The Start of the Sattva Wisdom Center

To tell the story behind the start of the Sattva Wisdom Center (SWC), I have to wind back time and give it some structure and a framework. The house where SWC is currently located was purchased by my husband and I way back in 1993, as I waited to give birth to my first child, a son, later that year. I guess you could say that both the house and I were ripe with possibilities!

Much happened in the house after that —we welcomed our son and then our daughter, celebrated fun and joyous occasions, ended a very long-term marriage, welcomed an amazing puppy, saw kids leave the nest—you get the picture.

Flash forward to early 2018, over 25 years later, and our family dog and I were the only ones living in the house on a permanent basis. I had a decision to make—should I stay or should I go?

My prior four years had been spent immersed in the study of the metaphysical arts and yoga philosophy. After the 2016 election, I had become a leader of a local political activism group, Palm Beach Indivisibles. I was thinking of ways to unite the consciousness raising going on in PBIN with the consciousness raising that was happening in my metaphysical and yoga worlds. And I wanted to unite the different aspects of me—the mom, the lawyer and advisor, the yogi and the activist, into one cohesive whole.

What if I could create a center bringing wonderful teachers together with people who wanted to learn about metaphysics and yoga philosophy, to be empowered to use their voices for positive actions, and to find a warm and welcoming community that would be a safe harbor in today’s turbulent times? I kept this idea in the back of my mind while I went about my business as usual.

Separately, I explored whether to make some changes to the house to give me a fresh perspective, rather than move. A great friend introduced me to the wonderful Mary Dennis, a Feng Shui and design expert, among her man talents.

After getting to know each other for only a few minutes, MD told me that I should consider renovating the house for use as a metaphysical center. I knew that this was more than mere coincidence! MD’s words gave me the inspiration to launch my idea from the house and things snowballed from there.

The process of changing the appearance of the house and turning it into SWC took an emotional toll, just as MD said it would. It was as if the house and I were transforming together, as I went through the process of shedding 25 years of “stuff” that had been collected there. And then in a few months it was done, and once again, the house and I were ripe with possibilities!

With the help of my beloved sister, I settled on the name “Sattva Wisdom Center.” I chose “Sattva” because in Sanskrit it is the quality of goodness, positivity, truth, serenity, balance, peacefulness, and virtuousness that is drawn towards “Dharma” (finding your own path and purpose) and “Jnana” (knowledge).

Another dear friend and talented graphic artist gave me the gift of the SWC logo. I wanted a tree to be the centerpiece of the SWC logo, because its roots and branches represent the connection of all living beings to one another and to the universe (“as above, so below”). After that, ideas began to gel, and many of the trusted and skilled teachers I have come to know stepped forward to be a part of SWC.

Flash forward again to the Spring of 2019. SWC is about to open its doors to an awesome group of teachers, facilitators and community members. I feel gratified to know that a portion of all proceeds at SWC events will go to a charitable cause. I feel sure that SWC will fulfill its aim of being an institute of higher learning filled with people who want to raise their vibrations together. I am beyond excited to be part of this new concept!

As an end note, I believe that everyone has a story (or many stories) about their own lives and experiences that can bring pearls of wisdom to others. I invite you to submit your “Wisdom Stories” to me at sattvawisdomcenter@gmail.com to be shared on our Facebook page.

Love and light—

Denise