Meditation & Teaching Events
Where You’ll Find Franz
Franz shares the Dharma through community teachings, meditation events, and interfaith gatherings in Long Beach, CA. His approach is rooted in warmth, accessibility, and the belief that practice belongs to everyone. He regularly teaches at Long Beach Meditation Center and InsightLA, and can be hired to create meaningful ceremonies, blessings, and community programs.
Regular meditation classes and retreats rooted in metta (loving-kindness).
Guided meditations and Dharma talks, with a community dedicated to everyday practice.
Franz is available for teachings, ceremonies, interfaith and corporate programs.
Recurring Offerings
Long Beach, CA
Come As You Are (Weekly Meditation)
Franz curates and shares his favorite Buddhist meditation teachings gathered from all over the world, mainly from the Theravada and Dzogchen traditions. Learn and practice time honored methods of relaxation, mental and emotional regulation, experiential clarity, and interpersonal and intrapersonal connectivity. Basic techniques are explained and demonstrated.
Come As You Are is a class suitable for all levels of experience and is held both in person and online. All are welcome and no one is turned away for lack of funds. There will be spirited discussions, laughs, insights, tea, and sometimes cookies!
Weekly meditations are held every Monday evening 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM at Long Beach Meditation.
Long Beach, CA
Retreats
Franz regularly offers half and full day retreats at a variety of meditation centers.
These give you the dedicated space and time to explore ancient teachings and modern techniques, providing an opportunity to go deep and break through to a richer, expanded experience of your practice and your life.
Long Beach, CA
Full Moon Uposatha (Quarterly)
The Full Moon Uposatha is an ancient Buddhist tradition dating back over 2,600 years, when the Buddha encouraged his students to gather in community and meditate together.
Franz has carried this tradition forward, leading candlelit evenings of guided and silent meditation, Buddhist chants, and readings from the Buddha’s life and teachings. This evening meditation is held quarterly in Long Beach, California. It is a powerful time to deepen practice and realign with one’s highest intentions. Open to all, these gatherings offer an evening of peace, reflection, and community.
Join us for our next Full Moon Uposatha
May 2, 2026 at Long Beach Meditation
Ceremonies with Franz
Holding Space for Your Special Day
It is Franz’s honor and joy to officiate weddings and meaningful life ceremonies. Each ceremony is co-crafted with care, blending your unique story with elements of mindfulness, compassion, and presence.
Love is love. We warmly welcome LGBTQIA+ couples, interfaith and secular ceremonies, bilingual families, and blended cultures. Your story is honored here—exactly as you are.
Annual & Seasonal Events
Long Beach, CA
Beach Clean Up & Meditation
This is a family-friendly affair held quarterly on a Saturday at 9:30 AM, rain or shine. Volunteers are invited to meet at Rosie’s Dog Beach and help clean the shoreline of the Belmont Pier and the Peninsula. Help protect aquatic wildlife along the Long Beach coast by volunteering to remove trash before it pollutes our coastal waters.
After the cleanup, a free 30-minute guided meditation is led by Franz or one of Long Beach Meditation’s teachers. Participants explore both standing and walking meditation, allowing yourself to immerse in the sights. This event is co-sponsored by Long Beach Meditation and community activist Justin Rudd’s Community Action Team, since 1999.
Long Beach, CA
Blessing of the Animals
The annual Blessing of the Animals is a free public gathering welcoming pets of all kinds—from dogs and cats to horses and even pot-bellied pigs. Since 2002, it has grown into one of the largest blessings of its kind in the world. It is held annually each fall in Long Beach, California.
Franz joins a circle of diverse spiritual leaders to honor the interconnection of all beings. The ceremony begins with a vigil for beloved pets who have passed, followed by reflections and individual blessings offered by clergy from multiple traditions. A joyful, heartfelt event celebrating compassion for animals and the communities who love them.
Long Beach, CA
Interfaith Service
Hosted by Temple Israel Long Beach, the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service brings together a diverse circle of spiritual leaders and community members in a shared spirit of gratitude. Franz joined clergy from Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, and Latter-day Saint traditions to offer reflections and prayers of thanksgiving.
The service blends spoken word with music, weaving together spiritual perspectives and song to create a collective sense of unity and appreciation. It serves as a moving reminder of how gratitude transcends traditions and brings communities together.
Franz is honored to share the Dharma in diverse communities and settings. If you’d like to bring his teachings to your gathering, interfaith service, or special event, he welcomes the opportunity to connect.
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