Starlight Academy for Metaphysical Studies is located at 311-313 Wyoming Avenue in West Pittston.
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WEST PITTSTON — Starlight Academy for Metaphysical Studies on Wyoming Avenue recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, but owner Lisa Mandell has been operating in the metaphysical world for quite some time. Because of that experience, she knows that the spiritual fulfillment that many search for in meditation does not require too much time. In fact, it’s rather simple.
“Three breaths — that’s all it takes,” Mandell said of the first steps towards meditative healing.
Starlight Academy is an education and community center that has hosted a number of different events with a wide range of utilities. Some have been in line with the aforementioned meditation, while others are more determined by the physical world.
In either case, Mandell sees the Academy as a uniting force for the community.
“Everybody should feel safe here, regardless of their beliefs,” Mandell said. “I have Democrats and Republicans who sit in the same room together and don’t fight.”
The Academy’s home base is a literal, former house built in the 19th century. At that time, the property was just a single home, but the 1904 ice flood in West Pittston damaged the original structure. It was then rebuilt in its current, double block form.
Starlight Academy can change its interior depending on the event that it is hosting. Everything from craft nights to sound bath and reiki sessions can be held within the house, which Mandell described as having a “warm and inviting ambiance.”
Much of Starlight Academy’s welcoming atmosphere can be traced back, according to Mandell, to the people who teach the more spiritual classes in the space. The process of getting approved to host an event within Starlight Academy requires bringing along a particular demeanor.
“Anybody who teaches a class here — anybody who does an event here — I have to meet first. I have to like them,” Mandell explained. “I don’t have to agree with what you say, but I have to like how you treat people.”
The host being amiable helps to create an atmosphere that is more susceptible to meditation’s most healing elements. Mandell said that it is practically necessary for metaphysics instructors to leave their own inhibitions at the door.
“Meditation is a way for you to let go of that stress, so you’ve got to have people leading it who are not stressed when they’re doing it,” Mandell said.
Mandell herself is a true believer in meditation’s ability to provide relaxation, though she clearly would not endorse using metaphysics as a replacement for proper medical care. Mandell said that some aspects of healing are better classified as internal, and that metaphysical practice can help to awaken the body’s natural healing processes.
“When we are stressed, our shoulders come up. We bring our energy and we tighten our muscles, and you can tend to exacerbate the pain that you feel, because your muscles are so clenched for so long,” said Mandell. “Whether it is reiki or meditation or any other practice you have that helps you to relax your shoulders — to relax your muscles — you’ll feel less pain, because when you’re clenched, it amplifies it.”
Beyond our earthly bonds, Mandell also believes in consciousness moving on after the physical body dies. She said that certain locations contain greater spiritual energy, and that those who have passed away can remain a presence in their loved one’s lives.
“When there’s stuff going on in our lives that’s difficult, they step in more and are closer,” Mandell said of these lingering consciousnesses.
Starlight Academy for Metaphysical Studies is located at 311-313 Wyoming Avenue in West Pittston. Information regarding upcoming events at the site can be found on its Facebook page.
