Collecting Groups San Francisco

The Swapping of the Books📚

Let’s swap some books and hang out with fellow book lovers! Maybe have a beer or two. Bring at least one book to swap, and make sure to take any books back with you that don’t get taken. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Collective Medicine Circle | Mindfulness & Community

The Collective Medicine Circle is a monthly mindfulness circle rooted in nature, seasonal rhythms, and nervous system regulation, held in Orinda, CA. This in-person gathering offers a steady, supportive space to slow down, ground, and reconnect — with yourself, with others, and with the natural cycles that shape our lives. Guided by mindfulness practices and nature-based reflection, each circle is gently shaped by the season we are in. Together we explore grounding tools, nervous system regulation practices, and shared inquiry that support presence, resilience, and a sense of belonging. This is not a class to perform or perfect — it is a circle to arrive, exhale, and be human. The Collective Medicine Circle is ideal for those seeking stress relief, mindfulness in community, and a consistent monthly ritual for nervous system support. No prior experience with meditation or mindfulness is needed. All are welcome to come exactly as they are. This is a scent-free, trauma-informed space that honors accessibility, inclusivity, and the wisdom of moving at the pace of nature. Facilitated by Erica Skone-Rees Founder of Mind Body Sound Collective, Erica is a mindfulness teacher, nervous system regulation guide, and integrative health coach. Her work weaves mindfulness, nature-based wisdom, and trauma-informed practices to support grounding, resilience, and meaningful connection. Erica has been facilitating circles, retreats, and group experiences for over 15 years, creating spaces where people can slow down and reconnect at a human pace. Learn more: [https://www.mindbodysoundcollective.com]( https://www.mindbodysoundcollective.com Cancel) Alycia Tumlin Alycia is a women’s circle facilitator and nature-based guide who supports reconnection to inner wisdom through seasonal awareness, embodiment, and community. Her work is rooted in deep listening, presence, and honoring the rhythms of the natural world as a pathway to grounding and belonging.

Trinket Making Decompression

**Trinket Making Decompression in Oakland ✨ Saturday May 23, 3:30–5:30 pm at Temescal Library.** We’ll have materials for making items into trinkets: key chains, beads, charms, ribbons, glue and other bits to play with. Bring your own scrap treasures or pile of recycled items: broken jewelry, single earrings, weird tiny objects, all the little monsters hiding in your drawers. These little trinkets are a way to share joy with others and serve as reminders for our own inner child. Make gifts to share with the community, add to your bag and share at trinket libraries. There’ll be a sharing table if you want to swap materials, and you’re welcome to bring any art or craft project you’ve been wanting to make!

