Exploring The Craft Of Hand Brooms
A week long exploration in weaving hand brooms at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
Register Here:
Gong & Singing Bowls Training
Saturday, August 29 - Sunday, August 30, 2026
2:00pm - 6:00pm both days
Wild Rice Yoga Studio
San Marcos, TX
Join Siri Bahadur and Nam Jhoti at the Wild Rice Studio in San Marcos for this gong course:
Beginner Training: Saturday, August 29th | 2:00 - 6:00pm
We will learn the basics of gong sounds and how to employ the fundamental techniques of playing. Learning the “whats and whys” of good playing, and linking them to practical experience will open the door to discovering that the gong can take you from the mundane human experience into learning to know your Self more deeply. You can then explore further for yourself and share it with others.
Expect to learn:
Gong-Playing Rules
About Mallets
Gong Anatomy
Playing Patterns on the Gong Face
Equipment for the Player
Rhythm & Volume
Different Strokes
Caring for a gong
Intermediate Training: Sunday, August 30th | 2:00 - 6:00pm
We will provide the knowledge and refined skills to learn to deepen the conversation between you and the gong. This discovery is where the long-term, deeply satisfying relationship develops further. You gain refinement in controlling and exploring rhythm and the nuances of volume. Then the gong responds by sharing the depth of its language resulting in the experience of deeper cosmic communication. We will also explore how to play bowls and connect their voices with gongs.
Expect to learn:
Sounds within Sounds
Layering with Multiple Mallets
Listening Deeply
Intuitive Playing
Deeper Relationship with the Gong
Connecting Intention & Action
Playing Crystal Bowls and blending them with the gong
Playing for Others
Playing in Tandem
Gong Training Certificate of Completion
Now is the time to follow the invitation to immerse yourself in sound and establish or deepen your relationship with these healing instruments. You may even decide to bring a gong into your life and give it a place in your home. The world today needs to hear more gongs singing. You can help that happen with your new skills and focused intentions.
GONG TRAINING- $495 REGULAR PRICE
GONG TRAINING - $450 EARLY REGISTRATION
The Experience of Sound event at 7:00 pm on Sunday evening (Aug 30th) free for training attendees.
Whether the ultimate intention is to play a gong in classes and sound sessions or simply to expand your relationship with these sounds for your self or others, these offerings are the perfect way to learn to do that quickly and with facility.
Women’s Appalachian Broomcraft Retreat
Brooms are a symbol of protection and power throughout time and place; especially amongst women. Join us for a broom making workshop where we will gather as a Circle of Women to weave both a hand whisk and a full sized handled broom. Our time will be spent in ceremony, ritual and storytelling like so many women who came before.
Kelly will pour a special Purification Lodge to activate our new brooms and whisks with intention, protection & magick. The brooms become a symbol of our commitment to sweep away that which does not serve us. When we “keep a clean house and womb” we are receptive to the good things coming our way! The lodge is optional and gifts for Kelly and the fire crew are exchanged.
MEAL TEAMS: To keep costs down, we will share in the meal making. Once you register, you will be assigned to a meal team list and connect with your teammates to choose what you would like to bring. You will have opportunity to share your food preferences and sensitivities on the meal team list. One evening may be spent in town at a restaurant together going dutch.
WHAT TO BRING: All broom-crafting materials will be provided. Bring your hands, your heart, and a bit of wonder! Please bring purification lodge attire, donations to cover firewood, and a few medicine gifts and tobacco for the purification lodge fire crew if you choose to participate in the optional purification lodge. *There is never a charge for the purification lodge ceremony.
REGISTRATION FEE: $375 or $345 Early Bird Rate before August 24 does not include lodging.
REGISTRATION DEPOSIT: $150 non-refundable deposit to hold your space and balance payment due before workshop begins with Kelly.
LODGING: is available at Spirit Canoe Lodge for $30-40/night or bring your own sleeping gear for $10/night or Outdoor Camping $10/night. Additional nights may also can be booked with Kelly.
Register: https://spiritcanoelodge.org/calendar/2026/9/26/broom-crafting-weekend-tbd
Two Day Hand Broom Workshop
A two day hand broom intensive at Austin School Of Furniture.
Register here:
https://austinschooloffurniture.com/product/hand-broom-workshop/
Sacred Housekeeping: The Art Of Spiritual Sweeping
There are many ways to sweep the floor. In this online gathering, we will meditate on what it means to clean our Temples; from the innermost expression spiraling out to the physical realm.
Together, we will learn techniques for sweeping away mental clutter, stagnant energy, and distractions, creating greater clarity, balance, and openness. These practices are designed to help make space for positive change, personal transformation, and a deeper connection to ourselves and the unseen realms that guide and support us.
Brooms are powerful totems of protection and projection which have been utilized throughout time and place. We will tap into the ancient wisdom of these ritual tools to assist us in maintaining the Altar of the Soul through Sacred Housekeeping.
Please come with a curious mind and an open heart.
Contact Sabriya Simon at: sabriyas@gmail.com to RSVP
Adult Workshop - Lost Craft Of The Broom Maker
Join Nam Joti, a Texas artist who handcrafts brooms using centuries old traditional techniques, in learning to weave a kitchen baking tool to take home.
In the past, people would break a fiber off from their handmade brooms to stick into baked goods to see if they were cooked through. Cake testers, a tool that utilized broom corn to test baked goods, came about as a result of this practice. Learn the traditional craft of broom making in this hands-on workshop and make a cake tester of your own to carry a piece of history into your home’s kitchen.
Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for Museum Members. Not a member? Join now.
About the partner
Nam Joti Kaur Khalsa has been weaving since 2016. Rooted in the tradition of Appalachian broom making, her work blends time-honored techniques with a style uniquely her own. She creates both functional sweepers and ceremonial pieces—objects meant to be used, cherished, and remembered.
Register Here: https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/events/adult-workshop-lost-craft-of-the-broom-maker-2026062/
Sweep The Floor - Virtual Broom Ceremony
Three-hour live class via Zoom | Open to participants worldwide | Recorded
Sweeping the floor is more than a chore — it is an ancient, embodied prayer. In this three-hour virtual ceremony, we’ll explore the broom as both a practical tool and a sacred symbol. Together, we’ll trace its lineage through history, culture, and craft — and consider how the simple act of sweeping can become a grounding ritual, a clearing of space, and a return to self.
Through story, discussion, and guided practice, we’ll examine brooms from a historical, physical, and metaphysical perspective. You’ll learn how to weave the magic of broom-work into your everyday life — transforming mundane tasks into moments of intention, protection, and quiet enchantment.
Though we gather through screens, our connection is real and powerful. Energy transcends time and place, and in this virtual circle, we create a shared field where ritual becomes alive. Whether you’re in a city apartment or a country home, you are warmly invited to bring your presence, your questions, and perhaps your own broom, as we sweep the floor — together.
Tickets available at:
https://www.broomsandbaskets.com/shop/p/sweepthefloorvirtual
Autumnal Equinox Flower Crowns
Celebrate the turning of the seasons with a joyful gathering to create flower crowns in honor of the Autumnal Equinox. We’ll work with dried blooms, grasses, and foliage to weave wearable wreaths that honor the abundance and beauty of late summer’s transition into fall. This hands-on workshop is a chance to connect with the rhythms of nature, honor the harvest season, and adorn yourself in seasonal splendor. No prior experience necessary—all materials provided.
Tickets available at:
https://www.broomsandbaskets.com/shop/p/autumnal-equinox-flower-crowns
