Spirituality South Beach Style: Local Options for the Nonreligious
South Beach has the do-it-yourself, transient thing down pat. Like most things in life, that’s a two-edged sword. On the positive side, it makes for a more honest existence: there is less of an urge to conform. People here can more easily cast aside their social masks and be the unique creatures that they are, without having to worry about being the topic of conversation at the next Rotary Club meeting. There is the style-conscious club scene to consider, but despite what the media would have you believe, that’s only one small part of life in South Beach—and in this world, physical beauty and style need no longer be vehicles to impress, but manifestations of an unseen ideal, serving, like the rest of the landscape, to stimulate the senses, and thus, the imagination.  Finding a spiritual group is one solution that is often overlooked by many visitors and new residents alike in their desire to connect with people around them here. South Beach is a sexual, hedonistic place, after all, and you’ll either live at odds with its serious commitment to pleasure, lead a double life, or develop a worldview that recognizes the importance of sensual delights, perhaps not as ends unto themselves, but as gateways to your bliss. Sensuality and spirituality have traditionally been at odds with one another in Western society, however, and in many places, finding an organization that embraces both can be quite a chore. Additionally, traditional religious groups often tend to interject themselves as imposing middlemen in the individual’s relationship with the Divine spark within, offering a laundry list of dogmatic formulas and rites required for enlightenment or salvation, effectively downplaying the role of personal intuition as a means of attaining knowledge. For those unwilling to accept such a passive perspective, religious groups of any sort can be a turn-off. Fortunately, here in this cosmopolitan bikini land, there are a few viable options to consider. These are a few of them: SOUL
Never let it be said that there is no SOUL in Miami—you can find it every Sunday at 11 am in the South Miami Community Center at 5800 SW 66th Street! SOUL is an acronym for Spiritual Organization of Unconditional Love (http://www.soul-spirit.org), and there is plenty here to go around. It’s an intimate, diverse group of 20-30 people who meet once a week for an informal service followed by a free potluck luncheon. Though the service is basically in the New Thought tradition—the metaphysical philosophy you’ll find in Conversations with God, by Neale Donald Walsch, A Course in Miracles, “The Secret,†or Wayne Dyer’s books—there is no clergy here: the pulpit is available to everyone, and they’re open to hearing speakers with some controversial ideas. Their vision statement is simple, yet powerful:
 Services usually include music, a guided meditation or affirmative prayer, an uplifting talk, and a social portion. It feels more like a casual, friendly get-together than a church: there is no offering plate, no tiresome, relentless requests to contribute, only the “SOUL Bowl,†which is left in the corner for you to make a donation if you choose. SOUL shares 10% of its weekly contributions with a worthy cause. In their 11 year history, they’ve also been active with homeless outreaches and AIDS fundraisers.
It has a great vibe—some inspirational speakers, and occasionally top-notch musical entertainment, though its greatest appeal is perhaps its simplicity. Its members, though few, are an amazingly diverse assortment of ages and nationalities, and what’s best, an Atheist, a Christian, or a Wiccan could all attend the same service and walk away with something. UNITY ON THE BAY
Also in the New Thought family, but with a very different feel, is Unity on the Bay, located at 411 NE 21st St in Miami. Unity, founded in the late 19th century by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, like other metaphysical movements, stresses that “thoughts are things,” and that our external reality is an outpicturing of the beliefs, feelings, and attitudes we hold about it. With its emphasis on positive thinking and belief in reincarnation, Unity can feel more liberating than other more traditional denominations. Here, there is no “Original Sin”, only “Original Blessing”, and the New Testament, while considered by most members to be historically accurate, has additional value in an allegorical sense as a mystical primer on the realization of your inner divinity—the unfolding of the inner Christ. The 12 disciples represent the various powers of man, the Biblical places they visit, states of consciousness. Congregational styles vary widely from church to church, from a more meditative/contemplative approach to a more charismatic feel, as is the case here.  Boasting a total weekly attendance of around 1200 for its 9 am, 11 am and Spanish services at 1:15 pm, this church is literally packed to the gills. Its full-gospel atmosphere, infused in part by its massive choir’s hand-clapping urban tunes, feels almost Pentecostal at times, with more user-friendly terminology. Indeed, on the Sunday I attended, Associate Minister Karen Epps spoke about the importance of respecting other belief systems as equally valid perspectives in their own right, different “oceans in consciousness”, and a gifted soloist, Karina Iglesias, belted out some really meaty rhythm and blues.
