ABOUT
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 paradoxes & possibilities of belonging through meditation, creativity and nature. I have taught classes, workshops and retreats online and in person for almost fifteen years.
I am trained as a meditation teacher, an integral coach, an Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy for Complex Trauma (IFOT) practitioner, and am a NY State licensed hiking guide. I am a devoted student of mystical traditions, including astrology. My first book, You Belong: A Call for Connection, is published by HarperOne.
Welcome to the Paradox Party!
Understanding paradox is vital to our personal well-being and our collective survival, but this requires a spiritual reconnection to ourselves, each other, and all of nature.
I talk a lot about paradox (like, a lot, a lot) because although ancient wisdom and modern science both affirm the truth that everything throughout time and space is inherently interdependent, most of us were not taught how to experience this great mystery in our everyday, mundane lives.
In addition, we can get confused by the fact that, as ancient wisdom and modern science attest, we are not separate AND we are not the same. Both things are true (that’s why it’s a paradox!).
I’ve studied meditation, spirituality, writing, and the esoteric for over thirty years and am highly skilled in teaching profound and sacred truths using contemplative, creative & culturally relevant practices that are engaging and joyful.
My Story
I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in Washington, D.C.
From a young age, I was drawn to explore the connections between creativity, culture, and contemplative life. I received a BA from McGill University in Montreal, where I studied Comparative Religious Studies and Women’s Studies. I have an MA in Media Studies from the New School in New York City, where I focused on cultural studies and race.
For over 20 years I worked with children, youth, and families nationally and internationally for small and large non-profits.
Me with the Unaccompanied Minor refugee camps team in N'Zerekore, Guinea, 2003
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 any 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, the nature within and around us, and the magic that creativity can elicit.
I have taught all over the U.S. at retreat centers, conferences and universities.
My meditations, newsletters, and courses are enjoyed by thousands of people every month. My book, You Belong, 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.
I live on the unceded territory of the Lenape* in Brooklyn, NY. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
* 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.