welcome to the paradox party!

about

Photo by Nicole Mondestin

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-based practices.

I believe 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.

It’s become cliche to say we live in intense times. And we really do. The world is rife with inequalities, divisions, and violence. The systems stink!

Like many of you, I aspire to create positive impact. I also long to be joyfully free. In my experience, personal & collective transformations are deeply intertwined and they both require spiritual maturity.The revolution will not be desacralized!

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 sacred mystery in our everyday, mundane lives. Einstein told us over 100 years ago that “time is a persistent illusion,” but it’s hard for us to truly accept this reality. Also, we don’t understand the math. In addition, we can get confused by the seemingly contradictory fact that, as ancient wisdom and modern science attest, we are not separate AND we are not the same. Both things are true. Welcome to the paradox party!

I’ve studied meditation, spirituality, art, and the esoteric for over thirty years and am gifted at teaching profound truths using contemplative, creative & culturally relevant practices that are engaging and joyful. 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. I’m a nerdy-immigrant-weirdo and a collage artist (see below). Mindfulness is my jam.

My first book, You Belong: A Call for Connection, is published by HarperOne.

I live on the unceded territory of the Lenape* in Brooklyn, NY.

My pronouns are she/her/hers.

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. In high school, you could find me in the open space atrium singing a cappella harmonies with friends, raptly watching the entire Eyes On the Prize series about the civil rights movement, or practicing palm reading. I was that weird Black girl who was good at physics, loved Monty Python, and spent her free time in art museums.I led my first meditation session for an East Asian studies class in twelfth grade (and I am relieved there’s no footage).

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. 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 while welcoming 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.

Photo by Kyle Espeleta

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 make a collage for every new and full moon newsletter. I began this practice in 2022 and it’s allowed me to integrate art and writing — both of which are part of my larger spiritual practice. You can read a little about my process here.

You’ll see a few of my collages on this website, or you can receive them twice a month by signing up for my newsletter. 

*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.

website design by kening zhu