Everyone is warm and welcoming. The teachings touch my heart and the teacher's guided meditations…read moreare relaxing and move your mind in a positive direction.

I wasn't raised religious. For the majority of my life, I've never understood the need for faith or…read morespirituality. Boy, my younger self was ignorant (but also carefree, I suppose). Life is hard. Everyone experiences strife in their lives. You need to be able to be at peace with yourself and come to terms with various situations. I've heard a lot about meditation over the years and decided to give it a try. I took a class through PCC and learned a lot about meditation and Buddhist teachings. The class I took was a 5 or 6 week course taught by Heather Rocklin (she's fantastic). Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of times where I fell asleep during meditation and I felt bored out of my mind, but you have to know that MEDITATION IS HARD. REALLY HARD. Really hard to get into and really hard to stick to, but the benefits of meditation are amazing. I'm not at the point where meditation is strictly a part of my routine, but I can already feel the emotional and mental benefits. If you're curious about Buddhist teachings, looking for some peace, or trying to get into meditation, check them out. http://meditationinoregon.org/ (click on their calendar to see current classes and drop-in options)

Unfortunately this business has closed and is selling the land... sad since there are so few of…read morethese types of places.

My family and I had a lovely, rejuvenating stay at Daiva and Gangamata's home in the fully…read moreseparated 2 bedroom downstairs living space, where we resided for several months while waiting to move into a new house. Offering a respite from hectic city life, it was the perfect landing spot for a longer-term stay. The quarters are clean and comfortable, and appear to have been newly renovated. The kitchen is stocked with everything we needed - a dual burner, toaster oven, cookware, utensils, dishes, and a full-sized fridge and freezer. The washer and dryer were also super practical! There is also a ton of storage in the space, which was quite helpful as we happened to have plenty of loot with us; this made keeping the place tidy a cinch. We all, our six-year old son included, relished the gorgeous surroundings - hundreds of acres of hills, trees, flowers, and friendly critters. We greeted deer (parents plus bambis!) passing in front of the front door nearly every day, and took many long walks in the quiet rolling hills, breathing fresh, fragrant air. The people who live in this community are caring and friendly, and the community kitchen serves up tasty treats made with love, which gave us all a much-needed break from kitchen duties. Daiva and Gangamata are incredibly accommodating and conscientious. They responded promptly to questions and requests. Not only that, but they made a formidable effort to understand not only our specific needs, many of which were health-related, but also how they could help us fulfill them. We will miss them both, but will surely be back to visit soon! We fully recommend Daiva and Gangamata's home for your next stay without reservation or qualification. Come experience the tranquility of this pace! You'll remember it always.

I can only speak highly of Laura Martin and the mindfulness classes she leads. I took the…read moreMindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class a few years ago, and I am not exaggerating when I saw it is one of the best things I have ever done - for myself and for my family. I had always assumed that I just didn't get meditation/mindfulness, and it wouldn't work for me anyway. Laura is kind and patient, and when anyone expressed doubt that the practices we were doing would help, or that they were boring/annoying, Laura just asked us to get back to her at the end of the 8 weeks. Sure enough, by then I was seeing the benefits of the MBSR practices and classes. Laura is a very knowledgeable teacher, and always speaks (and listens) with compassion and kindness. Laura maintains communication with former students, and offers continuing support for our mindfulness practices. I highly recommend MBSR, Laura Martin, and River Rock Mindfulness to anyone looking for more balance in life.

From the owner: River Rock Mindfulness offers classes and individual training in mindfulness and meditation…read more Corporate and professional group trainings are also available. Laura Martin is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience in the field of mental health. She is also a dedicated practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and practices what she teaches. A cornerstone offering is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class, an evidence-based 8-week class with 30 years of scientific research. River Rock Mindfulness also offers introductory classes on mindfulness, self-compassion, and other ways to make mindful awareness a way of life.

This Theravada Buddhist, 'Insight' meditation community has gone through lots of changes in the…read morelast 18 months which is great to see. It is a very active Sangha (community) led group with both resident and visiting teachers from around the country who provide a variable teaching style while focused deeply on Dharma practice. They offer a bunch of different classes and on-site retreats and occasional social events. I found that the best way to see if this community was a good fit was to attend their Sunday program 10am-noon with a social hour following their service. (and there is no financial corruption or f. mismanagement which was suggested in a previous comment.). In Portland, we are so fortunate to have several other great Buddhist communities with very good teachers for practice.

Amazing place! Going through big changes! So many old…read morereviews and stories that do not reflect what is going on right now -be sure to check it out -a place of peace and acceptance

I came here for a meditation lesson on a Tuesday morning. I have practiced meditation before but…read morewas not familiar with dhammakaya meditation. First I had an introductory session where the practice was explained to me in some detail by a lifelong practitioner and we did some light stretching. Then monk Victor came to lead the session. He also provided some guidance and led a very pleasant very refreshing meditation. Afterwards we talked for a while and shared some additional advice. It was a wonderful way to begin my day.

Lisa and Monk Victor are incredible and I have found a wonderful safe space within their walls at…read morethe Oregon Meditation Center. I have been going weekly for the past 2 months and I look forward to it every week to decompress and refresh after the stresses of day to day grind of work and life.

I love, love this place. It's a quaint little churchey style templeThis is the best meditation…read moreplace. I just wish they had more evening meditations. the morning meditations start at 7am and that is just brutal, especially since it takes me a half hour to get there. Oh well, someday, maybe I will be able to make it. Otherwise, they have only 2 weeknight meditations. If you don't know about Trungpa Rinpoche check him out. He's one of my very favorites buddhists and his son, I believe, started the Shambala Centers. It could have been Trungpa, I'm really not certain. There's a great movie on Netflix about his life called, Crazy Wisdom. I have a hard time meditating at home, but the shambala center is so calm and peaceful, it's really easy to just sink down into a butt pillow and relax fully for an hour. It is free, by donation, or one can become a member.

From the owner: The Shambhala Meditation Center of Portland is part of the global community of Shambhala. Mediation…read moreprovides benefits to our sense of wellbeing, engagement with our minds, relationships, our society, nature and our world. Our vision is to create a culture of kindness and care, where our community connections support our spiritual path. Our programs, groups and community gatherings offer a way to study and practice teachings from the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Please join us in this journey!