Top 5 reasons people have chosen to consistently book private [ sound &/or craniosacral ] sessions with me and are finding accumulative success!

I have recently witnessed a significant uptick in people reserving private appointments with the intention of supporting chronic medical conditions with these deeply restorative, holistic modalities alongside others & allopathic treatment. This is where my nursing background is so crucial to bridging the gap. I am here to support however I can. It is my deepest honor to hold this tender space between you and your Health.

Supporting medical diagnoses with holistic nervous system support

I have regularly seen people with neurological (and many other) conditions that are understanding the value of supporting the nervous system holistically to refine, reestablish & reconnect pathways naturally & sustainably. It works and it is happening!

Preparing Nervous system for significant life events (i.e. pregnancy & surgery)

I currently am seeing 3 women whom are pregnant or actively trying and are prioritizing supporting their nervous system to optimize the function of their body creating another body! How proactive & thoughtful!

I also recently supported a woman with weekly sessions prior to knee replacement surgery for alleviating anxiety & tension around it. Following the surgery the session was supportive to alleviating pain/ reopening pathways for the body to heal herself.

Reducing chronic pain

I have regular clients whom have successfully titrated or completely gone off of analgesics (pain medication) and are working to holistically rebuild within the body through these restorative holistic modalities plus others. They are finding relief from pain for longer than they ever did before!

Managing Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

My regular clients that are supporting chronic medical conditions share chronic inflammation as a common top issue, which is not at all surprising since inflammation is linked to prolonged & accumulated stress in the system! Yes, stress manifests in the physical and creates dis-ease like no other. My longest client has come to me for 5 years regularly every other week with intent to manage chronic inflammation symptoms and the changes she has made in her life since we started together are ENORMOUS! The vibrations from the sound immersion & the safe conditions of craniosacral biodynamics for your body to support themself are highly effective ways to reduce and sometimes altogether eliminate stress within you.

Stress management

A lot of people come routinely to optimize their well-being and relieve stress before it becomes a chronic medical condition. This is very wise and highly recommended!! In a culture that is a bombardment of stressors, this work is the perfect antidote.

Women professionals holding space: meet Kami of Aqua Om Paddle & The Yoga Place in Ephrata

Tell us a little bit about who you are & what your background is.

I come from a corporate background, and while I loved the work I was doing, I never felt fully aligned with the environment. I wanted to do something that actually made a difference in people’s lives.

That opportunity came in an unexpected way when I found myself unemployed and unmotivated to get just another job. Through a period of time that brought a lot of uncertainty and anxiety with it, I found paddleboarding. Or really… it found me. What started as something fun to try quickly became something much deeper. Being on the water brought me a sense of calm and clarity I hadn’t felt in a long time. I remember thinking that more people need access to this. That realization is what led me to where I am today, creating spaces where people can step outside, slow down, and reconnect with themselves.

How do you hold safe space within the context of your professional life?

I try to take the pressure off no matter the setting. Whether we’re on the water, on the mat, or out on a trail, my goal is to meet people exactly where they are. A lot of people show up carrying some level of fear or uncertainty, and I think it’s important to normalize that right away. If someone is worried about falling in, I’ll say it straight—who cares? You won’t be the first, you won’t be the last. It’s water, not hot lava. And I’ll be right there to help you get back on your board. That same approach carries into the studio. I remind people often that this is their practice. They are in charge of their body, their pace, and their experience. They don’t have to do anything that doesn’t feel right physically or emotionally. I think when people feel both guided and educated, but still fully in control of themselves, something shifts. The fear softens. The pressure lifts. And that’s usually when they’re able to actually settle in, trust themselves, and experience what they came for.

Tell us a story about a moment where you had to respond to a vulnerable moment for someone unexpectedly.

One of the biggest fears people have when they try paddleboarding for the first time is falling. And the truth is… it usually happens. So when someone falls in, I don’t rush to fix it or make it feel like a mistake. I clap. I celebrate it. I’ll say, “Yes! We’re ready for this part of the lesson.” then I have everyone else fall in too. What started as someone’s vulnerable moment instantly becomes something shared. It’s no longer about them being the one who fell, it becomes part of the learning, part of the experience. Getting back on your board, self-rescue, is one of the most important skills to have. So instead of avoiding the moment, we lean into it. And I always thank the person who went first. They don’t just face their own fear, they unknowingly give everyone else permission to let go of theirs.

Tell us about a rewarding experience that you had.

There are so many rewarding moments, it’s hard to choose just one. Almost every day, I get to witness someone arrive feeling nervous or unsure, and leave smiling ear to ear, already talking about when they’re coming back. I’ve seen people who swore they’d never be able to stand on a paddleboard end up paddling multiple times a week. Women who never imagined themselves doing something bold are suddenly jumping off rocks into the water on our adventures. Strangers meet and leave as friends. And in the studio, people who once said “I’m not good at yoga” become some of the most dedicated students. But the most rewarding part isn’t the activity or even the accomplishment. It’s the shift that happens within them. It’s the moment they realize they can. The confidence that builds when they try something new, trust themselves, and see it through. That kind of empowerment, that belief in yourself—that’s the part that’s truly life-changing.

What is your relationship to holding safe space?

I think my relationship to holding safe space is pretty simple, it comes down to treating people the way I would want to be treated. Everyone wants to feel seen and heard. They want to feel safe and supported, but also free to move at their own pace and have their own experience. For me, it’s about finding that balance, creating a space that feels welcoming without being overwhelming, supportive without being restrictive. I don’t believe in controlling the experience. I believe in creating the conditions where people feel safe enough to explore it on their own.

Any final thoughts/wisdoms/feelings?

I think, at the core, most people are looking for connection. Sometimes that’s a connection back to a part of themselves they feel like they’ve lost. Sometimes it’s a deeper connection with others, people who understand them, who move through the world in a similar way. What I try to do is give people both. I believe in educating and empowering people with the skills and confidence to go out and have these experiences on their own, safely and independently if that’s what they want. But for those who are craving connection, there’s also something really special waiting for them—community. There are friendships, shared experiences, and meaningful moments out there… they just haven’t met them yet.

How to reach Kami of Aqua Om Paddle and the Yoga Place in Ephrata!

Women professionals holding space: Jillian of Wellspring on Main and Excursion Ciders

Jillian is an expert at supporting community. I have received it from her as well as seen her give it to MANY over the years!

Tell us a little bit about who you are & what your background is.

My name is Jillian.  I co-own and adore two local businesses, two striped cats, and three Muscovy ducks. 

My businesses are Wellspring On Main, a funky little gem of a yoga & wellness studio in Douglassville.  I teach a weekly mat Pilates class there on Friday mornings. It is also host to several yoga classes throughout the week, massage & reiki appointments, and other healing workshops led by an amazing team of talented women, and attended by a community of incredibly kind hearted people. 

I also own and operate Excursion Ciders in Kimberton, a small batch cider bar and farm to table restaurant with my partner, Doug, and a small core staff.  We naturally ferment dry hard cider with many different flavors using real fruits, herbs, and spices, and create fun and unique dishes with a new menu coming out week after week.   We focus on building community and creating economic growth by supporting local farmers, producers, cheese makers, and other small businesses.  Something I love and am proud of is that we feature local products and produce in everything we make. 

Another aspect of the business that I love is providing an outlet for artists and musicians to perform and display their work, while curating a comfortable space where people can enjoy it, along with something delicious and a little different to eat and drink.

How did you arrive to where you are today with your work?

I’m not alone in my businesses.  I have great support with my partners in both places, and a staff that i couldn’t do without.  And while it might be a cliche, the genesis of both businesses started when one door closed, and we just decided to open a different one.  

With Wellspring On Main, my partner Kim and I were both active as private contractors in the space for Dorian Abel of Healing Yoga.  When a terrible medical diagnosis caused Dorian to shut down, we knew there was something special there that we couldn’t just walk away from, so we kept it going, and we’re heading in to our 7th year there. 

Excursion Ciders was also started from the tenacity to not give up.  My partner Doug and I were running a brewery, in which he founded, when Covid hit. Relationships within the brewery ownership there got a little complicated, and we found ourselves pushed out of the business.  Sitting at home during the shutdown, creating tasty food for the two of us, surrounded by bottles of things bubbling and fermenting, gave us the idea to start our own project with cider.  We searched around the area for a space for nearly a year, and found our main location of Excursion in the cozy little village of Kimberton. We’re about to hit 4 years there this August, and we also have a tasting room in St. Peter’s Village that turns 4 in December. 

