I've always been curious about meditation and decided to give this place a try based on other Yelp…read morereviews. My husband and I enrolled in the Level 1 Meditation class, which is free, and lasts for 12 weeks. It definitely is a commitment, but we attended all but one class (due to Thanksgiving break) and really found it so enjoyable and fulfilling. To note, this is Zen Buddhism that they are teaching, so if you are particular about that, it's something to consider. The Shifu who runs the class is really insightful and funny. (I think he's absolutely endearing!!) He made the classes fly by. The way they go is that the first half of class is dedicated to teaching you the basics of Zen meditation (chanting, sitting, walking). The second half is lecture in the dining hall, otherwise known as Dharma talks, which teach you a lot of the practical and traditional aspects of Zen Buddhism and meditation. Overall, going here has helped my hubby and I connect a lot better and learn how to handle stress in a more calm way. We definitely would have joined the level 2 class if we hadn't moved up north. I try to visit and meditate here whenever I am in the South Bay :)

I've visited many temples in the past due to my Buddhist mother dragging me, but this temple is the…read moreonly one that I really enjoy and actually will go on my free will. :P I took the level 1 meditation class in English, which I find is really rare. The other temples that I've been to only speak Chinese or Vietnamese. I don't understand Chinese very well, so I was very happy to find English courses here. The teacher is Shifu JianYing, who is a happy and funny monk. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. The lectures are enlightening, fun, and enjoyable. I highly recommend taking the class if you have time (once a week for 2 hours for 12 weeks), and it's free too! :)

This was the most intensive retreat I have attended, compared to my previous experiences in…read moreThailand and India. There were moments when I wanted to leave early, but I am deeply grateful that I stayed and completed it. I sincerely thank the teacher (Sayagyi Daw Vimalanani), Ms. Ha Truong (coordinator), and all the volunteers. Their guidance and quiet support helped me understand my mind on a much deeper level. Letting go of my phone was not easy at first, but after 15 days, I felt less attached to it and more present with myself. Instead of being drawn into social media and news, I learned to spend my time more meaningfully, turning inward with awareness. The program is intensive, with eight one-hour sitting meditation sessions each day. The first two days were very challenging--I almost gave up due to the physical pain. However, after speaking with the teacher, her compassion and wisdom shifted me from fear to courage. I realized that pain is always present; in daily life, we are simply too distracted to notice it. Through her guidance on "noting," I gained valuable insight into my own patterns. The food was delicious. We ate two meals a day and stopped eating after noon. At first, I felt hungry, but my body gradually adjusted--and I found my sleep became easier and deeper. I also observed my mind moving from worry about not having enough, to noticing moments of greed, and eventually to a deep sense of gratitude. The accommodation was simple and comfortable, a clean private room, with thoughtful touches like extra blankets and an alarm clock. The shared bathrooms were always clean, and I never had to wait. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend giving this gift to yourself.

Unfortunately after COVID the whole vibe of this great center has changed. It was great when Ha and…read moreShaun were retreat coordinators , their level of practice is evident from the way they engage with other people, ever mindful and full of brahma vihara. They have stopped weekend retreats for good. Can't imagine the level of Bad kamma generated by the people that might have initiated this new regime. By preventing interested short term practitioners to practice and use the retreat center resources "as weekend retreats" and preventing wholesome dana possibilities for dana sponsors on weekend retreats. All retreats are charged $$$ per day, and the attendee rules have got stricter ( check new print meditators handbook ) I have not seen any Panditharama center charge for its sessions anywhere else. May be they have financial troubles, may be they became too business minded , may be there is new leadership that don't have any sense of what real true Buddhist practice is. Very sad. But i am grateful for all the weekend retreats TMC conducted in the past, they have helped me and many others develop the path. I transfer all those merits to the people who made it possible. Having said this I think TMC is still providing good service for our local Vietnamese and Burmese community. So i left 2 stars.

A serene place on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto…read more.. If you ever needed a time out, Windhover would be a great place for you. I read about this meditation site from another review. It's located right next to the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden. To enter, you need a student ID which opens the door with a swipe. My friend's son is a student here. My friend is an alumnus of Stanford. They're so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful institution! Windhover was on the warm side. I didn't feel any air conditioning on this warm summer day in July, so I quickly walked through and viewed the artwork and felt calmer from the water feature. This was a nice break in our busy day. I saw students sitting and lying down in a meditative state and wished them well...