Sunday Yoga in the Park: Willard Park Yoga Collective

Join the Willard Park Yoga Collective every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at Willard Park in Berkeley! Friday online! Integrated Hatha Flow classes are based on classical Hatha, mixed with the specializations of each teacher. We flow thoughtfully through poses taking time to notice the nuances, and match movement with breath. Chrissy, Carmen, and Jess integrate somatic modalities and the eight limbs into the yoga practice to increase body and breath awareness, and regulate the nervous system. Finding all of this in the present moment, we aim to foster agency, gratitude, peace, and joy. Teaching outside further deepens the practice by connecting to Nature and the elements. All levels are welcome and will be accommodated, judgement free. *"We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness"* **Thich Nhat Hanh** \*We work on a donation-basis, making yoga more accessible to all. Come as you are, pay what you can. Your teachers: Mondays 12:30pm Jess Tuesdays 12:30pm Carmen Wednesdays 12:30pm Chrissy Thursdays 12:30pm Carmen Fridays 5:30pm Chrissy (Online in the late fall-winter. Got to event for link) Sundays 10:00am Chrissy **Meet Chrissy:** Chrissy is a 500HR-RYT, Yoga Therapist, and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist. She came to teaching yoga with a 25+ year personal practice in vinyasa and kundalini, and training in modern dance, music, and theater. She also holds certification in ECE(12unit) and Social/Emotional Learning Facilitation. Her classes are integrated Hatha flow, influenced deeply by yoga philosophy and functional strength. With an emphasis on breath and accessing the present moment, she delights in walking the line between play and prayer. Chrissy strives to honor the origins of yoga while making it accessible to every body. She acknowledges her position as white, able-bodied, and cisgendered, aiming to be inclusive and trauma informed. Her classes are donation based with no one turned away for lack of funds. Private clients are sliding scale. In lieu of a studio, Chrissy teaches on line and outside in parks on the sovereign land of the Lisjan Ohlone. *Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu* May all beings be happy, healthy, and free. May we contribute to that. [https://chrissyyoga.com/](https://chrissyyoga.com/#home) **Meet Jess:** Jess is an artist and an athlete. At the beginning of her ceramics trajectory, working as a studio tech at a college clay studio, she realized she needed to be strong to load kilns and make large batches of clay. The physicality of her art became a driving reason to care for her body and its functional strength and mobility. Strength, agility, balance, flexibility and injury prevention (and recovery) were all things she found her personal yoga practice improved. In 2015 she became a certified 200 HR-RYT through Core Power and in 2021 she received a second 200 HR-RYT from Purusha Yoga. Jess guides a vinyasa flow based practice, with an emphasis on linking breath to movement and being in the present during practice. Jess teaches yoga in Willard Park and on the SF Bay on stand up paddle boards. She owns her own stand up paddleboard company, 510-Waterline, in Richmond, CA. [https://www.510waterline.com/](https://www.510waterline.com/). And she currently makes pots at her home studio in Berkeley, CA. teaches adult ceramic classes, workshops and has exhibited her work internationally. What she says in her artist statement about her pots also applies to her yoga practice “Strength lies in the fluidity of opposites – of line and mass, contraction and relaxation, tension and softness, push and pull. Ultimately, I want my pots to be graceful, elegant, and straightforward. It’s all about strength and beauty.”[ https://www.jesspots.com/](https://www.jesspots.com/) **Meet Carmen:** Carmen has long believed in the body's innate wisdom and capacity for resilience. In her work as a Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner she helps this wisdom to emerge and transform. She completed her 500 hour (RYT) Yoga Therapy training at Purusha Yoga in San Francisco, a three-year professional Somatic Experiencing® training at Somatic Experiencing International®, is a certified Veterans Yoga Project teacher, as well as a trained wellness coach with the Kresser Institute. Carmen is currently teaching group yoga classes and offering private integrative somatic therapy and somatic wellness coaching sessions. Her mission as a yoga teacher is to create a safe and supportive environment for her students to explore the eight limbs of Raja Yoga, while cultivating resiliency and a deeper connection to self. Carmen also co-facilitates wellness retreats, and works individually with clients offering integrated somatic therapy sessions. [https://carmencasado.com/](https://carmencasado.com/)

East Bay Women's Book Club May Meetup: Best Offer Wins

Hello, fellow female readers -- The book for the May Meetup is 'Best Offer Wins,' by Marisa Kashino, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick and An ELLE Best Mystery/Thriller. For those of you who are new, I will send out the address to my house by Monday, May 18. Looking forward to gathering together and discussing the book. Bonnie

Diane Arbus - Critique Workshop / B&W Photo Walk, Beauty Pageant

Ingelside Sundial off Ocean . Check the map below.

This historic sundial was built on an old race track and now is a park with benches and urns on columns. No restrooms unless you walk over to Ocean Ave. check the map and see where I pinned it.