Tell us a little known fact about you that is a key ingredient to your story.

I am not an overly ambitious or business minded person. I guess I just don’t give up that easily, and enjoy being able to create a life and career that suits the life I want to have. 

How do you hold safe space within the context of your professional life?

Both of my business are based on connection.  Wellspring offers more connection with self, and the cidery a connection with community.  Neither places have screens or count on technology, just simple human connection that is sometimes lacking in our fast paced world.. 

Tell us a story about a moment where you had to respond to a vulnerable moment for someone unexpectedly.

I was in line at the grocery store and the person in front of me was being very rude and aggressive to the young cashier.  I asked the person calmly if they were maybe having a bad day? They didn’t respond, and I feared they thought my comment came off as condescending.  As I was packing groceries into my car the person approached me.  I was startled and expecting another hostile encounter, but they admitted to me that they were indeed having a bad day and apologized for taking it out on the young cashier.  We chatted about some things that have been stress factors in their life that week and the person then went back in to the store and apologized to the young cashier, and we both left waving and smiling.  

Tell us about a rewarding experience that you had.

I love it when my Pilates students tell me examples in their lives where Pilates has helped them move better or feel stronger.  It’s also rewarding when someone compliments the food that I’ve made for them. 

What is your relationship to holding safe space?

Holding safe space is a space for realness, not perfection.  Vulnerability isn’t super comfortable, both experiencing it yourself or witnessing it in others.  But for an authentic human experience it’s almost like a due diligence to practice just allowing it to happen, without fear or judgement.  It’s important work. 

What does a safe container look like for you?  What does holding space mean to you?

A safe container is a feeling.  Being able to trust your instincts, a quietness of the mind.  A place to not have to question intentions. 

Any final thoughts/wisdoms/feelings?

I don’t really know what I’m doing, I don’t think anyone really does, but I just try to do things that feel right, and create spaces that make life a little more pleasant and enjoyable. 

Please tell us how to find you via website, social media, contact, etc:

Wellspringonmain.com

ExcursionCiders.com

Both of those of Facebook & Instagram

Women professionals holding space: Sarah of Wild Heart Collective

Sarah is a reliable, good friend to many. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with her on our mutual first retreats. She has an impeccable way of hosting, curating aesthetic and making women feel wonderful. Here is more about her!

Tell us a little bit about who you are & what your background is.

I’m Sarah, my background is rooted in wellness. 10 years ago I became a yoga teacher, 8 years ago I became a reiki practitioner and 7 years ago I became a women’s circle leader. 

How did you arrive to where you are today with your work?

A great love for community. When I first started practicing yoga, I loved the studio I practiced at and it really instilled the importance of community. I’ve made it my mission to grow my own community. Fast forward to now, almost all of my offerings are for connection to self and other women.

Tell us a little known fact about you that is a key ingredient to your story.

I am an aries, and I personally think this shows in my work. Im more of a doer first and think later kind of person. I always have my hands dipped in several different projects, and creative endeavors really stoke my fire. 

How do you hold safe space within the context of your professional life?

Holding space is an important part of my work, whether in yoga, reiki or my circles. For yoga & reiki it’s important to allow people to feel secure in my presence. Often times heaviness emotionally and mentally can come to the surface, so being able to guide breath and hold space for a witnessing is deeply important. In circle we often crack open the heart and encourage vulnerability, holding a safe space is even more important in these circles because it allows women to be seen, heard and know they are never alone. 

Tell us a story about a moment where you had to respond to a vulnerable moment for someone unexpectedly.

I had a yoga student come to one of my classes and she pulled me aside to tell me she was moving through some grief and hadn’t stepped on her mat in over 2 years since the incident occurred. I encouraged her to move through the motions and allow any and all emotions to arise during the practice. She cried the whole class but it felt like a necessary release.

Tell us about a rewarding experience that you had.

One of my Reiki clients has done a total 180 in pain management and sleep. Not claiming to be the source of that, but he has been consistent in his sessions and I have seen a major shift in the way his nervous system responds.

What does a safe container look like for you? What does holding space mean to you? 

A safe container looks non-judgmental, encouraging and honoring. It means not shying away from uncomfortable topics & conversations, and moving through emotional turbulence with grace. Holding space is deeply important to me and really is the root of my offerings.  

Find Sarah of Wild Heart Collective on Instagram and Facebook.

Meet Sarah of Sarah Elizabeth Reiki

Please tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Hi! I’m Sarah Collins, a wildly sensitive person who lived most of my life totally dysregulated, stressed out, overwhelmed, clumsy, and disconnected from my body. I was sick and tired a lot of the time and suffered from night terrors and chronic ear infections into my 20s. Thank God things started to change in my 20s! Now, in my 30s, I am having a completely different life experience. I am here today to share with you what helped me to make that transition and to give you the hope that the same and an even more drastic transformation is possible for you! 

What are your main offerings?  I understand there are 3 of them.

In my sessions with clients at Sarah Elizabeth Reiki LLC, I focus on Reiki, Myofascial Release treatment, and the Realization Process Meditation. 

Reiki: Spiritually guided life force energy. I utilize Reiki Guided Healing Experiences (Visualization Meditations) to help clients connect more deeply with the support of Reiki energy, I follow the guidance of Reiki to know where to send Reiki in their energy field or on their physical body as well as to know which symbols to use to strengthen and direct the energy and to know which techniques to use. There are Reiki healing techniques to release energetic attachments/cords/connectors to the past, heal the inner child, balance the chakras and energy meridians, send healing to specific organs and functions of the body, and many more! Reiki allows the body to shift into rest, digest, and healing functions as it goes directly to whatever points in your past, present, and future need support to help you release patterns of being that are holding you back to guide you along your path to unlimited love, light, and joy. 

Myofascial Release Treatment: Gentle hands on treatment that releases the pulls and lines of tension in your body that have been leading to pain, stiffness, and dysfunction. MFR allows the body to heal from the inside out and results in improved posture, mental and emotional clarity, reclaiming your sense of power and inner knowing to name a few. 

Realization Process Meditation: Stretches/Exercises that feel like meditation that guide you deep into the internal space of your body to release tension, trauma, emotions, and become more grounded in your own being. This treatment results in being less overwhelmed by environmental stimuli, grounded in your body even when chaos is ensuing around you, feeling whole and complete. 

What is your education and training?  Please be as detailed as you like, as I know it is extensive and impressive!

When in high school, there was a big push to figure out what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. I wanted to be an interior designer and philosophy professor, I was told that interior design might be more restrictive than I wanted, needing to bring other people’s dreams to life vs my own, and I was told that there weren’t many jobs as philosophy professor so it might not work out. I worked with my counselor and took tests to see what careers would suit my interests and skills and be likely to pay the bills. So from a very practical standpoint I choose to study Speech-Language Pathology- this would allow me to teach in a small group or 1:1 setting and also had a good job market so I’d be able to pay back my loans (still working on that, lol). It was a big overwhelming commitment to the over $100,000 in loans I needed to take out over time to get my degree so I told myself, just do this until you figure out what you really want to do, be responsible and do what these trusted adults are recommending. So that’s what I did. I always did my best and worked way too hard to accomplish everything that was needed. 

My time in graduate school was so intense and overwhelming that I broke out in a strange rash on my abdomen and knew instantly it was from the chronic stress of trying to fit in and accomplish all the things. I did it, I received my Masters degree and some special recognition for having a high GPA, I was just relieved to be finished! I told myself I would never take another class again, HAHA, turns out I’m addicted to learning and taking classes. In my first few months after graduating I had already completed the entire amount of continuing education that I needed for my first 2 years with a license in Speech-Language Pathology. Anytime a more senior SLP would recommend a course to me, I took it! I really wanted to help people as best I could. 

I became certified in speciality treatments like LSVT LOUD for Parkinson’s Disease and VitalStim for improving swallowing function with neuromuscular electrical stimulation. I was helping a lot of people but also there were people that I still wasn’t able to help and others who I knew had more potential but despite our best efforts they didn’t reach their ultimate goals, I felt like I was failing them. That’s when I learned about John Barnes Myofascial Release Treatment- I was working at a clinic where a Physical Therapist was using this method and she was helping my clients improve further towards their communication and eating goals, and that was supposed to be my role. I started taking courses in Myofascial Release treatment and that’s when everything changed, clients were making progress that their doctors told them was impossible, they were making fast progress and maintaining their results. On a personal level, as I was receiving this treatment, I was releasing long held emotions that I had become out of touch with and my body was feeling more alive, flexible, and just overall so much better! I have taken manual therapy and myofascial release courses focusing on swallowing disorders and then I began taking the John Barnes classes and currently have taken the following: Myofascial Release I and II, Pediatrics, Cervical-Thoracic, and Fascial Pelvis. I receive regular treatment 2-8 times per month and have experienced intensive treatment of 15 hours in 5 days. 

