Dive into Silence

Sunburst Sanctuary scheduled its popular annual silent meditation retreat long before the flames and flood afflicted Montecito and environs. And while our chatter-filled minds make it seem like staying quiet for a weekend could be cause for anxiety, perhaps quiet contemplation in the community is the perfect elixir for these challenging circumstances. Whatever the impetus, the Dive into Silence retreat aims to help people reconnect with themselves and rediscover the peace, joy, and healing available in the present moment, which then ultimately also leads to greater connection with one another and with nature.

The retreat, which has been extended an extra day this year, includes restorative yoga, guided meditations, instruction in mindfulness practices such as walking meditation in the manner taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, nourishing meals, and more. There is unstructured time each afternoon to rest, journal, meditate, join in a silent project of creating mandalas together, walk Sunburst’s Hopi labyrinth, or simply enjoy the view of the expansive property from Sunburst’s “sacred spaces for solitude” that have been designated for the weekend.

Dive into Silence is organized as a group retreat so that people feel one another’s support in going into a quieter mode. Sharing the same intention makes it easier to stick with it when we might otherwise be tempted to indulge in small talk, check Facebook or email, or engage in some other distraction of everyday life. But, as Sharon Ray, one of the retreat’s facilitators explains, the goal isn’t simply to not talk. The “magic” comes from what we’re doing instead – becoming mindful of the present moment, aware of the richness and aliveness of what is happening right here and right now, letting our stories about the past or our hopes and fears for the future fade from conscious thought.

Dive into Silence starts with dinner on Thursday, February 15, and ends with the weekly 10:30 am Sunday meditation service followed by brunch on February 18 (see below). The cost is by sliding-scale donation of $175 to $250, plus lodging or camping (commuting is okay). Call or email the Sunburst office at 736-6528 or contactus@sunburst.org. Register by this Wednesday, February 7.

(Your intrepid columnist has signed up to attend, while freely admitting he’s somewhat terrified by the prospect of three days of not talking, as even three minutes of silence can be a tough task for him in group settings – or even alone, except when he’s sleeping, and sometimes not even then. Look for a full report in this space after the retreat.)

Sundays at Sunburst

Sunburst also opens its facilities for a peaceful, joyous meditation service each Sunday at 10:30 am for live music and song, an inspirational talk, and silent meditation followed by a homemade brunch and guided hike, including the outdoor labyrinth and gardens. Families are welcome, with children’s service offered for ages 4+. Visit www.sunburst.org for the weekly topic.

Soup up the Healing

Montecito resident Diana Raab has been teaching her writing workshops locally and around the country for years, most recently after the publication last fall of her book Writing for Bliss. Now, in the wake of the fire and floods, Raab – who wrote the graceful column The Mindful Word about her own and neighbor’s experiences during the ordeals in last week’s Montecito Journal – is offering “Writing for Healing” at Yoga Soup, 28 Parker Way, from 2 to 4 pm on Saturday, February 3. The gathering is intended to help attendees find their voice on the page, become inspired in a safe and nurturing environment, and learn how writing can help you heal and transform through difficult times. All are encouraged to reflect upon what you’ve been experiencing during the recent fires and mudslides, set intentions, and write about what’s going on in your body, mind, and soul as you remember that having compassion for yourself and others frees you to move forward. Journals and pens will be provided. Free. Donations will be given to www.sbfirefightersalliance.org.

Sunday brings an “Afternoon of Community Healing” to the Soup, as first responders, firefighters, heads of community organizations, direct victims of the fire and mudslides, and anyone who has been impacted by the recent events are invited to the 2 to 5:30 pm gathering to clear the stress, grief, and trauma. Among the free offerings from local health practitioners are Maya Shaw Gail‘s trauma clearing and mindful reconnecting, Acupuncture and herbal support with Mark Ruskin, L.CC, healing shock and trauma with PHH from Valarie Girard, D.C., Sarah Uma‘s movement therapy and spiritual guidance, Angelic Support from Lucinda Rae-Prayer, healing music from singer-songwriter Nicola Gordon, and healing presence with Anya Burckhard – plus sessions of EFT Tapping, Healing Touch, and Reiki. Others wanting to offer support on Sunday afternoon as well as gifts or donations are invited to call Ms Uma at 448-7558 or email sarahuma33@gmail. Call Yoga Soup at 965-8811 or visit www.yogasoup.com.

Stronger Together II

More than six weeks have passed since the Thomas Fire blanketed the area in smoke and caused commercial chaos during the important holiday season. It’s been three weeks and change since the massive Montecito mudslide, and the village has been repopulated with those whose homes weren’t destroyed or so badly damaged as to preclude occupancy. But grieving and healing still abound in the area.

