Berkeley Meditation

I went to this place from a Meet up. Oh nope. If you’ve been to meditation centers before, as I have, you might think that you’d get some brief meditation instruction and then a chance to try it out, actually practice meditation. What we got here was a personal account from the ‘helper’ of how she came to this particular type of meditation and a vague description of a ‘subtraction method’ meditation. Did we meditate? No. While interesting in theory, once they started talking about seeing the truth of the world, it started getting a bit crazy. All this was a thinly disguised sales pitch to get you to sign up. Clip boards were handed out with waivers. They want $ 150 a month. BUT only for today, tomorrow it goes up to $ 160. Really, I never heard that one before.
I just find it hard to believe there are people paying $ 150 a month for meditation and apparently, there are centers like this all over the world. It felt weird and cultish to me. All very much on a need to know until we have your credit card.

Before practicing at Berkeley Meditation, my idea of meditation was to sit in silence with the hope of achieving bliss, renewed so you could go back into daily life with calmness and equanimity. Even though I had meditated on and off over the past thirty years, I had rarely found bliss and my life lacked the ease and gentleness I wished for. Though a devotee of a compassionate loving satguru for the past two decades, I still carried hidden anger and resentment! Outwardly I was kind and giving, but inwardly I was ready to burst. When I happened upon Berkeley Meditation, I was completely ready to let go of the bubbling undercurrent of my reactive self. I was tired of people’s unnecessary drama and wanted nothing more than a silent retreat.
The opening introduction at The Berkeley Meditation Center showed me a possibility far greater than I had imagined: that of living happily with a clear mind by practicing a method of subtracting thoughts and feelings from a lifelong file of stored mental pictures and images. As I went thru a series of life reviews, using this process of this subtraction method has allowed me to return to the source of truth, our original universe mind, where no false self exists. This is the «real world» I have been praying to live in with others who are choosing the same goal.

I came here to meditate and expected something like the Insight meditation you’d find at Spirit Rock (in Marin County). But it is something else entirely. It felt more like a cult, a very expensive and time consuming one, that draws you in through open houses and by asking you to share your deepest personal problems with others in the room.
Then, at the end of the «orientation,» you are asked to make an extremely large commitment of time and money to obtain the benefit of this «subtraction» method of meditation (i.e., in essence, you try to erase all memories of extreme pain or pleasure).
The «helper» will likely share his/​her painful life story with you, too, and a description of the emotional baggage he/​she had before beginning this Maum meditation.
Meditator, beware!

There are those rare moments in life when you come across someone or something that makes you stop in your tracks and do a double take. One of such things was when I met my husband — I knew he was THE ONE the moment I met him (song-​wise, our story is a combo of «Shut up and Dance» and «Thinking Out Loud»).
The other «moment» I had was the moment I started this meditation. Subtraction, to be exact.
I initially started at the perpetual nagging by my mom who swore it was going to change my life blah blah blah. And after a year of relentless nagging, I finally got around to starting it thinking it was one of those «sit down and breathe and relax your mind» type of things.
Um. No. Not this. This was the complete opposite. There is an actual method (think of it like a GPS for how to go somewhere you need to go to but you’ve never been to or a very detailed recipe on how to bake a cake even if you’ve never baked a cake).
Finally there was a method on how to look back on myself. Like REALLY see myself, both the good and the bad, as it really was and not merely by how I perceived things to be. For once, I could REALLY see myself, like really see how I was. And trust me, there were plenty of cringe-​worthy moments, but the best part is — there is actually a step by step method to throw it away!
Before, thoughts were constantly going on in my head and I swear the only difference between me and the crazy guy who talks to himself while walking down the street is that the crazy guy talks to himself out loud and I was doing it in my head so that no one else could see or hear.
But that incessant talking to myself in my head and the thinking, especially negative thinking and worries, finally stopped when I started doing this meditation. Did I mention there’s actually a method to throw it away?!!
So now, my mind is so peaceful and I don’t get frazzled by unimportant things and when I need to speak up and be heard, I’ll do so, whereas before I would just bottle things up inside only to explode at some random moment later on at some poor unsuspecting person (usually a loved one bc loved ones are usually forgiving).
In any case, if you had the patience to read this dissertation, then you definitely have more than enough patience to do this meditation! And actually, if you’re lacking in the patience department like I used to be, then Berkeley Meditation is for you, too! Oh, and thanks mom for relentlessly nagging me!

The subtraction method and the helpers are what make this place incredible!
The meditation is guided by helpers who work with you to find and get rid of the mental «pictures» you’ve accumulated throughout your life. Through this process of self reflection and subtraction you discover more about yourself and eliminate the root of any stress and pain in your life.
The helpers, they’re amazing! I really feel their genuine desire to help and their dedication is second to none.
They make themselves available practically all day, every day so that it’s easier for people to fit meditation into their busy lives.
Personally, practicing this meditation has helped me calm my mind and know myself better.
Bottom line: I’ve had a very positive experience here and I’m thankful I found them.
If you’re looking to seriously meditate or are just curious, I recommend giving it a try.

This meditation has helped me have inner strength and discipline I had lost. The center also attracts very kind interesting people. I drive from Pleasanton to meditate here. The meditation helpers encourage and support all their students. They are very dedicated to helping people and it feels like a second home. I love coming to the center as they always have positive energy, and often have amazing food to eat. I seriously feel like I have a true meditation community that helps me feel strength. Maria makes amazing baked goods, Olivia makes awesome Korean food. Maria often bribes me down to the center, when I am lazy to drive with the food they make and encouragement. It’s like having a spiritual trainer. Maria and Olivia are two of the most kind people I have ever met. If you are over thinking this, stop… just go meditate. You will be glad you did.