Somewhere in the beginning of learning about Myofascial Release I was attending an event and offered a free 30 minute Reiki treatment. I had no idea what it was, even though the practitioner explained it to me 2 times, none of it landed, but I like to try new things so I went along with it! In that 30 minute treatment I could see and feel energy above and in my body like ocean waves, it was fascinating and so relaxing. For an entire week afterwards I was in complete bliss, the chronic stress and burnout I had been feeling completely lifted, things that used to bother me at work and home just didn’t. I learned that anyone can learn Reiki and take a class so I signed up for the first class I found and that started my journey with Reiki. Currently I am a Reiki Master Teacher in the following styles of Reiki: Usui Holy Fire® III World Peace Reiki, Karuna Reiki®, and ICRT Animal Reiki (International Center for Reiki Training). I have re-taken some of my courses including Reiki level I and Karuna Reiki®. I have traveled to the birthplace of Reiki, Mount Kurama Japan to re-take my Karuna Reiki® master class to deepen my connection with the energy in this sacred place. 

In the time that I was first introduced to Myofascial Release and Reiki I also happened upon the Realization Process Meditation at a local yoga studio. Prior to that, the closest I got to “meditation” was a calm moment of no thought here and there in yoga classes. In my first Realization process class I finally experienced what it is to meditate and I began to discover that energetically I was not in my body, but above it. As I continued weekly classes I began to settle into my body and amazing things started to happen, if I dropped something I would catch it before it hit the floor and then eventually I wasn’t dropping things, I was stronger, I could open jars and things that I previously would need help with, and I started to be more aware of my thoughts, emotions, and body, I became aware enough that I could start to work on some of the underlying limiting beliefs and subconscious thoughts that were holding me back. I continued with Realization Process Meditation classes and individual sessions for a few years until I felt the call to go to teacher training and now I am a certified meditation teacher in the Realization Process Method. 

I also want to note that something I consider to be an important part of my ongoing training is receiving a lot of treatment. As I continue to be a client of other practitioner’s I learn ways that I want to improve my client’s experiences and also I am continually working on reaching higher levels of health, wellness, and happiness, and the more full and overflowing my cup is, the more abundance I get to share through my work and the way I show up in my business everyday! 

What is your “why” or your mission?  Could you share with us a little bit about the meandering path that has brought you here?

It’s funny that while studying for my Master’s so many people said “You can open your own business” and I immediately said “No! I don’t want to do all of that work.” For years and years that pattern continued. It wasn’t until working full time Speech Therapy jobs for 4 years that I finally opened up to that idea. For 4 years I worked so hard to do my best for my patients and students (I worked in schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, home health settings) but I struggled with the work hours and productivity pressures. The way those businesses are structured they want therapists doing billable work 90-95% of the time and what that comes down to during the day is no breaks between sessions, no time to even use the bathroom except for your lunch break, and for me it was waking up way earlier than my body wanted to. I was burning out from the beginning. I would advocate for myself and my patients to try and change the system but ultimately I was fighting and fighting for little change and I got tired of fighting and using so much energy to change a dysfunctional system. It was really out of necessity for my own health and wellness and for the quality of care that I wanted to provide to my patients that I had to leave those systems and start my own. 

It was a combination of my deep unwavering desire to help others in the most effective way possible and my desire to have a life that I don't feel like I need a vacation from that really pushed me on this path.

Please tell us what safe space holding means for you and how you intentionally provide it.

To me a safe space is one where people don’t feel the need to be a certain way, they can come in as they are each time- happy, sad, angry- I’m happy to see when people come in and immediately begin to offload their burdens, it tells me that they feel safe and they trust me to listen and support and not judge them. I actively listen and I am vulnerable as well and share with clients about my journey as it relates to where they are. 

Safety also is a practical thing and so my business is located in a safe area with other well intentioned businesses around, I have a lock on my treatment door, blinds on the windows and curtains on the door, a private changing area for MFR sessions, and I follow HIPPA guidelines for storing people’s personal information, and I keep people’s information confidential, I never share it with other providers or people. Another aspect of safety is that I tell my clients that they are in control, I will always listen to them if they do or don’t want a certain area of their body worked on, I never force people into having a certain area treated, even if I can see it needs work, and I never force people to tell me any information, I let them know that it is helpful to add the power of their voice to express what is going on but ultimately they don’t need to tell me much, their body and Reiki energy will always guide the treatment they need that day. 

Describe what a service from you entails in terms of how you curate it within the session itself.

There is behind the scenes work before a client arrives at their session. I have everyone fill out online intake forms and contracts and provide them with a welcome letter that details how the session will go and that they have choices for how their session is conducted. When people arrive for a session I orient them to the space and have them fill out a wellbeing checklist. 

I have found through my own healing journey and in working with others that we all tend to be more aware in one or 2 areas of our being and are disconnected from the others. So the checklist is a simple check in for how they are feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and it has space to write what support they need, what has changed since their last session. I find that writing is a great release and filling out this form in itself is part of the process. From there, depending on the client’s wants and needs we will move towards the hands on or energetic part of the session. If we are utilizing myofascial release treatment, people will change into shorts/tank top/sports bra and I will do a posture analysis to see what areas of the body are most out of alignment and would benefit from direct treatment. Then it’s time for them to get comfortable on the massage table. Every session begins with the Realization Process Meditation and cues to come into their body, for deeper presence and awareness. During sessions I follow the guidance of Reiki and their body as well as the guidance of what the client shares with me, wherever they are feeling sensations in the body are areas that are releasing and could also be treated. At the end of the session time, I stop the hands on/direct work and invite the client to slowly and mindfully feel into their body, move, and stretch, to take their time getting off the table and when they are ready we discuss what they noticed, my findings, and the plan for their next session and any recommendations for them to try in the time between. If people are wanting to learn self care techniques we do take some time for that instruction and practice during their session. 

What are some of the most rewarding experiences or stories you have had in the unfolding of your work?

There are so many rewarding aspects of this work! To name a few of the things that fill me with immense joy: When a client starts to learn to connect with their intuition and the wisdom of their body and make choices from that awareness, When a client sees the results of their thought work and healing are rippling out to lead to more enjoyable relationships and experiences, When people come in so excited to tell me about how they felt calm and grounded in a situation that once brought on immense anxiety and fear, When clients come in so excited that they were able to move through a day without pain and still had energy at the end of the evening, When clients come in and tell me about the big changes they felt confident to make- starting something new, ending a relationship or job that was not serving them, starting to get back to activities that bring them joy!

Please describe how myofascial release works.  I love how you described how sound brings light into unraveled areas of darkness.

Specifically, I practice John Barnes Myofascial Release Treatment and that is important to emphasize because there are many forms of myofascial release but they do not compare to the principles that John had discovered and taught. In the MFR treatment I provide we move slow, steady, and with the perfect amount of pressure for the nervous system to feel safe- that condition is vital for authentic healing. When the body and mind feel safe, then and only then can they begin to release and unwind old traumas. After 5 minutes of treatment the body begins to switch into healing mode, the breath deepens, stress lifts, the body releases its natural anti-inflammatory chemicals, more blood begins flowing throughout the body for healing, the immune system can function more optimally. As the body releases fascial restrictions the tissues that were once hard and solid begin to soften and rehydrate, our flexibility and strength returns naturally. We become more conscious within ourselves as our light is now able to flow into the spaces that were once hardened and blocking the flow of our light and awareness. As we heal the fascia we heal all aspects of our life experience, we can see, hear, and feel more clearly and deeply, we become reconnected with our sense of personal power, strength, creativity, and joy. 

We have had many conversations about this type of holistic work is our form of health insurance.  What is your routine for “health insurance”?  Also if you would like to comment more about that statement, please do!

