WRITER · TEACHER · SPEAKER

Hi, I’m Sebene (said like Seven-A with a b instead of a v). I am a writer, teacher, and speaker who explores the themes of belonging, resilience and well-being through meditation, creativity and nature. I have taught classes, workshops and retreats online and in person for over a decade.

I help spiritually curious people remember and trust that they belong – first to themselves, then (like it or not) to everyone else, and ultimately to nature, mystery & joy. I am known for my relational and relatable way of teaching profound material.

Our many global crises are calling for change, for revolution. But, as bell hooks said: “If you’re f’ed up and you lead the revolution, you’re going to have a f’ed up revolution.” This is why doing the inner work of awakening is crucial to our collective evolution.

AND, I believe the revolution will not be desacralized. Indigenous wisdom and contemporary science both tell us that we live inside an interdependent universe of great mystery. As moderns, most of us are disconnected from the fundamentally numinous nature of life. This disconnection from the wonder and awe of our world is one of our core traumas, personally and collectively. Communicating the truth and miracle of our cosmic belonging is my life’s work.

We are not separate and we are not the same; we are interconnected and we are individuals; we are universal and we are unique. AND… we live within an enchanted cosmos. I believe these paradoxes are portals into the possibilities that will help us heal and transform both individually and collectively. Welcome to the paradox party!

I lead meditation, creativity, & nature-based practices that center embodiment, honor our varied experiences, and invite imagination, intuition & magic as catalysts for change. I teach workshops, courses, and retreats that guide people to the love, joy, and freedom possible within and between us.

The primary way you can regularly connect to me is through my newsletter, Ancestors to Elements, which I send on new and full moons. My newsletter is less updates, more essays — and I create a collage for each email. On 4 full moons a year, I offer an “advice column” called In My Experience... where, I do NOT offer "advice" but speak from my experience (because I can't purport to know what's right for you).

I'm occasionally on the Instagrams.

My Story

Growing up, I felt like a big weirdo. I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. I was a tomboy, immigrant, Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40, explored Asian philosophy, and did not go to prom. I never believed I belonged. But I do. So do you.

In fact, we all belong to each other and to all things (whether we want to or not) . Our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything. Our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. There are ancient traditions and modern creative contemplative practices that can reconnect us to these truths of belonging.

I am drawn to explore the connections between creativity, culture, and contemplative life. I received a BA from McGill University where I studied Comparative Religious Studies and Women’s Studies. I have an MA in Media Studies from the New School where I focused on cultural studies and race. I am trained as a meditation teacher, an integral coach and an Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy (IFOT) practitioner. I am a devoted student of mystical traditions including astrology.

For over 20 years I worked with children, youth, and families nationally and internationally for small and large not for profits. My work has taken me everywhere from the Tenderloin in San Francisco to refugee camps in Guinea, West Africa. I believe in the power of arts-based learning and I have planned, coordinated, and taught a variety of creative programs including intergenerational photography, digital storytelling, and youth media.

As someone who has lived with cancer for almost 20 years, I’ve learned that healing is more than just stopping a disease or condition; it is learning to nurture ease and well-being within our bodies, hearts, and minds in every moment and welcome mystery into our lives. Rumi said “through love all pain will turn to medicine.” Some of the strongest medicine for ourselves and our communities is the self–care we often neglect and the magic it can elicit.

I am a licensed hiking guide with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. I live on the unceded territory of the Lenape* in Brooklyn, NY. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

My first book, You Belong: A Call for Connection (HarperOne, 2020) is used in curricula at UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley Law School, Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s Mindfulness Teacher Training Certificate Program and many other schools and trainings.

* If you live in a settler colonial state, you might be able to find out who the indigenous people of your area are through native-land.ca As a move beyond perfunctory land acknowledgement, I regularly donate 10% of my online workshop/course income to the Manna-hatta Fund.

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