Sebene Selassie

Sebene Selassie (said like Seven-A, with a b instead of a v) is a writer, teacher and speaker who explores the paradoxes and possibilities of belonging through meditation, creativity and nature-based practices. She describes herself as a translator between the soulful and the social, bridging ancient teachings and modern cultures. She is known for a relational, relatable way of teaching profound material, in learning spaces filled with beauty, wisdom and jokes.

She was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and raised in Washington, D.C. She studied Comparative Religious Studies and Women's Studies at McGill University and earned an MA in Media Studies from the New School, focusing on cultural studies and race. For over twenty years she worked with children, youth and families for non-profits in the United States and abroad, planning and teaching arts-based programs such as intergenerational photography, digital storytelling and youth media.

Sebene has studied meditation, spirituality, art and the esoteric for over thirty years and has taught classes, workshops and retreats online and in person for almost fifteen. She is trained as a meditation teacher and an integral coach. She is also an Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy for Complex Trauma (IFOT) practitioner and a New York State licensed hiking guide. She is a devoted student of mystical traditions, including astrology, and she makes collage art. Having lived with cancer for over twenty years, she understands healing as nurturing ease and well-being in body, heart and mind while welcoming mystery.

Her first book, You Belong: A Call for Connection, is published by HarperOne. She has taught at retreat centers, conferences and universities across the U.S. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.