Impact Hub’s first Stronger Together event in mid-January offered a vast wealth of community resources, from chiropractors and massage therapists to grief counselors and meditation leaders, plus music, food, and refreshments available to anyone in the community seeking support or merely connection. Now the co-working/community space is doing it again, this Saturday, February 3, from 11 am to 3 pm, when the downtown destination will become community central for continuing the healing process. Drop by 1117 State Street anytime during the four-hour event to decompress, connect, and gain access to resources to carry on the healing process. Free.

Also coming to the Hub: a Casino Night fundraiser to benefit the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide victims from 6 to 10 pm on Friday, February 16. Enjoy casino table games including roulette, craps, poker and blackjack, plus a raffle, live DJ, photo booth, hors d’oeuvres, and more. Guests are encouraged to wear red for Community Unity. Tickets $10 to $20. Call 284-0078 or visit www.impacthubsb.com/events.

5Rhythms to Fight Fire and Move Past Mud

Heeraa Sazevich, a lifelong dancer and meditator with a B.A. in Theater Arts from UCLA, is also a 5RTA-certified teacher of the 5Rhythms who has danced the 5Rhythms since 1997, participating in many workshops with the source of the practice, Gabrielle Roth. The 5Rhythms – Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness – are states of being achieved through the dance practice, considered a map to everywhere, on all planes of consciousness, inner and outer, forward and back, physical, emotional, and intellectual. The goal is to let go of all separation and feel wholly connected, to disappear in the dance, and plug into the state of luminous being. That’s certainly something we could all use after a harrowing couple of months of fire and mudslides.

Sazevich is coming to Santa Barbara this weekend for a two-day workshop at Santa Barbara Dance Center, 127 West Canon Perdido Street, that is open to all levels of experience and abilities. The Friday, February 2, introductory session takes place from 6:30 to 9 pm, while the in-depth workshop runs 1 to 6:30 pm on Saturday. Admission is $25 on Friday, $99 for Saturday only, or $109 for the full weekend. Visit www.5rhythms-heeraa.com for details and registration.

The Salt Lake City-based Sazevich also returns to the regular weekly Santa Barbara Dance Tribe from 11 am to 1 pm on Sunday at the Towbes Center, 2285 Las Positas Road. The dance will follow the natural arc of a 5Rhythms wave but won’t be fully guided, but instead take a “Sweat Your Prayers” format where dancers will move through the rhythms of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness with intention, each creating their own unique interpretation of the various stages. Heeraa will be working with the theme of grounded fluidity on Sunday, which is the day of the Chinese New Year, kicking off the Year of the Dog. Admission is $15. Visit www.facebook.com/events/756643094538012.

Fears Get Pulver-ized at “Song” Weekend

Mick and Tess Pulver, the married couple who have conducted Breakthrough Performance Workshops in town on-and-off for years, and two decades in all around the country, are coming back to Santa Barbara for a solitary weekend seminar. In the Breakthrough events, participants meet weekly for two months to build confidence, practice, and support one another before individually belting out a song of their choice backed by a full band at SOhO. The “Song of the Soul” weekend, slated for 1 to 7 pm on February 3-4, has a similar goal of transforming one’s life via freeing the voice, but in a much more compact format. The idea is for participants to release limitations and recharge the natural spirit while expanding the creative voice by the practice of singing. It’s described as a “deep fun journey into your soulful creative essence where we will dig into that song inside you that’s just waiting to break out.”

Several friends and colleagues have completed the longer Breakthrough Performance Workshop and come out the other side with vastly increased confidence – not to mention a spectacular performance and new friendships. The new weekend program is a powerful evolution of the Pulver’s work, one designed to quickly open access to the deep creative well inside each of us. They invite you to see your song come forth into live music sharing, open more to your wellspring of magic, creativity, and healing, and dive into your “Song of the Soul”. Tuition is $245. For details and registration info, call 450-1736, email info@bigembrace.com, or visit www.bigembrace.com.

A Spoonful of Mindfulness

Barbara Larrivee launches her newest book, A Daily Dose of Mindful Moments: Applying the Science of Mindfulness and Happiness, which contains brief, evidence-based strategies drawn from decades of research in positive, cognitive, and social psychology and neuroscience. The book offers a direct route to cultivating greater mindfulness and developing its vital skills, with more than 100 daily options for real mindful moments. Larrivee, whose eight books have covered managing challenging behavior, respectful communication, reducing stress, and cultivating mindfulness, will discuss Daily Dose and sign copies at Chaucer’s Books at 7 pm Wednesday, February 7. Half of the overall profits from sales of the book will fund grants to educators to implement mindful moment practices.