When I was an Andrew Mellon postdoctoral humanities fellow here @Stanford, calm and healing places…read morelike the Windhover meditation center did not yet exist. Now, they do. Students, faculty, staff, and their guests can access the inside seating areas designed for mediation & quiet work, but even casual visitors to the Stanford campus can use the outdoor areas, like the stone bench by the reflecting pool or the wooden seating area by the lone Japanese maple and bubbling square shaped water fountain. Also, you can walk the labyrinth as well. See my pics for details and my WordPress blog, sempervirens117.com for more information on cool, under the radar screen places to visit at Stanford if you have the time and energy for some real adventures. Highly recommended!

Art of living teaches wonderful techniques that soothe and calm your mind. I recommend it for…read moreeverybody. These techniques once learnt, can be practiced at home. Fills you with fresh energy, clear mind, free from mental distractions. The first time experience of Sudarshana kriya is exhilarating and I'm sure everybody who has done the course remembers it. Advanced courses teach meditation. Separate courses available for teens too. There are yoga courses as well.

The Art of Living course is a life saver! I'm a software professional, and live with my wife and…read moretwo kids. I did my first Art of Living course two years ago under very stressful conditions. I came to know about the AOL course from a family friend. In the middle of an argument with my wife(which was very frequent those days), I registered for the course. It brought such a tremendous shift in me, my wife did the next course 15 days later. Our lives has taken a new turn since the course. I repeated the course last weekend at the Art of Living Foundation, Cupertino Center. It was simply amazing! The teachers, Suchitra and Krishna, and the center brought in their/its own flavor to already beautiful course. If you are waiting to see how much more stress you can handle, please do yourself a favor - do the course and be stress free!

I attended the 8-day Health & Happiness Retreat in October 2025. In that short time, I experienced…read morea great deal of emotional healing. I had the privilege of witnessing both emotional and physical healing experienced by my fellow attendees. The volunteers are so caring and welcoming and made sure to provide resources for continuing the meditation practice beyond the retreat. No meditation experience needed. It cost around $300 for registration, which is extremely reasonable for 8 full days. You can also attend any additional retreats at no extra charge. Highly recommend visiting this Milpitas oasis.

I highly recommend anyone, family, and friends to attend 8-Day Health & Happiness Meditation…read moreRetreat! I've learned the wisdom and valuable skills that were taught in class. If you're experiencing anxiety, insomnia, depression, pain, or stress from work, this is the place to be for healing, relaxing, and well-being. As this is my very first retreat. I didn't expect anything like this. As a chronic patient, this experience has opened my mind and lens to see myself and the world in a more positive light and skills learned to help build better relationships. Yet, it's a very powerful and transformative experience to reflect on oneself, learn how to regulate our emotions, and most importantly lead with compassion! The volunteers are professional, caring, hard working, and happy. I feel calmer, happier, stronger, and rejuvenated. This community is defined by deep, meaningful connections, and a shared purpose. And did I mention the food and desserts? Thank you Bodhi Meditation!

InnerSeed was definitely needed in this area. Step away from the chaos and noise into a healing…read morecenter of calm, and serenity. From the moment you walk in, you know you have arrived in a special peaceful place. No need to travel far and wide for a healing retreat when you need a tranquil space. My experience was simply incredible.. I attended for a Sound Bath, and it was one of the most calming, healing, and rewarding experiences I have ever had. Weiwei, the owner has the most beautiful energy; a truly special human. The evening started with a sage cleansing before stepping into the main room, where I silently gasped inside myself at the thoughtful setup of candles and soothing aromas. I walked to my designated space of mat, pillow, and blanket; and the class began... Weiwei began the class with an introduction of what was to come, which I appreciated. Then came the most magically led seated meditation which was truly magical. Then it transcended into us laying on our mats and she enveloped the room into a heavenly and tranquil sequence of musical bowls, chimes, gongs, and vibrations. I honestly did not want it to end. Like the moments you are receiving a massage, and hope the hour has not ticked by... I haven't felt this level of ease in quite some time. For those who find it challenging to turn off their brains, and step out of the day to day to-do lists, step into this sacred space. You will find your peace in a short period of time. This experience was tremendously soothing to the spirit and mind.This was my first sound bath, and I cannot wait to return. Thank you Weiwei, for creating this space, and curating it as you did.

