. If you have unmet access needs, please send a message to the volunteer or host in the chat. If the chat is not accessible to you, please offer them briefly in one minute or less via voice. Please do not send access requests directly to other participants.

Teachers

Imee Contreras

Imee is recognized as a leading mindfulness teacher in the Philippines and across Asia.  She is the founder of Mindfulness Asia and Nibbāna Forest Refuge.  She is a co-founder of Philippine Insight Meditation Community and Katahimikan; Philippine Day of Mindfulness. She is a mentor for Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and the Power of Awareness at Sounds True, an authorized teacher at UCLA Health, a Cross-Cultural Mindfulness Teacher and Board Member of Braided Wisdom, and a visiting teacher at East Bay Meditation Center. She is a founding Advisory Council member of the Global Compassion Coalition.  

She graduated from Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leadership Program, UCLA's Training in Mindfulness Facilitation program, and is an IMTA-Certified Mindfulness Teacher. She develops and facilitates mindfulness programs for companies, schools, and events; both locally and internationally.  She volunteers to teach incarcerated women serving life imprisonment and also supports abused women and children in the Philippines.

Janet E. Roos (she/her) CMT-P

Janet serves as the Chief Financial Officer, Teacher/Mindfulness Facilitator, and Consultant for non-profit Braided Wisdom. She is a UCLA-Certified Mindfulness Facilitator, a graduate of the Braided Wisdom Leadership Training Program, and a certified Mindfulness Mentor (Banyan).

With a passion for integrating mindfulness into daily life, she has introduced mindfulness best practices to corporate employees, athletes, and diverse communities.

With a leadership journey spanning decade, she began as a co-captain in athletics and went on to lead more than 35 years of innovation in business technology, driving change across diverse industries from Financial Services, Information Technology, Consultancy and Health Care. A four-time Hall of Fame inductee and recognized elite athlete, Janet has learned through both triumphs and challenges that true resilience comes from within. She deeply honors the value and love of family and community. As well as, a daily mindfulness practice in everyday life as a gentle path to reconnect with ourselves and to nurture deeper connection with one another and with the living earth that sustains us.

She draws inspiration from time spent in nature, where she finds balance, renewal, and a reminder of the deep interconnectedness of all life. She is grateful to offer service to community through volunteer work and brings her experience and open-heart as a member of the board of two nonprofit organizations.

Rebekah Eppley

Rebekah is a writer and worked as a librarian at Oakland Public Library for 18 years. She was introduced to meditation and the Dharma through a Mindful Writing course in 2013 by her late teacher Chris Malcomb. She started a more formal meditation practice with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel at her Still Breathing Center in 2014 and found her way to the East Bay Meditation Center in late 2014 where she has been practicing since. She made her Bodhisattva vows with Mushim Ikeda in 2017 and renewed them in 2024. She’s a member of EBMC’s Program Committee and volunteers and teaches with EBMC’s Maha Sangha. In 2023 she graduated from EBMC’s Spiritual Teacher and Leadership program and is currently part of the Community Dharma Leaders Training at Spirit Rock.