May Podcast Club Discussion: Art Crimes

In May, we're talking about Art Crimes: From graffiti and forged paintings to looted antiquities, stolen comics, and NFT scams, this playlist looks at the many ways visual art can become entangled with money, status, and crime. Looking forward to discussing this topic with you all! **How It Works:** * We often follow the Podcast Brunch Club listening lists covering a different topic each month. Members can also make suggestions for future topics. **Be sure to check the monthly Meetup event to see what we're listening to!** * Listening lists are composed of episode selections related to the month's theme and are pulled from a variety of shows. And we love to include some recommendations too! * Finishing the recommended listening list is not a requirement to attend. Listen to as many or few of the suggested episodes as you would like. * We will have an unstructured, informal discussion of the selections and the month's theme. **This Month's Topic:** These episodes travel through street art, galleries, museums, private collections, and digital marketplaces, revealing how value gets assigned, who gets protected, and who gets exploited when images and objects become powerful commodities. **Here's a link to the Spotify playlist:** [https://bit.ly/spotify-artcrimes](https://bit.ly/spotify-artcrimes) **The Playlist - Suggested Episodes:** * ***The Economics of Everyday Things*: [“26. Grafitti”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OgjDpW6swSKIDujcu9ZEp?si=6a3ac8f6a45c4e98%E2%80%9D)** *(November 2023, 14 min)* A brisk look at graffiti’s origins, evolution, and economics, asking how one person’s vandalism becomes another’s public art. * ***Reveal*: [“Fancy Galleries, Fake Art”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7t9DNln3Dq4BZDpbfK5u5l?si=5a7f69c7575348de%E2%80%9D)** *(December 2025, 58 min)* This episode investigates a massive art forgery scandal involving fake paintings sold through high-end New York galleries as works by major artists. It also follows the trail of a Nazi-looted painting, showing how questions of provenance, ownership, and accountability continue to haunt the art world. * ***Dynamite Doug*: [“Episode 1: Greatest Art Heist”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cFs8DSkUA7LXm1cdD4obu?si=6609bb86f25c44d1%E2%80%9D)** *(February 2023, 27 min)* This episode traces Douglas Latchford’s rise in the world of Cambodian antiquities as stolen cultural heritage made its way into elite Western collections. It shows how looting can be recast as prestige collecting when museums, dealers, and wealthy buyers help legitimize the trade. * ***Stealing Superman*: [“Episode 01 – Beads of Sweat”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZXV61aoywyZPreZ33Ivyi?si=70954f069f8e4ca2%E2%80%9D)** *(November 2022, 48 min)* When a rare and enormously valuable comic disappears from Nicolas Cage’s collection, the theft kicks off a strange and compelling mystery. The episode expands the idea of art crime beyond galleries and museums, into the world of collectibles, fandom, and celebrity. * ***The Art of Crime*: [“The Adventure of the Libelous Painter (Crimes of New York)”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fAsQiBA6sWe9fjHYuEEOc?si=42d29e12f4ee40e1%E2%80%9D)** *(November 2024, 44 min)* This historical episode follows a feud between a painter and his patron that escalates when the artist creates and auctions off an insulting portrait. What follows is a fascinating case in which visual art becomes the basis for criminal libel. **Bonus Episodes:** * *[WSJ Tech News Briefing](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oyHqrhx3mOn9s3ze9jJ1l?si=88694fb761f44815)*[: “NFT Art Presents New Frontier for Fraudsters”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oyHqrhx3mOn9s3ze9jJ1l?si=88694fb761f44815) *(August 2021, 14 min)* A short look at how NFT art opened up new opportunities for scams and fraud, proving that even in digital spaces, the old art-world problems still apply. * *[Freakonomics Radio](https://open.spotify.com/episode/45BUuAcKaWnmLCzsmtGmM7?si=f081814a92be40a3)*[: “The Case of the $4 Million Dollar Gold Coffin”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/45BUuAcKaWnmLCzsmtGmM7?si=f081814a92be40a3) *(May 2023, 53 min)* A sharp, investigative look at how a looted Egyptian antiquity ended up at the Met, using repatriation, celebrity, and museum power to expose how stolen cultural heritage gets legitimized. * *[Empty Frames](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VQVDhahMH32A9boAbShYV?si=e1e1153a06764eae)*[: “New // Louvre Heist”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VQVDhahMH32A9boAbShYV?si=e1e1153a06764eae) *(November 2025, 32 min)* This episode breaks down a recent Louvre jewel heist with enough detail to feel grounded, while the hosts’ conversational style keeps the story moving. * *[Hashtag History](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Gr8c0HsHrLiASn53CcXEv?si=5723445bff904d8b)*[: “EP44: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Theft”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Gr8c0HsHrLiASn53CcXEv?si=5723445bff904d8b) *(September 2020, 43 min)* Despite its tangents, this episode gives the most detailed and accessible overview on the list of the infamous Gardner Museum theft, still the largest unsolved art heist in history. * *[Art Crime Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lRKkjvHXH3KPQN07V0MYW?si=116ae82b98c24bc4)*[: “The Georgia O’Keeffe 10th Episode Spectacular!”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lRKkjvHXH3KPQN07V0MYW?si=116ae82b98c24bc4) *(March 2021, 47 min)* Less focused on the theft itself than the others, this episode is most interesting for the way it connects Georgia O’Keeffe’s stolen work to larger questions about gender, visibility, and which art crimes get remembered. * *[Wine & Crime Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6245eSfBZHkUWzai78Cgwr?si=84a8aeb17682493a)*[: “Ep80 Art Theft”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6245eSfBZHkUWzai78Cgwr?si=84a8aeb17682493a) *(August 2018, 1 hr 39 min)* This loose, funny, and very long episode closes out the bonus list with a broader, boozier tour through cultural property theft and the strange stories that surround it.