Love this place! I highly recommend treating yourself to a sound bath. It's just magical!read more

From their website... "Center for Spiritual Enlightenment is a meditation center in the spiritual…read moretradition of Kriya Yoga, welcoming people from all backgrounds who are seeking Self- and God-realization--a path to spiritually conscious, fulfilled living." Absolutely love it! I spent some time in the garden, spoke to one of the folks who volunteers here, got a nice tour, and was truly impressed. Can't wait to go back for either a meditation session or a talk. The world would be a much better place if everyone could go to a center like this.

I attended this center for almost 20 years, usually attending weekly Sunday services and the…read moreoccasional retreat. I really appreciated the teachings and guided meditations, as well as the fellowship....but...I can't help but be concerned about a close family member that got more heavily involved and attended seminary there. She started to detach from family to devote herself to the center, moved out of state to start an ashram for CSE, named it beneficiary of a family trust. I want to say she wasn't encouraged or led to do this, but over the years, the devotion to the center and increased detachment from family has me wondering if there's cult-like grooming going on behind the scenes. It's all been very concerning and bewildering for the family. No spiritual teacher there was been able to adequately reassure me that they are not engaging in practices that command total devotion, tithing, and disengagement with family, and sadly, as a result I stopped all contact with this center. This may just be my family member independently practicing an unhealthy excess of devotion to an organization, not something that they outwardly support, but I still have a lingering suspicion about the influence they yield over her. It feels exploitive. Her increased involvement in the center has really negatively impacted family relationships. I've also heard many folks have left this center in the last 10 years because of "toxic political rifts" between employees, volunteers and devotees. Some are choosing to hold independent Kriya study groups now. I'm grateful for the teachings while there but distance from this organization has been necessary for my mental health and continued spiritual development. I feel my family member has been stolen from me. Or driven to shun and neglect those that love her most. And CSE knows it and yet they not intervened.

Very traditional Zen Center, at least for America. If you are looking for a democratically run…read moreorganization this is not it. The teacher is definitely the authority in all matters here. Having said that, it runs more or less smoothly and people treat each other kindly and respectfully. If your focus is on the meditative aspects of practice, and you'd like to interact with others that have that focus as well, then this is a fine place.

I have been doing a lot of general reading about Buddhism over the past year or so, and a friend…read moreconvinced me to stop reading and start doing, so last month I went to the Saturday morning beginner's class at Kannon Do. This center is affiliated with the San Francisco Zen Center, also founded by Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki,s o they are mainstream, excellent pedigree, nothing cult-ish here. Unlike the San Francisco Zen Center, the program for beginners was intense even for me, and I don't think my attention span is as gnat-like as some people. We began by meditating after about a ten minute talk. We sat for 20 minutes, did about 15-20 minutes of walking meditation, took a 10 minute break, did another 20 minutes of meditation, then another 10 of walking, then another 20 of sitting. I was overwhelmed. All the books I read said to start a few minutes at a time, and that even that would be a challenge. I was really struggling. And I had no idea what the purpose of the meditation was. What exactly had I been reading about? If I could focus, to what end? This class was mainly meant to get you started on focusing your mind, and getting your body used to the posture. The nun was very nice, the facility was clean, tranquil, and the gardens beautiful. But this was just too intense for me, and from what I understand, much more intense than the beginners classes at the SF Zen Center. The Wednesday night sessions also have beginner's session, followed by 40 minutes of sitting, followed by a service, then a dhamma talk, which I'm sure would be great to listen to, but I got the distinct impression you couldn't come for just the talk. I don't expect to be good at this overnight, or to gain understanding or insight even after a few years at it, but I think I may need more guidance and a more gentle beginning. If you want to start though, these people are nice and you'll have plenty of time to think, focus, and work on posture.