I had learned in my 20s that I did not like health insurance, even when I put a lot of time into finding providers that were “more holistic" it was such a headache and often I already knew more than the provider. So I decided to stop being a part of that system and put my money on treatments that I knew healed my body. It has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself! I continue to reach new levels of health and wellness. Over the past 7 years I have been receiving weekly holistic treatments as general maintenance and then when there is a goal I would like to achieve I increase the amount of treatments to 2, 4, 6, 8, and even 15 hours of treatment in one week. At this time, I am receiving Reiki, Myofascial Release, Craniosacral, and Sound Healing treatments each at least monthly. I have also benefited from Reflexology, Massage, Realization Process Meditation, Counseling, and Acupuncture treatments over the past 7 years. I also practice self Reiki, mediation, massage, and Myofascial release treatment on a daily basis. 

I’d like to share a few of the big healing shifts that have occurred for me over these past 7 years:

PMS- from the start I had crippling pain and fatigue, missing school, work, and fun for days each month. Over time my symptoms have lessened in intensity and currently I have 0 signs of PMS that impact my daily life- no crippling pain or fatigue. I have learned to give myself more rest during this time and eat certain foods to support my body but now there is nothing I “miss out on” during this time in my menstrual cycle. 

Night terrors and sleep paralysis: From infancy to my mid 20s I suffered from regular night terrors and sleep paralysis where I know it is a scary dream but I also can’t move or speak to stop it- pure terror. When I would finally get out of that state I would have to stay awake or get into bed with my parents to feel safe enough to sleep again. It has been 3 or 4 years now since my last episode. In that episode, I remembered that I had the power of Reiki and that all I needed to do was think about Reiki and the symbols to activate that healing energy and so in the dream I repeated in my head all of the symbols I was attuned to and in a few minutes, all the negative scary energy lifted and my dream was full of light. Reiki healed my energy so that I am no longer in alignment with the lower vibrations that cause night terrors and sleep paralysis. 

Anxiety and ADHD: Daily I was suffocating from anxiety and my symptoms of ADHD. Irregular energy and motivation, waning focus, panic, constantly judging myself in a harsh way. Through all of the regular treatment I have received and classes I have taken this is no longer an issue for me, occasionally worry will come up but I have strategies to work though it, release it, and get the things done that I need and want to. I have a new relationship with my ADHD. I love it, it is one of my super powers and I have been able to adjust my schedule and mindset to work with it, accepting some of my traits and using them as my strengths and feeling good about the way I live my life. 

Any final wisdoms or thoughts you would like to share?

It does not matter where you are at this point in your life or how far you feel you are from achieving your goals, it is possible for you to get there with more ease than you can imagine right now. Finding holistic providers who understand and are focused on honoring and supporting you with the most effective healing modalities and empowering you to help yourself will be a vital part in your journey. You are meant to live a life that feels good to you! It’s waiting for you and you can learn how to line up with it like I have. All your struggles so far were just experiences to help you clarify what is important to you and what it is you want to experience in your unique life. 

If you have resonated with any of this and want to learn about how to work with me or set up a call to learn more about how I can help you improve your life go to my website www.SarahElizabethReiki.com 

Thank you for serving the way that you do!  I know it has made a huge difference in my life. 

What is Biodynamic Craniosacral Approach?

Let me share, at long last [ from my standpoint, anyway ], the meaning and importance behind Biodynamic Craniosacral Approach.  This is coming from my embodied comprehension & extensive medical background of witnessing and understanding.

Biodynamic, when broken down, refers to our innate Life Force.  Bio meaning Life; Dynamic referring to the ever-moving, ever-flowing natural energy of Health.  Put together, Biodynamic acknowledges the life force or Breath of Life that is of a higher intelligence, kiss of divinity or a divine organizing principle.

Craniosacral is honoring the apex & base innervation centers of the physical nervous system.  Not only does it refer to the nervous system’s anatomical structure, but also the resulting energetic flow & rhythm of Health for which practitioners are deeply listening and detecting with the gentle hands-on palpation.   The Cranium (cranio) is considered the Apex or peak of the system; Sacrum (sacral) is the base at the tailbone.  As above, so below.

The Approach, as your practitioner, is cultivating safe conditions for the recipient of Craniosacral biodynamics to surrender into a deeply restorative state, allowing the Life Force or Breath of Life to take over and reconnect, reorganize, rebuild and realign what is most necessary.  As your practitioner, I am intending and inputting nothing other than safe space for your peace and allowing whatever is meant to unfold to happen for you from within you.  Nobody knows what is best for you rather than your own innate wisdom and intelligence.

The potency and potential of the Biodynamic Craniosacral Approach is ENORMOUS.  With consistent commitment of receiving this service and type of holistic body & energy work, you are remembering and therefore returning to a sustainable flow of Health with a natural release of stress patterns within the system over time.  This is therefore optimizing the system as a whole.  It is true Healthcare.  It is honoring that your body ultimately knows how to heal his/herself. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to find and provide this keystone modality that bridges together my extensive nursing background and deep awareness on the importance of true rest gained from that background.

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5 Years of Gong

Gongs have saved and changed the course of the rest of my life. 5 years ago I was receiving a private soundbath from my dear friend & an initiator on this path. She said to me, Your soul is like a dolphin swimming with the Gongs. I knew in that moment after years of subconscious ruminating that it was time for me to invest in my own. It was also around the time that I actively knew that I was no longer meant to serve as a registered nurse in the western medical model.

Gongs in their nature and essence allow for space for higher frequency refinement. As a result, they provided me with a place to land outside of this lifestyle that ultimately would have killed me, and that is no exaggeration.

Marching to the beat of my own Gong has allowed me to create the safe conditions in my own life for a supported nervous system that living in the mainstream had never allowed for me.

I am so deeply grateful to the friendship of my first Thunder Son, Archimedes, named after bathing in mugwort tea and unknowingly connected with the Archimedean spiral. My trusty traveling companion, you have received the waves if you have ever attended an event of mine. Thank you for receiving the vibration of the Gong & allowing that true space to transform you. 💫

Meet Jen who plays the Gong! An introduction to the Human behind White Wave Restorations

My birth & earth name is Jennifer Joan.  Jennifer meaning White Wave [ as a Pisces, no less ] ; Joan being inherited from my grandmother whom I never met on my Dad’s side.  Both the name Jennifer & my Dad’s Mom are linked back to our Celtic/Irish ancestry, to which Triskele is happenstantially connected through a solo maiden voyage to Ireland a few years back.  It all holds meaning.

I was born with a highly sensitive & intuitive soul, always deeply listening & keenly aware to even the most subtle of energetic shifts.  Picture: a little girl hypervigilantly checking in to see if you are crying or okay.  It still drives my family nuts & always has!  Perhaps myself most of all, though I wouldn’t trade it.  It has led me down this path of health restoring, peace-making & bridge-building within & out for myself & those open to my provisions.  

I chose to become a registered nurse to medically serve, empower & advocate for my loved ones, family, friends & local community.  It was also a dream to be of support in vulnerable, tender situations in the hospital and long-term care facilities where I worked for many years.  My very first mission statement with Nursing was to face, taste & alleviate the suffering of all those whom I come into contact.  This segwayed my career to more impacting services to make this happen.  I first began to provide spacious, restful experiences to people over 10 years ago in the form of yin yoga because I could not believe how much I needed it and did not know that I could achieve such deeply relaxed states and wanted to share with others.  My sound practice, under similar circumstances, emerged 7 years ago for the effortless stress relief it brings and noninvasive nature of the work.  I recently chose to explore craniosacral therapy to provide me with a greater capacity for holding space for stillness & silence within my sound practice.  What I did not anticipate was the deeper poetry of our crystalline, fluid-filled palaces and a fuller understanding of how our bodies function through flow.  Thankfully, I have held an active nursing license for the last 10+ years.  As a result, I am legally permitted to facilitate craniosacral work with that license to touch without a massage degree in the state of Pennsylvania.  

Returning to the notion that I took on the bedside nursing role to support those I love, this is how I view my space holding for the restorative modalities that I facilitate.  Everyone under my care is my friend.  Everyone deserves to feel safe, warm and loved so they can truly restore in the ways only their inner intelligence knows.  Sound immersion and craniosacral therapy have both left me feeling like I didn’t know that I could feel that quiet, replenished, reset and at peace.  Both sound & craniosacral work restore the natural flow of consciousness, fluids & energy within your being.