🧩 It's a Puzzle & Lunch Party! -- The Game Parlour

🧩 **It's a Puzzle & Lunch Party! -- The Game Parlour** 🔆 You're invited to this lively gathering where we'll laugh and chat over lunch and work on small, beautiful individual wood puzzles. After the satisfying snap of your pieces all clicking together, your assembled creation will go home with you. ▪︎ **Easy parking** ▪︎ **1.5 blocks from an N-Judah stop** ▪︎ **I'll bring all the puzzle supplies.** **HERE ARE THE DETAILS:** ▪︎ **A $9 fee** for your wood puzzle is payable to me through Venmo or PayPal. **(Message me for my link.)** **▪︎ When I receive your payment, I'll move you off the waitlist.** ▪︎ Note: Game Parlour will also charge each of us $7 to use their space. We can stay as long as we wish. 🍒 **For lunch, the Game Parlour offers** a delicious waffle-centric and gluten-free menu that includes savory mochi waffle sandwiches, sweet mochi waffle creations, and fancy coffee, too. Vegan options are available. ▪︎ **PLEASE don't be a no-show.** If your plans change, remember to update your RSVP prior to the event. ▪︎ **This is a space-limited event.** A late cancelation will count as a no-show.

The Berkeley Rose Garden & Cragmont Rock Park Walk

**This walk is very special because 2 years ago we found out that the Berkeley Rose Garden times its roses to all bloom at the same time: in the month of May. This walk is especially good for photographers!** **Half of my walks are free. For this May 23rd walk I am asking for $5 cash per adult. I don't collect it until the middle of the walk and children are always free.** **Sometimes there it can be exciting with crowds of people taking photos and posing with the roses for photos. Roses of every color were there.** **This walk is open for RSVPs. Attendance limit is 70. One guest per attendee allowed if put on the RSVP. Bring a sack lunch and enough water. Near our starting point there are cafes and sandwich places where one can buy food.** **Take a look at 48 photos taken on our May 31st, 2025, Walk.** **Link below:** [The Berkeley Rose Garden & Cragmont Rock Park Walk (May 31, 2025) Photos](https://www.meetup.com/walking-in-sf/photos/35382214/) **Below are 92 photos taken on our May 18th, 2024, Walk. Link below:** [https://www.meetup.com/walking-in-sf/photos/34540010/](https://www.meetup.com/walking-in-sf/photos/34540010/) **At 11:15 AM we will meet in front of the Berkeley Main Library which is close to the Berkeley Downtown BART Station. Both buildings have restrooms. We expect to start walking at 11:25 AM.** **We will eat our sack lunches at the Berkeley Rose Garden. Bringing water is essential. but it is also a good idea to bring paper towels as some restrooms lack paper.** **We will walk to areas around and also North of the Rose Garden to our furthest North and highest point, Cragmont Rock Park.** **Then this hard uphill walk becomes easy as we walk South, all downhill. We will walk several stairways and passageways and visit the Berkeley Art Center near Live Oak Park. I estimate the distance at 5 miles or less & we return to our starting point at 4:15 PM.** **Below is a brand new ink to a site about the Berkeley Rose Garden:** https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/parks-recreation/parks/berkeley-rose-garden-park **This walking group is for humans only. No dogs or other animals allowed.** **Some legal disclaimers:** **By joining us for any event you hereby RELEASE and DISCHARGE it's organizers, hosts and participants from any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action that you now have, or may have in the future, for injuries, damages, death and/or economic loss of any kind or nature, arising in whole or in part out of the activities, advice or information contained herein. You further agree that if you or someone under your supervision uses the information on this website you assume all risks of injury, damage, and economic loss, without limitation, and release providers from all liability therefore. It is advisable to consult a doctor before you begin any strenuous physical activity. The organizer is not trained for emergency medical procedures and no doctors, nurses or ambulances are provided on the walks.**

