The rallier
Sebene Selassie
The Ralliers is a collection of interviews with female creators we admire. We look for women who make hard choices in exchange for self-defined lives. You'll leave these stories with wisdom, comfort and beauty too.
Describe yourself.
I am: A laugher – I enjoy making people giggle and I love those that can make me howl. A reader of everything – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, shortform, longform. A social introvert – I love people but I replenish in solitude (see “A reader”).
How have you broken with tradition in exchange for a self-defined life?
I’ve never felt connected to the mainstream, whether American dominant society or traditional Ethiopian/Eritrean immigrant cultures. It took me a long time, but I have definitely learned to embrace my weirdo-ness. I’ve been studying and practicing Buddhism for almost thirty years and remember when my friends would question why I would want to go on a silent meditation retreat. Of course now, meditation is everywhere and I get to teach people this life changing skill for a living. I’ve somehow become the mainstream.
Tell us about your uniform.
It’s quarantine-fashion! I wear a mixture of loose cotton blouses and pants or t-shirts and shorts – depending if I have Zoom calls or not. It’s mostly second-hand and also from some favorite designers like Eileen Fisher. I started shopping second hand in high school because it was cheap and cool. In my twenties and thirties, I still went to thrift stores but I also got used to the convenience and trendiness of fast fashion. About twelve years ago, I walked into a big chain store and I saw the rows and rows of clothing and thought to myself, “Wait, what’s the impact on the environment of all this clothing, all this fiber?” Since then I almost always only buy second hand clothes or from designers using sustainable practices.
I want people to be able to bring their full selves to spiritual practice: their race/ethnicity, cultures, joys, sorrows…
Tell us about your work.
I am a meditation teacher and author and I help people find more joy and freedom in their lives by integrating meditation, creativity and the exploration of identity. I want people to be able to bring their full selves to spiritual practice: their race/ethnicity, cultures, joys, sorrows… I absolutely love what I do, sometimes I can't believe that this gets to be my job. I have practiced meditation for over twenty-five years and have been teaching for about a decade. I’m excited about the growth of meditation and am looking forward to taking people even deeper into using contemplative practices to impact our relationships to each other and the planet and ultimately to help transform our world.
What are you searching for?
I am searching for peace and liberation for all beings everywhere without exception.
What have you learned along the way?
I spent many years upset in various ways — mad at others and generally in despair about how things were for me and the world. I have learned that it’s not helpful to be in contention with reality. If I’m upset all the time that things are the way they are, it doesn’t leave room for me to imagine new realities. It’s important to process personal and collective grief and rage, but that’s in order to free us up to create more freedom now.
What are you struggling with?
At this moment, I am longing for more access to nature but feel really connected to the diversity of Brooklyn. As a Black woman, I struggle with the idea of leaving the city for somewhere more rural because that basically means leaving Black and brown community.
What brings you comfort?
I have been really into my morning routine of drinking a cup of matcha with coconut milk, followed by a cup of Rasa (a coffee alternative made with adaptogenic herbs) , then I meditate for 45 minutes (lying down). After this, I am able to start my day grounded and energized.
Share a good read, watch, or listen.
I’m reading “Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés which I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to read… It’s absolutely blowing my mind, if you haven't read it – go get it now! Also, I just finished reading “The Overstory” by Richard Powers which is a stupendous novel that features trees as the main movers of the story.
Tell us about something new.
I bought myself The Motherpeace Tarot Deck. It’s a round, feminist deck and I used to own it 20 years ago but lost it. It’s been fun to reconnect to it.
Tell us about a gift you gave someone.
I have been giving friends the face and eye cream and vitamin C toner from Honey Girl Organics. Their products are handcrafted in Hawai’i, all organic, and use honey and beeswax. A cousin gifted me their cream and now I’m addicted to a few of their products and spreading the love.
Tell us about something you created.
I wrote a book (“You Belong”) last year about belonging, identity and spirituality. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and I learned so much doing it. It’s coming out at the end of August!!
Share a takeaway.
I will always be a student. I keep learning so much every day. The main thing I’ve learned is that anyone and any situation can be “a teacher” for me. Especially the challenging situations (and people!) – things I think shouldn’t be happening – those are definitely the best opportunities for learning.
Sebene Selassie is a meditation teacher and author. Learn more about her work here and follow along with her here.
P.S. The pieces in our stories are always authentically picked. When purchased, we sometimes receive compensation in return. Thank you for supporting!
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