Feel Good Fridays

Who couldn’t use a little extra energy entering the weekend? Sure, there’s Red Bull, a double expresso or other substances. But a more natural approach is being offered by Amyris Wilson, a transformational healer and teacher who has returned to practice in Santa Barbara after several years in Ojai. The energy involved here is the kind that makes up everything in the universe, a la Einstein. “Everything is energy, we are energetic beings. Keeping your energy clear and balanced will leave you feeling light, clear, and ready for the weekend,” Amyris says in the announcement of the new offerings that began last Friday and will continue every Friday through September 28.

She’ll be delivering 15-minute sessions to support people in releasing the energy from the work week and clear out any stuck energy that has been bogging you down to be freed up for the weekend. It’s particularly useful for those who may be new to energy healing and would like to try it out, or just want a brief tune-up to serve as a catalyst for transition. No commitment necessary, as anyone who is interested can just come to Wilson’s office at 14 W. Micheltorena Street and add your name to the sign-in sheet in the waiting room. The fee for the 15-minute session is $20 cash, payable on site. Amyris has been an energy healer since 2004 and is a certified Reiki master, Crystalline Consciousness practitioner and Intuitive healer. Visit www.facebook.com/events/258311844756875 for details.

Quick Conscious Curing with Katie

What if your life became more joyful? What if you could live fearlessly? What if you had a way to unravel the thoughts that cause all your suffering? Those are the kinds of questions participants may ponder, albeit tangentially, as part of the next on-site intro session with Byron Katie, two hours of inquiry using The Work, her method consisting of four simple questions that bring relief from confusion and suffering. Although Katie just completed leading a nine-day immersion at her center in Ojai, the self-help guru also believes that people can experience the clarity that comes from understanding thoughts that have been troubling one for years and leave the intro workshop with everything needed to do The Work on one’s own.

On-site seating for the 10 am to noon event on Thursday, August 2, is limited and will be closed when enough participants arrive to fill the hall at The Center for The Work, 213 N. Montgomery St. in Ojai. But the good news is that you can also join the event live on The Work of Byron Katie Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pg/theworkofbyronkatie). Admission is by donation on site, free online. For more info, call (805) 444-5799 or visit http://thework.com/en. Following this event, Katie will be on the road for events at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Esalen Institute in Big Sur, before returning in late October for another immersion in the School for The Work.

Living in Truth, Peace, and Happiness

After a bit of a hiatus, the Meetup hosted by Santa Barbara psychologist and spiritual practitioner Gail Brenner returns to her home on La Cumbre Circle this Thursday, July 26. Newcomers are most welcome at the 6:30 to 8 pm gathering that serves as a coming-together in a safe and supportive space. The evening begins with a guided meditation that illuminates the deepest truth of our being, before the floor is opened for questions about discovering your true nature as awareness, getting unstuck, and awakened, embodied living. The group is especially geared toward those who are tired of suffering and open to the practical reality of peace and happiness. No charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. Visit www.meetup.com/Living-in-Truth-Santa-Barbara for more details.

Stepping into the Soup

Aaron Musicant, who just served as the DJ at last Sunday’s Dance Tribe weekly ecstatic dance adventure, winds up his two-session course on Contact Improv Fundamentals at Yoga Soup this Saturday, July 28. The 1 to 4 pm session, which carried a $5 to $25 sliding-scale admission, is a technique-based workshop to explore the fundamental principles of contact improvisation. This deep dive into contact technique is open to people of all experience levels, including those just beginning or just wanting to brush up on dance. It’s not necessary to have attended the first offering, as both workshops will be go over safety, weight sharing, core connection, rolling, point of contact, spiraling, lifting, falling and more, though this Saturday’s session will build off of principles and skills learned in the first.

Also at Yoga Soup this weekend: 7 Steps to Connecting with Your Inner Guidance with Destiny Hitchcock, slated for 2 to 3 pm on Sunday, July 29, and focusing on connecting with your unique inner voice, perhaps the easiest and most profound journey one could ever take, which begins with discovering how your soul’s voice is distinctly different…. Lisa G. Littlebird returns to the 28 Parker Way Studio 3 to 5 pm that same Sunday afternoon for WHOLEHEARTED: A Community Singing Workshop, a call-and-response style gathering that offers an accessible, easy grace and infectious joy to rekindle the love of singing. Admission is $25. Call (805) 965-8811 or visit www.yogasoup.com/category/events.