Singing, Dancing, Laughing or Journaling Through the Chaos

Meditation is marvelous and yoga is yummy, but a new method of coping and connecting can be welcome during particularly challenging times. 

“Singing the Bones” features a musical collaboration with the audience that weaves together diasporic traditions through story and song from the three song leaders. Lydia Violet Harutoonian, a Persian American Bay Area violinist and vocalist, is joined by Oakland’s Kele Nitoto, a drummer, teacher and keeper of African diasporic rhythmic traditions from Congo to Haiti, and M’Gilvry Allen, whose Celtic fiddle traditions come from communities of the West Coast. In the song circle, the three will share songs from each of their ancestral traditions, as well as some favorite circle songs and a few originals – all in the call-and-response format. They teach everything by ear, meaning you don’t need to read music or have any experience to participate. Singing together is an ancient technology for building community resilience through shared voices and shared breath, and the leaders also invite participants to explore their own ancestral musical lineages. 

The circle takes place 6:30-8:30 pm, April 17^th, on the lawn behind host Wilderness Youth Project’s headquarters near the Riviera Theatre (2050 Alameda Padre Serra). Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, and dress in layers for the early spring weather. Locally gathered herbal tea will be available on tap. Admission is on a sliding scale, with no one turned away. Visit https://tinyurl.com/25bbufrt

“Dances of Universal Peace,” a powerful form of embodied prayer involving sacred music and simple dance gestures, featuring sacred phrases and music from all spiritual traditions, takes place every fourth Sunday of the month at Unity of Santa Barbara. The fragrance-free event, organized by Rabiah Jocelyn Archer and Paula Ferrey, employs music, mantra, and movement as a way to instill deep peace within, along with connection to a beautiful circle of kindred spirits. All are invited to sing and dance, allowing thoughts to fall away to deepen the experience of the Divine in self and others. Simple, graceful movements enhance the focus on the positive words of the powerful chants and songs in a spiritual practice inspired by the world’s many wisdom traditions. Admission to the 12-1:30 pm event on April 27 (and every fourth Sunday) is by “love offering.”Call (805) 705-1967 or visit www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org/www.facebook.com/dancingforpeace

“Laughter is the Best Medicine” is the title of the May 7 Vibrant Living event also at Unity of Santa Barbara. Participants can discover the healing power of laughter during an engaging, interactive two-hour gathering with Allou Guthmiller RN, who will offer practical tools and group activities to leave everyone feeling energized and empowered. Share in the laughter and learn techniques for using laughter to uplift your spirit, build resilience, and foster deeper connections in our rapidly changing world. The “love offering” for the 7-9 pm event is $20. 

Unity of Santa Barbara is located at 227 E. Arrellaga St., across the street from Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden. Visit https://unitysb.org/upcoming-events

The Adam Bronfman Jewish Community Center hosts a six-session journaling group aimed at facilitating self-exploration and personal growth on Monday afternoons starting May 5. Each session will include sharing or discussing the previous week’s guided prompt followed by time to journal and reflect on a new writing prompt. The group itself is geared to offer a supportive, communal space as participants build a consistent journaling habit. No experience in writing or journaling is necessary, but do come prepared with both a blank journal – and an open mind. To RSVP and for more information, contact Ashly Gerber, LMFT, at agerber@sbjf.org.

Outing to Ojai

We’ve written a lot about the Krishnamurti Foundation in recent columns, but we would be remiss not to mention the KFA Annual May Gathering, which takes place 8:30 am to 5 pm on May 3-4 at Oak Grove School in Ojai. The free event, available both in-person and virtually, is a gathering to reflect on the teachings of Krishnamurti through workshops, dialogues, and themed programs. Attendees can explore sessions on topics such as education, consciousness, and relationship, and engage with educators and scholars who have deeply studied the teachings.

This year’s theme of “On Silence” invites participants to inquire into the nature of silence – not merely as the absence of noise, but as something deeper that may reveal itself in stillness, in attention and in the space between thoughts. Visit www.kfa.org/may-gathering-2025 for the schedule, list of speakers and bios, to register for the online option, or to reserve on-site lunch. 

Online Opportunity

Spirit Rock Meditation Center, which offers a wide array of workshops, classes, trainings, and retreats at its Woodacre, California, location, is making its signature Insight Meditation Retreat available at home for the first time. Meant both for those at the beginning of their exploration, and those more deeply engaged in study and cultivation, @Home Retreat option allows participants to fully engage from anywhere, integrating the teachings into daily life at a pace that works. Each day from April 21-30, participants will receive almost three hours of Dharma talks and guided meditations delivered via livestream and recorded for on-demand access. Online participants have the flexibility to join live sessions and/or spread the content out over a month – or a lifetime. 

Teachers for the 2025 Insight Meditation Retreat include Kamala Masters, co-founder of the Vipassanā Metta Foundation on Maui; Joseph Goldstein, co-founder and guiding teacher of Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and several others.  

Details and registration at https://tinyurl.com/mr3sjwj8