Backpack in Spectacular Palisades Creek Trail

4 beautiful waterfalls! This is the Yosemite of Northern California without the crowds. After you RSVP. text 530-450-5768 to coordinate a call to discuss the trip, your experience, fitness etc. Please include your phone number and times that work for you for a call. We will meet at trailhead at Cascade Lake on 5/22 and camp there. On May 23rd we will backpack from the trailhead of Palisades Creek trail at Cascade Lake to the North Fork of the American River, 7 miles, all downhill and camp by a wonderful waterfall. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/palisades-creek-trail--2 (Note that there are two Palisades Creek trails. We are doing the one from that is all trail NOT the one that has scrambling. ) On May 24th we will enjoy the river and the waterfalls. We will camp another at beautiful waterfall one mile 500 gain above the river. On May 25th we will backpack out 6 miles and 2,000 gain. I Kathi Simonsen reserve the sole right to modify the trip itinerary as I deem necessary at any time. * PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETUP AFFIRMS THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREED TO THE FULL LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY on [Meetup’s Backpackers of the American West's website](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5vagycqs7imueqnm4foud/Backpackers-of-the-American-West-Rules-and-Regulations-3-9-25.pdf?rlkey=q84l4kchrawlfa0yyugvkhvjo&st=zm3zzw76&dl=0).

Wildflower Field Trips on Ring Mountain, Tiburon

**Leader: Alison Pence or Karen Madsen** Join Ring Mountain Docents Alison Pence and Karen Madsen for short wildflower forays 10 am to 12:30. See schedule below. Each few weeks different wildflowers become showy. There are two possible meeting locations off Paradise Road in Tiburon. **Please check which trailhead to meet at for the date you plan to go.** See map below. · **Taylor Road Trailhead** **off** Paradise Dr. From Taylor Road Trailhead, the group will walk out and back about 2 miles. · **Phyllis Ellman Trailhead** **on** Paradise Dr. The Phyllis Ellman/Loop trail hike is about 2.5 miles, with about 600 feet of elevation gain and drop. | | **Date** | **Time** | **Name/location** | **Leader** | | --- | ---- | ---- | ------------- | ------ | | Sun. | 4/5/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | | Thurs. | 4/23/26 | 10-12:30 | Paradise Dr. - Phyllis Ellman Trailhead | Karen Madsen | | Sun. | 5/24/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | | Tues. | 5/26/26 | 10-12:30 | Paradise Dr. - Phyllis Ellman Trailhead | Karen Madsen | | Sun. | 6/7/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | **Bring:** Water, lunch/snack, rain gear, and hiking poles if desired. **If you have not done so already, please sign the** [CNPS Marin 2026 Waiver](https://app.waiversign.com/e/605434825bd9a600198d4bcc/doc/605436925bd9a600198d4c79,6791226ab8771f0012d5789c?eventName=CNPS%20Marin%202026%20Waiver) **Note**: Destructive invasive plant pathogens and weed seeds can be transported to sensitive plant habitats when contaminated soil or plant material is shed from footwear, equipment (such as hiking poles), and other personal items. See these 2 brochures for how you can minimize your impact. [Pocket Guide - Every Step Counts](https://cc.cnps.org/phytophthora/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/PROTECT-OUR-NATURAL-AREAS-011525.pdf) and [Cleanliness Tips for Hikers](https://cc.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/CC-06/Trail-user-start-clean-stay-clean-ver5-16-23.pdf)