MDZG has been wonderful. Zazen with them over zoom each morning at 8 am has helped me start off the…read moreday with a very meaningful meditation practice (just sitting). Grateful to Myosho Baika and everyone at Mount Diablo Zen Group.

Mt. Diablo Zen Group is led by Baika Heaton, Zen Priest and Dharma teacher. This group meets…read moreWednesday evenings for Zazen (meditation), study and discussion. Once a month, one day or half day silent retreats are offered for a nominal fee. These retreats include Zazen, Qi Gong, rest period, a mindful meal, a short service and Dharma talk. All members are encouraged to establish a daily meditation practice, with consideration for their daily life schedule. Celebrating it's tenth year this May, Mt. Diablo Zen Group offers an intimate setting and access to the teachings in the Soto Zen Buddhist Tradition.

Serene and beautiful monastery grounds. Happy to discover a hidden gem in the hills. When you first…read moreturn in you'll drive along a small tree-lined road and go up the hill to their gated entrance. You may have to call their intercom to enter through the gate if they are not currently hosting an event. When you first visit, go to the reception office for an intro about the monastery and their activities. You can join their regularly scheduled meditation classes and dharma classes. The building to the left of that is where they hold Buddhist classes and talks. To the left of that is a small hill and walking nature loop to see a Kuan Yin statue placed within a circular, eight petaled lotus mandala. The walk has beautiful views of the surrounding distance. Down towards the right is the temple, which is only open to the public during events. They recently finished some renovations inside their main temple and outside gardens. The gardens behind and below the temple opens to expansive views too, yet is still undergoing construction. You can see a small pagoda with a Kuan Yin statue and a rectangle platform with a statue of the Buddha. Inside the temple, it is common etiquette to remove your shoes, place them in a shoe cabinet along the wall, and wear socks inside (no bare feet allowed here) during events. There are bathrooms and a water station too. I joined a recent Friday meditation gathering and it was nicely organized and run very well. They have a welcoming sangha community too.

Beautiful scenery and grounds. The peace I felt was incredible. I love it here. I highly recommend.read more

Casey is something special. I've called on her when I needed help, processing and general guidance…read moreon what this big world is. She's not fluffy, she's not too ethereal, she's a modern woman's support system. She's kind and helpful and open. Each time I connect with Casey, I know it won't be the last. If you're on the fence, reach out and schedule time with her but I deeply suggest doing a natal chart reading to get your bearings. Thank you Casey!

So much care put into my session with Casey. She was so attentive and compassionate. I had a failed…read moreembryo transfer last year and am preparing for another in the coming months and reached out to Casey per recommendation from a friend and I am so glad that I did! She walked me through benefits of different herbs specific to my situation. She listened and took the time to hear me out. So much was included within the session I had which was a Guided Healing Chakra Alignment. She had me lay under a warm red light on my belly for a few minutes, did a reading based on my birth info then prepped the herb to steam. The yoni steam with the sound bath was absolutely beautiful. An experience that requires openness and encouraged me to connect with my own self. She then did an oracle reading. I felt cared for and supported. Afterwards she provided a detailed summary of all that we discussed and things she'd recommend to support me on my journey outside of the reading. Loved that I had something to reference afterwards to recall some great nuggets we discussed in person. 10 out of 10 highly recommend!

5/5 stars First and…read moreforemost, Meera has completely revolutionized the way I see and practice yoga in many more ways than one! I first started working with Meera almost 2 years ago (I have been practicing for about 10 years now) when she started offering weekly virtual classes during the beginning of the pandemic. This immediately helped me with my mental health using her unique flows, sometimes it almost felt like dancing, to calm my mind as the stress of my tech job began seeping into my personal life. Fast forward 6 months and I was so happy to join her studio sessions and workshops in person at Yoga Garden where she went deeper into both the physical (offering outstanding adjustments) and mental (through breath work, meditation, and even chanting!) aspects which continued to help improve my overall wellbeing and even got me through some of the most stressful points of my career to date. Fast forward again to today and I'm so excited to have joined her new private 1-1 in-person offering. She has built numerous highly personalized routines and she not only teaches me when we are together but has helped me to build a sustainable self-practice that I use daily. The practice includes a combination of asanas (typical movement poses and flows), pranayama (breath work which has improved both my lung capacity as well as calming the constant chatter in my mind), and chanting (something I had never previously considered and which has allowed me to build more focus into my daily life). Meera offers a style of yoga that I have yet to find anywhere else where she conducts a truly holistic practice rather than the traditional, fitness-forward, style which is exactly what I have needed to enjoy a well-rounded lifestyle. I would encourage anyone looking to experience yoga that goes all the way back to its holistic roots to give Meera's sessions a try. Her sessions and style have flipped standard studio yoga on its ear to the point where it has become a major part of my life and has given me a completely new outlook on how I approach my health and wellness and is something I will absolutely carry on for the rest of my life! 10/10 I would recommend Meera to all ages, demographics, and lifestyles!

