Tag archives: spirituality

Drop in with Damian’sAuthentic Relating Practice, and More Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 29, 2026

It’s been about two years since Damian Gallagher last offered his Authentic Relating Group (ARG) events at Yoga Soup, ending a more or less monthly tradition where participants could simply come to the yoga studio and find themselves painlessly easing into connection with others in the room. ARG offers a unique opportunity to connect deeply […]

La Casa Emerges from the Rubble
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 15, 2026

La Casa de Maria, the long-beloved retreat center on El Bosque Road in Montecito near San Ysidro Ranch, has been basically shuttered since the property was severely damaged by the January 2018 Debris Flow. But now comes word that La Casa is reopening to a limited number of events while continuing to undergo renovations. Among […]

SEL out for self-growth at SBCC
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 25, 2026

Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning – the latest name for the ever-changing but still beloved programming once known as Adult Ed – continues to offer literally hundreds of classes across a wide spectrum of fields, almost all of them at the ridiculously low price of absolutely free. But don’t be fooled into […]

Goddess Gatherings Galore
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 11, 2026

Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Goddess-Makers 2026 event is a long weekend slated for August 28-30 at Pacifica’s stunning center on Ladera Lane. With a theme of “Oracles of the Creative in an Age of Collapse,” the arts-based research conference confronts the current crisis-sparked sense that something foundational is giving way from a depth psychological perspective, positing […]

Past the Poses: Studio Sessions
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 21, 2026

Yoga studios abound all through town and the Santa Barbara environs. But not all of them offer events and classes that aren’t about asanas. Yoga Soup’s been one of the big players ever since Founder Eddie Ellner opened the space as a hybrid yoga studio, bookstore, and community gathering space 25 years ago. Indeed, the […]

The Spirit of America and More Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   June 30, 2026

Dr. James Kwako’s upcoming class in his ongoing The Light of Healing series comes just in time for the nation’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. “The Spirit of America” is described as the presence and power that guides and encourages us to fulfill our highest yearnings for the good that […]

Marketing As a Spiritual Practice?
By Steven Libowitz   |   June 9, 2026

After more than two decades helping thought leaders secure media coverage with outlets that include The TODAY Show, the New York Times and Oprah Winfrey’s platform, veteran mind-body publicist and marketing expert Jeanna Valenti has now shared her approach to conscious, values-driven promotion in a new book. The Yoga of Marketing: Balancing Heart, Mind, and […]

Music and Meditation x 2 and More Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 28, 2026

The Music & Meditation Santa Barbara series co-founded by pianist Antonio Artese winds up its quite successful first full season next month when flutist Jill Felber joins the pianist in a one-hour offering that brings together the timeless beauty of live music with the calming practice of guided meditation. Each concert is designed as a […]

Gathering, Singing and Going ‘Underground’ in Ojai
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 14, 2026

Opportunities abound in Ojai, the longtime oasis for retreat, reflection, and personal growth, starting this weekend with “Be With Us,” slated for 7 pm on April 10 at Ojai Underground. The interactive evening of music, storytelling, and soulful connection is spearheaded by Ojai’s own Kathlyn “Katie” Hendricks, the bestselling author of Conscious Loving, co-lead of […]

Singing for Community… and Social Change
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 24, 2026

Three of Santa Barbara’s song leaders come together again on Friday, March 20, for a special Spring Equinox community singing event in the Funk Zone. Amisha Sera Luna, who regularly leads community singing circles both indoors (every 1st and 3rd Sunday) and periodically at local parks, will be joined by Alison Zuber and Heather Stevenson, […]

A Volf with Sheep’s Grace at All Saints and More Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 10, 2026

Miroslav Volf, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and the founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, comes west for a special Sunday event at All Saints-by-the-Sea on March 14. The event, part of All Saints’ “A Living Room for the Community” series, consists of three lectures […]

Time, Intention, and Sound for the Soul with Thomson and Other Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 27, 2026

Montecito’s Ragan Thomson, who has for years led a mission-driven enterprise dedicated to global healing, conscious impact, and spiritual transformation, conducts regular spiritual teachings and events as well as one-on-one sessions to help individuals awaken to their true essence and align with their highest purpose. In addition to opportunities at her Montecito estate and online, […]

The Power and Potential of Peace Sticks
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 13, 2026

There’s something entirely appropriate about the upcoming Peace Sticks workshop taking place near Kids’ World in Alameda Park. That’s because the practice puts partners together to silently toss the painted sticks back and forth in various combinations that highlight connection through movement and play – something with which kids are quite familiar – and cultivates […]

Solstice Song Circle and Other Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 23, 2025

Local community song leaders Heather Stevenson, Alison Zuber, and Amisha Sera Luna are coming together for a special winter solstice song celebration December 19, collaborating to teach and lead participatory call-and-response songs meant to invoke a sense of community and joy. Winter solstice is a time of honoring the darkness and welcoming the slow return […]

The Hendricks Harken Back to 1990 to Mark a Milestone and Other Spirituality Matters
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 25, 2025

Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, the self-help/personal growth/relationship transformation and body-mind workshop leaders, authors of more than 35 books (including the best-seller Conscious Loving), and all-around paradigm-shifting pioneers in the conscious loving and body intelligence fields, based their publishing endeavors and other operations in Montecito for years before relocating to the mountains of Ojai almost two […]

The Sound of Silence: Montecito Retreats Access the Peace Inside
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 11, 2025

Bruce Davis wrote his first book, The Magical Child Within You, back in the mid-1970s, in the process penning one of the earliest works exploring how accessing the inner child can lead to greater peace. It was the start of a lifetime journey into meditation and stillness. “Once you start rediscovering your inner child, you […]

Gathering to Greet (And Welcome) Grief
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 21, 2025

We all carry grief – whether from personal loss, ancestral wounds or the sorrows of the world. When grief remains unexpressed, it can weigh heavily on our bodies, hearts, and spirits. Many of us express our grief in solitude – or not at all. But in community, people can create a safe and sacred space […]

District216
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 23, 2025

It was the pandemic that caused Jacob Tell, who founded the Oniracom brand strategy and marketing agency in Santa Barbara in 2001, to create LoDo Studios out of his now nearly empty headquarters. Named SoHo-style for its location in the lower downtown area, the place turned into a studio and event space.  But it was […]

King Comes to Santa Barbara
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 26, 2025

Energy medicine advocate Deborah King, a speaker, author and founder of LifeForce Energy Healing, is coming to the American Riviera to lead a special weekend retreat this fall. “Walk with the Master: Restore Your Soul,” which takes place November 18-21, brings King and her team to town for several days of deep spiritual work, healing […]

Community Song Circles
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 29, 2025

For years, Heather Stevenson’s relationship with singing in public was performing as a singer-songwriter at local festivals, nightspots, and other gatherings. But in 2018, she was an early visitor to a community song circle led by Glen Phillips; native Santa Barbaran, co-founder of platinum-selling Toad the Wet Sprocket, and a critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter.  The community singing […]