Spirituality Matters by Steven Libowitz “Spirituality Matters” highlights two or three Santa Barbara area spiritual gatherings. Unusual themes and events with that something extra, especially newer ones looking for a boost in attendance, receive special attention. For consideration for inclusion in this column, email slibowitz@yahoo.com.
In Touch with Cuddle & Connect
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anta Barbara is getting its first taste of the burgeoning movement in “touch therapy” and an entryway into the worldwide Cuddle Community this weekend via a new Meetup. Cuddle & Connection, which takes place this Saturday evening at a private Mission Canyon home that often hosts concerts and other events, allows participants to experience a platonic, safe, nurturing environment to feel the restoring power of human touch. Amber York, a Platonic Touch therapist who recently became a certified cuddler trained at both the Cuddle Sanctuary in Los Angeles and Cuddle Up to Me in Oregon – which allows her to also offer private cuddle sessions – is the lead cuddle facilitator. The workshop begins with a welcome circle and safety container training with clear guidelines before moving into Cuddle Flows followed by a closing circle. Previous “practice” cuddles conducted for gatherings of friends and colleagues created profound experiences for participants – even among those who have spent years as trainers
or self-growth workshop leaders – because the idea of platonic cuddling is so foreign to our society despite our need for human touch. The Cuddles ease participants through the shy phase by a series of non-touch exercises followed by a practice of learning how to offer or request a hug or even just the touch of a hand, pausing to determine to what extent of touching feels appropriate, and even feeling comfortable and confident in refusing requests without fear of hurting someone else’s feelings. York stressed that everything at the Cuddle is optional – no touch is required at anytime, and all exchanges of any kind are mutually consensual. You are invited to participate solely by observation if that is your choice. But the cuddling itself is the gravy, and there’s no telling the reaction you might have to participating in any manner of non-sexual contact, from hugs to sitting back to back, or lying together on the ground, or even spooning. “It’s about finding how to connect authentically with each other,”
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explained York. “No matter who you are or where you come from or how old you are, what we all have in common is a body. And we all usually want to have more warmth in our lives. Cuddle & Connect may not always be a yummy-gooey connection with everyone, but it is a way to interface with each other respectfully. You’ll learn how to experience appropriate closeness.” Cuddle & Connect takes place 6 to 8:30 pm Saturday, August 20, at 2765 W. Las Encinas Lane. Admission is $15 with advance reservation (by Thursday) or $20 at the door. Bring a favorite blankie or pillow, if desired, and non-alcoholic drink or food to share at the optional potluck at 5:30 pm. Call or email York at 450-2907 or CuddleandConnection@gmail.com, or visit www.meetup.com/Cuddle-andConnection-Santa-Barbara.
Swami Celebration
Reverend Vidya Vonne and reverend Jivana Heyman team up to commemorate the 14th anniversary of Sri Swami Satchidananda experiencing Mahasamadhi – the death of the human body and the transcendence of the spirit of a realized master – by celebrating his life and the teachings he shared. The evening includes a discussion followed by a puja (Eastern worship service), and kirtan (chanting of the names of the Divine, with special guest Jacob Duran). Both are sacred practices of Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion, which allow us to transcend our mind and connect with the divine directly in our hearts. The Friday, August 19 event at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center takes place 7 to 8:30 pm and admission is by donation. Lalli Dana Drobny’s next monthly installment of Mindfulness Matters – Befriend Your Own Goodness takes place at the Yoga Center from 1 to 3:30 pm on Sunday, September 4, perhaps ironically the afternoon before Labor Day. Each workshop is intended to grow and nurture our qualities of clarity and kindness toward ourselves by inviting us to slow down and pay attention inside and out. Participants play with simple practices that foster making wiser choices – choosing awareness instead of worry, focus instead of busy-ness, and self-compassion instead of self-hatred. By tapping into the power of our own goodness, we can respond to both opportunities and challenges with greater strength, creativity, and ease. The Santa Barbara Yoga Center is located at 32 E. Micheltorena St. Call 965-6045 or visit www.santabarbarayogacenter.com.
The Gifts of Grace
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Miranda Macpherson’s Surrendering Into Grace – featuring a • The Voice of the Village •
talk and satsang – takes place from 7 to 9 pm next Thursday, August 25, at Yoga Soup, 28 Parker Way. The author of Boundless Love and The Heart of Being mantra CD offers the evening about how the practice of ego relaxation can usher us into a receptive state where we are found by a presence deeper than our minds. This state, called grace, is the ground of our being, and directly liberates unnecessary suffering and stress patterns, reconnects us to the inherent joy, beauty, peace, and majesty of our true nature, offering a path back to right relationship with life and the qualities needed to deepen and thrive. Macpherson, who comes from a deeply feminine approach, leads the “Awakening Love & Wisdom” sangha in Northern California, and offers extensive online programs through The Shift Network. The workshop costs $20 in advance, or $25 dayof. Details online at www.yogasoup.com/ surrendering-into-grace or call 9658811. Shane Thunder brings his 432hz Sound Healing back to Yoga Soup on Friday, August 26. The restorative evening employs alchemical gemstone and Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, drums, aromatherapy, and guided meditation to take you into a deeply meditative and rebalanced state. The sound bath is intended to cleanse and purge emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual blocks. The goal is that as the chakras are cleansed and purified, the body, mind, and spirit can have a blissful, transforming, and uplifting experience. Students will likely leave feeling more grounded, aligned, and balanced. The 7:30 to 9 pm event costs $20 in advance, $25 day of. Visit www. yogasoup.com/432hz-sound-healing or call 965-8811.
Montecito Chair Yoga
It’s common to see folks sitting around at the Montecito Library perusing magazines or taking in a few chapters of a new novel. But later this month, you can enrich more than just your mind without ever getting out of your seat. Julee Shea, founder of A la Carte Wellness Agency and co-founder of Nourish Santa Barbara, is teaching a one-hour session called “Chair Yoga: How to Balance Mind, Body, and Spirit” on Saturday, August 27. The class will cover the benefits of chair yoga and the breath for healthy well-being, offering tips on how to rid the mind of chatter and focus on what’s really important in life. The class takes place from 2 to 3 pm at the Montecito Library, a branch of the Santa Barbara Public Library System, at 1469 East Valley Road. Preregister for the free event by calling 969-5063. For more information, visit www.SBPLibrary.org. •MJ 18 – 25 August 2016