Meera was an excellent teacher. Learned so much and felt so much more relaxed and grounded after…read morethe practice. Looking forward to more sessions with Meera!

Martin answered all my questions(a lot) with patience. I am thankful for his teachings. I highly…read morerecommend him.

I'm very happy to have signed in to practice TM. I feel like I get the support I need and it really…read moreis a fail safe way to meditate. No tricks. No religion. No marketing. Just resting the nervous system twice a day. That is a gift you give to yourself twice a day from TM. Plus, Marty is a very kind, patient, and committed teacher. Namaste!

Attended the Free Taichi and Qi Gong classes by Alex at the Civic Park in Walnut Creek two Sundays…read moreago. It was a very focused and peaceful session. Alex was very clear with his instructions. I felt that it really helped me in centering my mind and aligning my body. Thank you Alex for the session.

I've been attending this Yoga Tai Chi Qigong Class since March of this year and it's been extremely…read morebeneficial to my health,both emotionally and physically. It helps me my focus become clearer for the rest of the day & it helps reduce stress. Though I deal with chronic pain 24/7 it helps relax my muscles enough so that my body can tolerate dealing with the pain better. Alex gives really helpful instruction during the entire practice. I would highly recommend this class to anyone. Though it's quite early on a Sunday morning,it is SO worth going to! ***The title posted here of this class should be modified so that people are not confused,as it's not a Yoga class,it is a Tai Chi class.***

Got my Zentangle start here. Great teaching , fun instruction and very compassionate learnig…read moreexperience for me Loved it..

I was so looking forward to this class and pulled my sister and husband along with me, we all loved…read moreit. We met at the peaceful San Damiano campus for several hours of meditative art. I can draw, but don't do it, and I've been wanting to kickstart my creativity again. Zentangle has these simple parts that are so easy and can be woven in to larger works that can be complicated, fascinating. For me I hope to do one simple pattern a day, just a piece of the mosaic, before I dive into the busy day. Elaine Wegenka, Zendragon brings her glowing encouragement and years of teaching to this practice. Thank you Elaine!

This is really a hidden gem up in the hills. I've been here several times amd always have a…read morewonderful experience. On my most recent visit, I went through the stations of the cross. It is a beautiful set up and great for a quiet moment of meditation. The people in the gift shop are helpful in explaining the grounds as well as gift items. Note that it's best to call ahead to check access. Since sometimes there are school events which preclude taking a tour of the grounds.

Nice, decent rooms with a private shower. Tasty variety of…read morefood, usually plentiful. Just one lunch the chicken was severely rationed, so much that even the women were commenting. Not easy to sleep with the noise of students yelling to each other at 11PM Saturday night. And breakfast is at 8:00! From 10PM is supposed to be silent, but no supervision from the group nor is there anyone from the retreat center to enforce.

After my first float session I felt like a giant ball of stress finally pulled apart. The…read moreexperience gave me so much clarity that would be hard to replicate with yoga or exercise. I appreciate how clean and well maintained the facilities are. The staff was also highly professional. They provided clear instructions and everything you could need for your session. I plan to come back!

The staff's kindness and smile is absolutely infectious!! I…read morehad my first soak this weekend and an amazing - deep sleep that night. This has now become part of a self care routine service that's replaced my indulgence in a massage. I recommend everyone try this at least once! I wish there were shorter service/windows because the shortest service was an hour. I will be coming back.

This gym does what it needs to do. Each membership comes with its own perks. The lockers are easy…read moreto use- you don't need your own lock, as you can input your own code to lock and unlock it. Friendly staff, and members.

Very racist front desk! Recently the gym requested a profile picture at check in . I wasn't aware…read moreof it, so when one front desk employee Named Ashton asked me to take a photo I said if we can do it next time I come in. Immediately 2 more employees that were there stand up and said we need to do this now! While talking , several other gym members check in after me and most didn't have a profile picture either but we're not asked to do one nor they were stopped , as I was , to enter the facility. I personally knew one of the persons who checked in while I was talking with the 3 employees at the front desk, and she didn't have a profile picture I saw it on one of the front desk computers. Out of nowhere, another guy showed up , I am not sure he was an employee or not, asking to show them my ID , so they can identify me. I said ok, I can show you my ID. I felt like I am a criminal, passing LAX security guards. When I show my Driver License , an employee took a picture of my driver license without asking me. He was only supposed to verify my identity not take a picture of my driver license! Many other members checked in at the gym , while we were talking and none of them that didn't have a picture on their account was stopped or asked for a picture, only me, I was singled out! Forma , you should train better your employees to be more polite and respectful towards the members who pay their salaries! And think twice before you hire disrespectful teenagers who think they own the company! Very disappointing experience. The way Forma Gym employees treated me appears extremely selective--some people are repeatedly singled out and bothered over minor issues, while others are given a free pass for doing the exact same things. Rules should be applied consistently and fairly to everyone, not enforced only against particular people. Professionalism means treating every customer equally and respectfully. Management should take a closer look at how these situations are handled, because this kind of inconsistent treatment creates a very unfair and uncomfortable environment.