In addition to traveling subconsciously with the Gong, I have had the absolute fortune of enjoying spirited solo travels across the Globe.  Just recently I connected the dots that all of my spirit-inspired trips have subconsciously involved visiting ruins of ancient civilizations.  My next sojourn, beginning Sunday, will land me on ancient Mayan land & ruins for a craniosacral training immersion.  I proudly hold my name and journey, as every one must.  It is a path I would choose again & again.  Thank you for finding and walking with me.

Following your Inner Compass & Honoring your Energetic Boundaries: Reflections on turning 37

A dear, dear friend of mine has told me many times over the years, “Once you hit 37 years old, as a woman, things are just different.  In a good way.”  This month of this year I hit that golden number and dare I say I feel the sweetness of which she is referring.  What I did not anticipate was how much these shifts would deeply supply fortification for my role as a space holder & facilitator.   The older you grow, the more you realize your energy has a capacity and that honoring that capacity is your lifeline.

It feels supportive to personally reflect and also to share in the hopes that other women with similar roles in their community do not feel so alone and perhaps may draw some inspiration for boundary setting of their own.

1. You set the value on yourself and that tells people how to value your time and energy.

As someone who used to be in the “everyone will see my heart and treat me like gold for it” camp, the answer is no, they most often times will not lol.  Unfortunately we live in a highly transactional society.  When you know you have devoted your life to something, whether it is a particular skill, quality or your livelihood in general, see that and mark the value within yourself.  How you interact and engage with people will then completely reorient around this set value once it is imbued within you.  It goes without saying, but it does happen!

2. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do

This one was HUGE for me.  I finally have anchored that if something is not in alignment, we can always pivot.  There is no need to force, because that means it is not meant for you anyway.  Saying no to what is not right opens so much space for highest alignment.  Life CAN be easy!  There is no need to fear because abundance is inherent.  Release, pivot, realign.  Say no, move on.  No more fuel to the fire.  You will always be met with what you need.

3. Nobody is entitled to your energy that you are unwilling to give

As a recovering people pleaser with former blurred line boundaries, I recognize that this one initially can be a toughie.  When the code is cracked and you recognize when something is a “no”, it just feels SO GOOD to honor that after many, many times of giving beyond your means.  Try it.  It becomes a non-negotiable badge to wear.

4. Your #1 priority is you and that is best for everyone.

I tell my clients this all the time.  We need to honor ourselves first and foremost on every front, otherwise we are not sending out a clear, true message of where we are.  What is best for you is truly the best for everyone.  The world reshuffles around your needs, and everyone else’s, and divinely, magically & mysteriously, it is always woven in such a divinely perfect way.

5. What is outside of you is not yours to carry

This is for all my empaths: Every one is on their journey.  You can see so clearly where there may need to be a bridge or reconnection or whatever it is, but you do not need to make it happen.  Everyone is genuinely doing their best with what they have.  Like in the last point, the divine unfolding will take care of it.  Trust that they are in good hands.   

6. If it is not in alignment, give it no extra weight nor emotion.

It is not personal!  Don’t let it take up your energy.  It is okay to grieve if something unexpectedly flows another way of your heart’s desire; just don’t hang on to the feeling for too long.  Drink water, move your body, nourish yourself.  Everything moves on and through.  Let it begin within your vessel in this case.

7. Defined boundaries are healthy.

THIS!  I am truly learning how much more professional it feels to have clarity and move from that clarity.  People take you more seriously.  You do not need to be everyone’s friend.  You do not need to accept everyone’s business, especially if it is taking from you.  Become clear about who you are and what you represent and live from that place.  The boundaries will naturally set themselves around it.  You just need to listen and enforce.

8. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not right.  If it’s a hell yes, drop everything and go for it.

I am all for intuitively impulsive decisions.  I bought my handpan for $3k based on a tarot card I found while deciding and invested in a week-long retreat based on visions I had.  If you have a strong feeling, it is meant for you!!  No matter what the logic mind has to say about it.  If there is no charge, it isn’t the right timing or just not meant to be for you.  This is an old standby for me but felt an instinct to share.  It is imperative to understand and remember!

9. Giving yourself space to process and feel is essential and underutilized in a pressure-oriented system.

I have been in situations, professional and personal, that have stirred up some emotion.  Haven’t we all?  Many times over and over, even.  It is not until recently that I decided to not apply pressure to myself in responding right away in situations that stir up that feeling, but rather allow that feeling to flow and subside and become clear and THEN respond.  There is such a call for immediacy today.  There does not need to be.  You are a human.  Give it space and time.  Set the precedent on effective communication while also enjoying a clearer, more enlightened path.

10. No response is a response.

If there is not a connection, the call cannot be completed as dialed.  Have you ever applied for a job but never heard anything?  Silence is a strong message and reorienting for both parties.  It is not unkind.  It gives space for what is meant to unfold on both sides.  I used to think it was the “right thing to do” but sometimes it is kinder to not say anything at all!  As the age old saying goes, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”  Obviously sometimes a response is mandated, but it is up to your discretion on when that is.

Wildly, this is not an exhaustive list but encapsulates the fundamental shifts that I have noticed that are now non-negotiable. The one thing I am noticing that is a common thread among all of these is that you need to have a clear relationship with your inner compass and intuition.  From there, everything roots and takes shape around you.

Have you experienced any palpable shifts, regardless of your age, in consciousness recently?  Please share in the comments below!

The Importance of Relationships as a Sound Facilitator

Relationships are everything as a space holder, but particularly within the context of facilitating sound and music.  As a practitioner, there are many key elements you must be aware of in order to truly provide a sensitively supportive experience to your recipient(s).

1. Your relationship within

It is imperative that you continually evaluate and reevaluate your relationship with yourself and your intention.  Before entering into your providing role at a sound event, check in with your headspace.  Where is your mind?  How are you feeling?  How are you feeling in relationship to what you are providing?  Be super honest and real with yourself; the intention is the true source of sound.  You as the player are the very first instrument.  The spirit is moving through you and therefore creating the rest of the experience.  How are you able to honor your vessel and self fully in each session and therefore honoring everyone else present and involved?  This will vary greatly on many factors, including the following.

2. Your relationship to the receiver(s)

Take notice to what you are sensing from the people whom are there to receive your service.  If it’s a group, does the room feel more heavy or sad?  Light and ungrounded?  Truly listen deeply, sense and respond to what you are picking up on.  It is a living, breathing moment and you are the captain of how it flows.  Is somebody holding their ears, breathing rapidly or scrunching their face muscles?  These are all possible indicators that maybe you could turn down the volume or intensity or proximity of instrument to the person.  Or perhaps they are the only one and you just need to be mindful around that person.  Pay attention to the cues that you are sensing from your recipients in all scenarios and honor as much as you can your providing and their experience.

Secondarily, as a private recipient with whom you have built a rapport over time, take notice to how that deepening impacts your sessions.  How much further is someone going whom you feel a deep sense of trust from vs someone who is just dipping their toe in and is unsure their feeling around sound baths in general?  It is a vast difference.  How you compose yourself around everyone matters.  Whether you are operating from a place of true care and service for the person shows in the subtle energies.  It does not matter how well you can finesse a gong if you do not have the trust of your receiver, you are going nowhere.

3. Your relationship to the space

There are a multitude of ways that one needs to be mindful of the space they are entering.  As the most obvious, how are the acoustics?  Are the ceilings tall, is the room wide?  Are there a lot of objects in the room or is it barren?  Is the room carpeted?  Are you outside?  How secure do you feel within the space?  How in control do you feel of the variables?  Can you respond to certain sounds that are unique to the space or can you be open to respond to what comes up as it does?  It is so much fun to maneuver and play around with the unique acoustics of each space where you provide this work.  There are so many ways you can setup your instruments to accommodate the unique feel of the space you are in.  It can also feel grating, confusing and exhausting if you are trying to manipulate or resist what sound quality or response you are getting from that environment.  Be open and curious.  Play with every sense of that word.  What you are bringing is what you are transmitting.

4. Your relationship to the instruments

The last matter of importance when it comes to curating sound experiences is the instrument.  The relationship of the instrument to you, the recipient and space is, however, of utmost importance.  Mike Tamburo said that you want to pick an instrument that really excites you to play, that you really enjoy the feeling and sound aesthetic.  This is absolutely true.  I lean towards the value of this instrument being because of how deeply it pulls you into the sound, that space of twilight, joy, spaciousness and wonder.  This place where we desperately as a culture need to reside more and more regularly.  This place is where true living happens.

