Dzogchen-LA Meditation at 18th Street Arts Center

Most Tuesday nights in Santa Monica are about dinner and the drive home. On October 27, 18th Street Arts Center offers something quieter: a free guided meditation in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, open to anyone who wants to sit for an hour and a half. It is a good pick if you are scanning for things to do in Los Angeles that cost nothing and ask very little of you.

What to expect

The session is part of an every-other-Tuesday series the center describes as a healing practice. The guided sessions aim to help you become aware of what the organizers call your innermost heart-essence awareness, a core idea in Dzogchen, which comes out of the Tibetan Buddhist lineage.

The center frames this as more than a weekly mind exercise. The pitch is a way of living with less grip from your own psychology and personal story, and, because this is an arts center, with less of the habitual looping that keeps creative work repeating itself. Whether you meditate daily or have never sat on a cushion, the invitation is the same. You do not need experience to join.

The session is guided by Timo Spekkens, a mindfulness, natural awareness and compassion educator who teaches and mentors at MARC-UCLA and the Dzogchen Center.

Event details

When: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Where: 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Price: Free and open to the public Format: Guided group meditation

Getting there and what to bring

18th Street Arts Center is an artist residency and gallery campus in Santa Monica, so expect a creative, low-key setting rather than a formal meditation hall. The event page does not list seating or props, so wear something comfortable and plan to arrive a few minutes early to settle in. If you need specifics on seating or accessibility, check the center's event page before you go.

Because the series meets every other Tuesday, it is an easy habit to build if the first evening works for you. If you are planning your week and looking up upcoming events in Los Angeles, this is a calm way to close out an October Tuesday on the Westside.

For a fuller picture of what is nearby, browse our Santa Monica neighborhood page and the arts and culture category.