In addition to their Sunday services and Wednesday evening meditations at 7 pm, Unity on the Bay also offers several classes of varying lengths on different spiritual self-help topics; there are also retreats and events held at the Unity Village, MO headquarters, ranging in price from $299 and up (lodging and meals priced separately), which admittedly gave me a little sticker shock as I looked over the program. Nonetheless, one person’s budget-mindedness is another’s poverty consciousness, so I’ll try to keep an open mind. UMAA TANTRA
If your spiritual tastes run more Easterly in nature, but the thought of self-denial leaves you dry, you may enjoy the offerings of Umaa Tantra (Sanskrit for “primordial wisdom energy expansion and liberation”), a local yoga school which teaches that physical exercise and sexuality, as well as all other activities within the realm of human experience, performed in a special way, can act as a means of enhancing spiritual awareness.  Instructors Tao Semko and Santiago Dobles offer an array of classes, including qi gong (chee gong), traditional Chinese breathing and movement exercises with physical and spiritual applications, Pencak Silat, an Indonesian method of practical self-defense and personal self-development, and various physical yogas and meditations based on Hindu Tantra. Other occasional items on their menu include The Kundalini Awakening Process Workshops ($207-$277/weekend), a system, which according to the website, “utilizes scientific principles and techniques needed to arouse the Kundalini, the body’s own powerful rejuvenating energy,” and Avishkara, “the Tantric act of becoming.”  The Kundalini Awakening Process Workshops, Tao explains, have no religious symbolism or overtones, for those looking for a secular/scientific approach to meditation and spirituality. Regular classes cost $20 a piece or $100/month unlimited (including Sunday classes as well), whereas workshop prices vary. Santiago teaches martial arts and qi gong in Pinecrest on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8 pm, while Tao leads a qi gong class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm at the 85th Street beach in Miami Beach. There is also a distance learning program called the Tantric Inner Circle, which entitles “Gold” members to classes at no charge. In addition to their classes and workshops, Semko and Dobles also market a sizeable quantity of DVDs and e-books with intriguing titles like, “Secrets the Gurus Will Never Show You” and “Secrets of Esoteric Anatomy.” They also offer telephone support for breathing, meditation, tantric yoga, and qi gong. For first-timers, Tao suggests calling them (305-720-3028), emailing (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) [Tao], and .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) [Santiago]), or simply showing up at one of their evening classes. UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF MIAMI
It was once said that if a Unitarian had the choice of going to heaven or a discussion about heaven, he would go to the discussion. Probably more fact than fiction, Unitarian-Universalism, an outgrowth of 19th century transcendentalism and Quaker-style Christianity, places a special emphasis on the inherent dignity of the individual, the values of social justice and the independent search for truth. The congregational flavor can vary from a high church Episcopalian atmosphere in some cities to a grassroots town hall meeting approach in others. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, located at 7701 SW 76th St. in Miami, leans toward the latter.  First established in Miami in 1938, the church moved into its present location in December 1962. If human rights and an eclectic, impartial study of the various world religions is your thing, UU Miami certainly delivers. With activities including Shamanism workshops, yoga classes, and a Humanism group, it is a celebration of world culture. It also has its own poetry group, an art committee, and a labyrinth, an ancient symbol representing a spiritual journey to your own center and back out into the world, which members walk each Sunday morning at 9:15 am.  A “Spiritual Reality” group meets after the labyrinth walk at 9:30 am. While it may lack the cohesive spiritual objectives of the New Thought groups, it finds its sense of purpose instead through meaningful social dialogue, leaving the other details up to the individual to unravel. Pagans, polyamorous couples, environmental activists and militant feminists all have a voice there, as well as those with more conservative inclinations. THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO AHH
There are institutions here to satisfy every taste, though for some, South Beach is perhaps best-suited as its own church. The beach, some say, is an epicenter of psycho-spiritual energy. When transformed by the evening moonlight, it becomes a mystical playground in which pleasures both tangible and intangible intertwine, and a world of fantasy takes form.  The gentle breathing of the glowing nighttime tide and the squally night breezes whisper a gentle rhythm through the air, conspiring with the afro-Cuban melodies and trance anthems of the nearby clubs, beckoning all who experience it to a deeper level of consciousness in this unbridled celebration of life. Some have compared this magical process to ancient pagan sexual rites, envisioning the discos as temples, the dancers as invokers of the fertility gods and goddesses. Certainly, Yemaya, as Santeria queen of fertility and ruler of the seas, serves as a powerful archetype here. It is pleasure, not for its own sake, but as a catalyst for the awakening of the individual to higher level of being, to deeper levels of perception and creativity. It is evident in the architecture, the fashion, the joie de vivre —all expressions of passion, the most intense act of gratitude.
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Pamela says:
Great article. I am going to pass it on.
Posted on 07/22/2007 at 4:56 PM