There are so many relationships that happen with playing your instruments.  How quickly are you tapping the singing bowl?  How long are you taking to circumnavigate the rim when making it sing?  How close or frequently are you tapping the mallets on the gong?  This is an endless exploration of how you are cultivating sound.

Also intrinsically connected is how are you, as the player, sounding within the session?  Are your movements jolty or smooth?  Are your joints cracking?  Are you breathing heavy or softly?  It all matters!  And again, you are the #1 instrument of the symphony.

How many times are you turning your wrist or moving your fingers when playing a chime?  How close are you in proximity to the person with the instrument?  How are they responding?  How are you feeling?

See how it all accumulates and builds?  It is a never-ending deep dive into the land of relationship with infinite possibilities including tonal relationship, frequencies and so much more beyond what is touched on here.  It is such a space of curiosity, openness and wonder.  Deep listening is your greatest ally when discerning how supportive your service is to the people and places where you are sharing.

How to Leave your Corporate Job: Strategies from my Lived Experience of Leaving Nursing to dive fully into sound baths as my livelihood

Probably one of my most asked questions is how did I muster up the courage to leave my day job.  Well, let’s just say it didn’t happen overnight.  As someone who is frugal, it took a huge amount of evaluation and careful preparation to make the leap.  It requires a total surrender to a completely new way of living that is based on trust, if you are looking to pave your own way.  I’m going to share with you the ways that you can check-in with yourself to discern if you are ready to make that huge decision for yourself!

Financial Logistics

1. Get real about what you already have.

What connections and resources do you have?  What do you have in your savings account?  Do you have a cushion for a few months?  What do your monthly expenses look like?  What do you need to make per month?  More later about how you can reduce your monthly costs.

Ask yourself the real questions: Are you willing to make big sacrifices like moving into a smaller place or shared living situation or away from where you are comfortable?   These are all just examples but it is true, the more open you are, the more likely you will succeed making your own way.

2. Re-evalute your relationship to money

This one is massive, at least it was for me.  As I mentioned, I have a frugal mindset, which is super helpful with being self-employed.  However, you need to understand where that energy is coming from: is it a scarcity mentality?  Are you afraid you won’t be able to make it?  Are you stressed about money?  Deeper still, do you question your worth in receiving money or having it flow effortlessly towards you?  I have found that spending money is like casting a vote.  You are signaling to yourself that one thing is worth investing in over the other.  Become clear about what that is.

I also personally love to invest in other small business services and sellers, because you are supporting real people and they are after the same thing you are!  It’s trusting that it will come back and someone else will choose to make the same decision on you, even if they too have a concern about money.  Money flows!  It comes and goes.  You don’t need to chase it.  Think about it: it’s numbers on a screen.  If they need more in circulation, they will just print it.  It’s really just a construct we all have agreed is real.  Keep focusing on the right thing which is your heart-centered work and you will be fully taken care of, trust me.  Abundance comes in many ways, more on that later!

3. Only invest in what you truly need to live and simplify what that is.

Frugality has helped me tremendously with keeping my bank account at the same level it was since I left nursing, which has now been 5 years.  Obviously, there are certain things you do not want to skimp out on for longevity of larger investments like regular, good quality oil changes to keep your car optimal.  Otherwise, there are many, many ways you can save money.  Become clear about what you truly need to spend money on.

There are many cost-effective alternatives to our modern day needs.  Visible is an awesome cell phone provider powered by Verizon that costs $250 for an entire year of service.  Call your Internet provider and see if they will price match with their competitor.  Cut down on streaming services, split accounts with loved ones.  Quit your gym membership and start doing bodyweight or yoga classes on YouTube for free.  There is a seemingly infinite selection!  Or if you need to stay at your yoga studio for community and sanity, see if they have an annual membership (if you can swing it) and maximize on classes, particularly if you can attend ultra regularly.

Reduce your monthly expenses as much as possible.  I learned that there are many services that give you a discount with a full year (such as Visible) vs. month-to-month.  If you can swing it, pay it upfront!  Every little bit helps on this journey.

There are free resources for entrepreneurs available in some towns.  I’ve heard Pottstown has a program.  Attend free networking events to get the word out.  We are in a time of boundless information, for better or worse.  Seize it!  If you have a question, google it, someone’s likely written a thorough blog about it.

3. Part II Only invest in what will help you get further in your career

Only invest in what is right by your work with one thing at a time.  Use your discernment about what investment would most help you: is there an essential piece of equipment that would drastically help you expand your productivity and therefore have more product in less time?  Or would it be helpful to invest in a business coach because you feel completely lost and need help with direction?

Check-in about what is necessary and what is not.  Would I love to have a commercial property for my work?  Absolutely!  However, what I do is successful nomadically and it is fun to enter into different environments and connect with a variety of communities so it is not necessary.  Make it work for you!  Be real!  Simplify and enjoy that simplicity.

Developing a Small Business

1. Become clear about what your passion is, what you are curious about, what you would enjoy exploring

If you already have a side skill that you want to make the main event, that’s awesome and great!  If you have a side skill and it can help you make ends meet while building your other business idea or finding your dream work, also awesome! I have been a yoga instructor for over 10 years so I initially supplemented my income with teaching, even though it was no longer my passion.  Since it only took up a few hours at a time, I could then use the time in-between to reach out and coordinate sound events.  It was more a mental assurance that I had consistent income to rely upon.  Sometimes that helps until you are fully ready to launch into your new business or after you find your dream job!

Most people want to leave their day job because it is soul-sucking, demanding and stressful.  Finding what is fundamentally meaningful to you is a helpful compass in the direction of how you may enjoy your next livelihood.

2. Be willing to pivot

Sometimes an event, product or work relationship is excellent!  Things feel super supportive for everyone and it is going great.  Overtime, this can shift, because it is a true living thing!  This is life!  Things are meant to have their moment, ebb and flow, possibly fully die or at least become dormant for a while.  Trust that it has nothing to do with your service or what you are offering.  Make the confident decision to move on from it or consciously put it on hold to revisit at a later time.  It takes up energy to try make something work that just isn’t, kind of like a dead leaf on a living plant.  You have not failed.  You are growing!   

Secondarily, you may find on this path that you end up shedding some misaligned, unhealthy relationships that were a vibrational match when you were depleted, stressed and drained of your energy.  It happens to us all!  It may be unexpected for some and long overdue for others, but when it ultimately transpires, the relief will be great and the load will feel so much lighter.

3. Be Open to true Abundance

Resources & Abundance come in many forms, the least magical of which is money.  Keep yourself open to what that looks like for you.  Maybe you need a new couch and find one on the side of the road or free on Facebook marketplace.  There are opportunities to volunteer at incredible regenerative farms in exchange for a share of fresh, local, organic produce.  Attend clothing swaps for the double whammy of fresh finds and friendship.  Find people to trade your services for products or whatever combination!  I have found that many people in the holistic industry are willing to trade services.  I have even traded for excellent local made products like Seven Winds soaps & candles, special handmade ceramics, Made by Fairy Fingers jewelry, delicious homemade meals and freshly baked sourdough bread from Fuel your Balance!  Your options are limitless depending on what you do.

Another example of Abundance: I have been fixated on going to Cape Cod for a couple of years, but it has been more on the back burner of my consciousness.  I recently was hired to provide my services at a retreat in Cape Cod, where I will be able to stay for free.  Opportunities like this come up all the time if you become clear about your direction or rather follow the guidance of where you are meant to be.

As a pleasant piggyback to the previous statement about releasing misaligned relationships, you will attract and draw in incredibly supportive ones.  I have a sparkly unicorn of a dear friend whom met me through my work and reached out offering her graphic design services for free which has come in clutch so many times with making retreat flyers and social media posts.  She has come out to so many different events and has become a very close friend.  As fellow entrepreneurs, we bounce ideas off each other all the time.  The relationship has become invaluable to me.

There are a plethora of ways that Abundance sneaks beautifully into our lives.  Keep a grateful, open heart for what is meant to come for you and release the narrative of how it does or what that looks like.

4. If you are developing your own small business, Give away your product or services for free in the beginning

Build credit for what you are putting into the world.  It will make you feel good to share with people for feedback and testimonials.  It also takes the stress and pressure off of providing a super stellar experience if you are just new at something.  It helps you to grow, it helps them to save some money while receiving a service.  Overtime, you will develop some wonderfully connected and loyal relationships with your guests, clients, customers, whatever you would like to call them.  It’s a win-win!

