Hello everyone,
A few important updates and invitations for the community—here’s what’s coming up at Deep Root.
Episode 5 of Roots of Change is called “Breathe.” In class, Amara asks the question every student eventually asks: “What’s the secret to getting better at this?” Master Sheldon’s answer is simple—and surprisingly hard to remember when things get intense: breathe. As the movements get faster and the pressure rises, the reminder keeps returning like a steady drumbeat, until it shifts from something she’s being told to something she can actually feel and use. The episode is a grounded invitation to come back to the breath as your first support—because when you can breathe, you can relax, learn, and begin again.
Healing Hearts Event (Oakland)
Master Sheldon will be teaching at the upcoming Healing Hearts Event. If you’d like to practice in a wider community setting and support a beautiful local gathering, you’re warmly invited.
Learn more / register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Oakland/HealingHearts
New
Weekly Class: Sans Sau Fighting (Sundays)
We’re adding a Sans Sau Fighting class on the last Sunday of every month from 2:30–3:30 PM. Sans Sau is a practical training space—for timing, positioning, composure under pressure, and learning to stay relaxed while things move fast. If you’ve been wanting a clearer bridge between forms and real application, this is for you. This class is only for regular practitioners who can be kicked, punched, and taken down. Groin Protection and Uniform Required.
When: Last Sunday of every month, 2:30–3:30 PM
Where: 1244 23rd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606
Requirements: Current active membership, uniform, groin protection, and the ability to be kicked, punched, and taken down.
QinNa Workshop — June 27, 2026
We’re hosting a QinNa Workshop focused on the art of joint manipulation for combative applications—how to control, redirect, and neutralize safely and effectively, with clear structure and real-world context.
Event: QinNa Workshop
Date/Time: June 27, 2026 — 10:00 AM (PDT)
Cost: $75
Where: 1244 23rd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606
If you’re planning to attend, I recommend reserving your spot early so we can arrange the training space in advance.
See you in practice,
Master Sheldon
Deep Root Center for Spiritual Studies
Student Spotlight: Mani Simons
This week we’re spotlighting Mani — a Temple Guardian and a steady presence in the community, someone who shows what consistent practice looks like over time. Mani brings focus, humility, curiosity, and real care for the training space, and that kind of energy strengthens everyone in the room.
Mani came to Deep Root looking for Qigong. She hadn’t practiced it before, but she was actively searching for something that could help her slow down—something gentle, breath-led, and grounded in movement. What she found was a whole practice of mind-body-spirit work. She included the Kung Fu in her training, and that small choice had a huge rippling effect on her path.
“I was looking for a movement meditation art,” she shared. Not just to relax, but to build something more specific
: the ability to stay connected when life felt pressurized.
“I wanted to develop more agency over my choices… and my responses.”
What’s striking about Mani’s story is how clearly she names the difference between wanting peace and training peace. She didn’t need to disappear into silence to find it. She needed a container strong enough to hold real life—community, consistency, and a place to practice returning to center.
Over time, Mani noticed something else: practice moves in cycles.
There were seasons where training was more external—more intensity, more contact, more martial application. And then other seasons where the work became quieter again.
“I’m experiencing the cycles of the art,” she said, describing how what once felt like a straight climb toward a goal eventually “got dismantled.” What replaced it wasn’t confusion—it was maturity: the understanding that a lifelong practice doesn’t move in a straight line.
If you see Mani in class, take a moment to say hello and offer encouragement. We grow faster when we grow together.
Support Our Mission
Deep Root Center for Spiritual Studies has been serving Oakland since 2006, creating a welcoming space for spiritual growth, martial arts, and community wellness.
Our programs transform lives—helping students like Mani find balance, resilience, and connection.
As a small nonprofit, we rely on the support of our community to keep our doors open, offer scholarships, and expand our programs. Your contribution will help us cover essential expenses, improve facilities, and reach more people seeking healing and growth.
If you’d like to help sustain and grow our mission, please consider supporting our fundraiser— Master Sheldon
Every gift, large or small, makes a real difference and is tax-deductible. Thank you for being part of our story.
Your Voice Matters
This newsletter is your space as much as it is ours. In every issue, we highlight stories, insights, and opportunities for involvement. Have an idea, question, or story to share? We invite you to contribute—your perspective helps shape the living tradition of Deep Root.
Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. Every step you take—on and off the mat—strengthens our collective foundation. We look forward to seeing you at the next gathering and to all the discoveries ahead.
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