5. Lean fully into your trust and faith and make the leap!!

In my opinion, the #1 piece to this decision is your relationship to faith in a higher power, whatever you perceive it to be, and to the resiliency and capability of your own humanity.  The human spirit is an absolutely incredible and adaptable gift.  A beautiful close friend recently shared with me, “We get so hung up on the zoomed-in, day-to-day details and catastrophize them in our mind when what we need to do is step back, find quiet and listen for divine guidance”.  A super powerful and true message!  Enjoy every moment and take a deep breath when things feel askew, because they are not.  We are just small and cannot see the wonderful mysterious weaving that takes place beyond and outside of us.  Hold a heart-centered way and witness the magical unfolding happen in front of you, one step at a time.

The biggest thing to realize is that you are surrendering yourself to a new path and way of life that is not based around earning top dollar, but rather prioritizing your quality of life and happiness.  The further you go along on this journey, your relationship to a sense of security from an outside employer totally changes and vanishes.  Also, this blog is highlighting the beginning of this journey.  There is expanse!  This year I have 4 trainings scheduled to support my recipients.  It has taken me 5 years to feel comfortable making these large investments that will require great travel but we are there!  Trust that things will open up for you.  Lead with a good, gracious, adaptable heart and resilient spirit and you will be there too!

Guidance to those on the Path towards Sound Immersion: World class trainings, instruments and beyond!

Over the last 6 years of walking this path, I have been asked numerous, numerous times for referrals on trainings, where to get instruments, what kind of instruments to get, etc.  Finally I am writing a blog about it because there is no room for gatekeeping and those that are walking this path with genuine connection and love deserve to have access to these resources!!

Beginning with local trainings:

There are 5 stand-out training providers I have consistently and routinely come across over the last few years.

The top of the top is 9ways Academia headed by Mitch Nur.  He is currently based out of Lewes, Delaware but comes to Lancaster and Bucks county for various trainings including Gong Camp, North America’s oldest Gong camp.  Mitch is a devoted, leading expert in the field, having 5+ decades of immersive experience (well before this was widely known), a PhD in ethnomusicology, associating with only the top researchers and educators in the field, such as Mike Tamburo and Thomas Orr Anderson.

You can find his trainings at the 9ways Academia website listed here.

Mike Tamburo is your guy for all things gong.  Mike has devoted his entire life to the Gong.  If you have an opportunity to experience one of his concerts, do!  If you have an opportunity to immerse in his gong technique trainings, doubly do!  I am looking forward to attending one of his immersive trainings out of his home in Pittsburgh this weekend.  Mike travels the world offering his education and beautiful, raw music.

Click here for all things Mike Tamburo

Kirk Jones is deeply connected to healing the planet with angel frequencies and light through the form of sound.  He hosts incredible journeys with gong and singing bowls.  He also facilitates trainings of crystal singing bowls, tuning forks and gong in Pennsylvania, Vermont (where he is based), and New Jersey as well as others I’m sure!

Here is a link to connect with Kirk

Soundwise Health in Lancaster is led by Lana Ryder, who’s also devoted herself to sound and therapeutic arts for over 5 decades.  With Monica Mullen and Ken Ebert, she routinely runs sound trainings.  Soundwise also hosts world-class education from sound trainers such as Michael Bettine and Mitch Nur.

For more information on Soundwise health, click here.

YogaBro in Bucks county.  Corey has also devoted himself to various sound trainings and has an incredible connection with the gong!  He also provides master reiki level trainings, fascial work and sound trainings around the Bucks County area, particularly at Shanteel Yoga Sanctuary.

For more info on Corey of YogaBro, click here

Incredible online resource and in-person in the Midwest and around the world is Michael Bettine of Gongtopia! Check out his richly-resourced YouTube channel and guide here.

Instrument Providers

There is one sound tool company I have routinely supported time and time again for my flow and Koshi chimes, free notes wave, tuning forks and more.  Reliably excellent service, quality, communication and delivery.  That is Brooklyn Healing Arts.  Check out Jarrod’s recently opened store in central Vermont (I eagerly await going there!) or view it from your device!  His website is top notch.

Check out Brooklyn Healing Arts here

If you are in the market for a Gong, look no further than Steve Weiss Music, second to none.  They have the first pick of gongs being shipped to our country and are based out of none-other-than Willow Grove, PA!

Check out their incredible selection here.

Instruments

I have accrued a whole slew of delightfully resonant friends over the years.  It is hard to list all of them, so if you have a specific question, please list in your comments!

Some of my favorite go-tos are (besides the gong, because that deserves its own blog, and singing bowls, for similar reasons):

Meinl Ocean Drum with incredible sound that is a powerful space-filler.  Every soundbath someone asks what the ocean, vacuum, storm sound was.  It also tends to evoke the most amount of emotion

Shruti box very much connects with people, I have often wondered if it’s due to the similarity to our lungs and vocal system.  Shruti means “what they heard” in Sanskrit.  A powerful, droning instrument

Freenotes Wave this magical, musical-fifth instrument is wonderful for big spaces and large groups.  You can still provide that close vibrational experience by holding close to the individual

Rainstick dreams a set it and forget it, wonderful layering instrument that can go for 10 minutes (in my case) but I believe they have some that go longer.  Amaranth seeds fall over a helix, it’s the definition of whimsy and it’s such a settling sound

Medicine drum the drum journey is real, even if you are not intending it as a practitioner.  I have had the honor of sitting in ceremony with Mia Luz of Drum Doula twice now.  Once for an elk medicine drum, another time for a horse crystal medicine rattle and recently I invested in a buffalo drum that she imbued with my intention for reminding that there is always plenty.  All of Mia’s creations, whether through you or directly her, are pure, real and true to the highest.  I highly recommend checking out her medicine drum ceremonies

Tuning forks whether for grounding on the person after a particularly deep session or dispersing through the air to clear and connect, tuning forks make for a special vibrational addition to your service.  It is incredible how some can just keep going and going.  It’s no wonder they use them to diagnose neurological conditions.

But the most important thing to remember is your personal relationship with each of these instruments.  Every instrument I have ever received or invested in, I have had a deep personal relationship and connection with them.  I either love the sound aesthetic, how it feels to play, how diverse the sound is, how people seem to connect with it, how moving it is, the particular tone or special quality of it… It really all depends on your ear and your feeling in relation to the instrument.  You can buy every instrument in the world, but until you personally feel a close relationship with it, like you could play it for hours and continually get lost in the deep listening process, it won’t impact nearly as much as it does when you do.

Wishing you the best on your journey!  Please comment if you have any specific questions you want answered.

Wellness Retreat benefits & Affiliate Partnership with Himalayan Institute

Himalayan Institute, home to upcoming Sacred Sound, Silence & Stillness Spring Equinox retreat, is a place of pure, blissful magic. Every layer of what this land and culture has to offer is nourishing and beyond!

Arrive and be held by the tranquil grounds. There are plenty of hiking trails to enjoy meditation and the powerful landscape.

Enjoy coffee and chocolate either on-site or by short walk to the coffeeshop and factory Moka Origins.

Sri Vidya Shrine offers a peaceful space for quiet yet transformative meditation.

Pure Rejuv Wellness center offers a wide variety of spa services, including specialized Ayurvedic treatments, massage & manual therapies and more! It is recommended to book as soon as possible!

Daily yoga, which is so deeply conscientious of the season, by HI expert staff are available to all attendees.

Meals are beyond delicious and inspiring. So simple, accessible and nutritious, it provides some ideas to take home!! One of my favorite parts of an experience at HI is that lunch is included on day of check-out, so you leave with a full belly and heart.

The enveloping hospitality is #1, which is a main reason I repeatedly choose to host my retreats here. It is a real, genuine environment that is safe and supportive. For this, I am highly honored and grateful to be an affiliate partner of Himalayan Institute

Specialty in stress relief: my personal history with receiving sound baths and other restorative service

I have inadvertently developed a specialty in holding space for restorative modalities.  I attribute this to my feverish search of receiving them since my early twenties plus providing safe space for direct care as a registered nurse.

My personal history and connection with restorative modalities:

Yin yoga was my first exposure to feeling restful while awake, a sense of spaciousness and peace; a palpable reset in the day.  At that time, it was a potent antidote to how I was living with a compressed schedule of long work hours and even longer running miles.  This experience of wakeful relaxation completely revolutionized my awareness.  I didn’t know that life could be lived with ease.  Particularly the principle of Wei wu Wei, non-doing, or effortless action, stuck out to me.  This is the notion that everything is happening for us and all we have to do is rest, be and receive it.  We do not need to frantically search or worry.  All we need to do is tend within and trust.  This way of being has greatly and gratefully influenced & impacted my path now and for the rest of my days.  Needless to say, I committed routinely to this practice to access the deep restorative benefit found in the stillness and silence.

Next would come the introduction to soundbaths.  In Autumn of 2013, I was invited to a 2-hour blindfolded gong bath led by Mitch Nur of 9ways Academia.  It was an earth shattering and transformational to the depths of my consciousness.  From then on, I sought those mind-altering sound experiences from Tibetan chanting to, what supported my nursing journey the most, private sound sessions from a dear friend, Jennifer of now Shanteel Yoga Sanctuary in Sellersville.  I became ravenous for these pauses, resets, mini breaks from the day-to-day; to dip out and into my subconsciousness, the land of spaciousness and peace.

In this mass exploration, I discovered rather quickly how valuable it is to be selective about from whom to receive and what to attend.  Not all soundbaths, yin yoga classes or restorative modality of any kind private or ground, are created equally.  It does not matter how much someone has spent on their instruments.  If their intention is not pure; if the connection isn’t there; if the quality of technique and relationship to what sound truly is, is missing: you, as the receiver, will feel it.  And if you are hypersensitive like I am, you will feel it deeply and painfully and not initially understand that it is not yours.  The boundaries when receiving become very blurred and that can feel, and is under these circumstances, dangerous.  With that awareness (even if it is only subconscious), sensation of pain and ultimately lack of a sense of security, you will not be able to reach any depth of relaxation.

Obviously, no one is perfect, every one is on their journey and has to start somewhere.  There is no shame here.  We are all doing our best.  In my personal experience, I seriously desired (and continue to desire) to understand what made a safe, restful space for deep relaxation.  The experience of receiving and also providing safe space for direct care as a nurse helped me to see and understand the role of space-holder with clarity.  Look out for blog Foundations for Sensitive Facilitation highlighting what I have discovered to be fundamental attributes of exceptional space holding.

Stress relief through true, consistent rest is whole Health. How sound baths & craniosacral therapy change lives

Stress is the #1 root cause of dis-ease within our culture. The blessing is that this is preventable AND reversible. 

This is why heart disease is so rampant. Medical diagnoses, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes leading to very severe health events such as stroke and heart attack, are all connected to mismanaged stress and unsupportive lifestyles. Every single one of these conditions is connected with a disruption in or lack of flow presenting as desiccation or dryness and eventual hardness in areas that are meant to be fluid and open.  Inflammation is another significant marker for chronic stress.  There is a requirement for true S P A C E within the being, especially around vital organs.  This is where craniosacral therapy comes in to reverse those conditions and return the body's rhythms back to homeostasis and inherent balance. It goes deeper. 

What if I told you that you can reclaim the power of your innate health, wholeness and the energetic dynamics of your life and world around you simply by prioritizing space for subconscious nervous system restoration? The kicker is that you need to fully believe it is possible and inherently understand your worth to receive it.

Emotional stress, such as grief, can be effortlessly transmuted with sound immersion over time. Subconscious patterning and neural circuitry is rewired and rerouted with this service. Vibration also works at the subtlest level, that of the spirit or essence, and therefore opens its way down from soul to physical body. 

Most of my routine private recipients are managing symptoms of chronic conditions by consistently receiving these services. What I have noticed after years of working with the same people is that symptoms are reversing and even in remission to the point where medication doses are reduced or even eliminated altogether. Their baselines in life are much higher than when they first began receiving these treatments. Obviously life has its ups and downs and that comes through; however, their resiliency to stress has drastically improved given their routine commitment to prioritizing true rest. Therefore, their nervous systems are optimized and redefining what is actually stress and most importantly, how can I respond to it in a way that is respecting my capacity. 

We, as humans being, when we are truly open, learn that we can reorient our lives and rewrite our inner script. When we routinely treat our bodies well, our bodies remember how wonderfully safe & warm it is to be inhabited! How much we deserve to feel that goodness, warmth and LOVE. A trust develops in relationship to yourself; a total sense of embodiment happens. Our body is our mind and when in a healthy union, the mindset follows suit. 

 Nothing is permanent and everything, when truly living, is dynamic, fluid and pervious to shifting and transmuting. THAT is what allows for the pivot to happen towards optimal wellbeing. 

You are the master of your ship. May you find what supports your rest, stress relief and routinely implement into your life for the rest of your days. It will only continue to refine your systems & change everything for the highest forever in ways beyond imagination. What a gift. 

Call of the Buffalo

I recently found myself in a bit of inner turmoil.  The idea of entering into hospice nursing had presented itself through an aligned conduit: a dear friend made through years of bi-weekly receiving my private sound services, whom also works as an ICU nurse.  The thought of it flooded my heart.  I always loved working with people at end-of-life and supporting their families.  It only made sense to return to the nursing field and bring what I have gathered from my work as sound facilitator and space holder.  I called a woman named Mia, whom had supported me deeply with Akashic Record readings through the process of leaving nursing, to receive her blessing with returning.  She felt nothing but goodness from what I shared with her.  Mia is also known as the Drum Doula, I have had the privilege to sit in ceremony with her twice: once for an elk drum and secondly for a horse & crystal medicine rattle.  I told her that I wanted to have her birth an 18” horse medicine drum in celebration of this next chapter.  She waited to begin fabricating the drum after hearing the response on the interview.

After applying and going in for an interview for a super flexible as-needed position, I found myself grappling with my role in this world and potentially grieving the shifting of my life as fully in service on-demand to working some set hours, even if it was one 8-hour shift a week or less.  The interview left me feeling super drained; the processing afterwards as much so.  But the heart of supporting the dying remained true.

During this phase between applying and awaiting response, there was a personal dynamic struggle that manifested and brought about a lot of strong emotion (not unlikely connected with this adjacent unsteady situation).  I remember laying my head down on my pillow that night, closing my eyes in full wakefulness and that was when the first visitation happened: a herd of buffalo, not stampeding, but quickly moving towards me from the mountains, so I am feeling it was from the West.  It was very strange and seemingly out of nowhere. I let the vision play out then surrendered to rest.  About a day later, I had a similar experience but this time it was a close-up of one Buffalo, facing to the side so I could clearly view the side of the face to the top and middle of the back.  There was no other background or notable features within the vision.

The next day or so, I found myself with extra energy around awaiting the response for the interview and retreated to underneath the giant Magnolia tree on the property where I live. I was praying, singing and thanking the tree, Great Spirit and all present beings and asking for aligned opportunities to serve and support the local community.  The Buffalo spirit visited once again and this time I was sitting on the ground before them, their bellies and long legs exposed to me.  I could feel their warmth and smell their earthy fur and wild animalness.  This time they came bearing a message: There is plenty.  The whole experience of it was honestly quite emotional.  The gift of abundance and endless generosity towards humans that comes from Buffalo is truly worthy of reflection and honoring.

I came inside after a period of connection and reverence with nature and this moment.   It appeared that someone had contacted me whom I did not fully remember.  She asked me if I could provide a soundbath at a funeral for her friend’s mom.  Within a couple of hours, it was arranged.  Other opportunities to support people with dying loved ones also presented themselves.  Perhaps more eerily, I unexpectedly and unknowingly ended up within a couple of blocks of where a cousin had died, just 14 hours earlier, in a part of Philadelphia where I had not been in over 10 years.  Spirit was showing me repetitively and with stark examples that there were aligned, guided opportunities to support the dying and their loved ones outside of my role as a nurse and within the sphere of where I am currently operating.  Just a few days later, my application was declined.  It was clear to me, at that point, that it would be.  I want to say that I was relieved and sure about this direction, but initially I was confused about where I was supposed to go.  I had just given up teaching a weekly yoga class; a successful group offering was going to bed for the winter; and, not to mention, I abandoned the noisy action of “outward marketing” and committed to solely viewing my work as service that is found.  I didn’t know how it was all going to come through for me.  In spite of the uncertainty, I reached out to Mia about birthing me a drum.  It had already dawned on me that she had Buffalo hide and made the switch.  I invested in a Buffalo medicine drum with trust from their message: THERE IS PLENTY.  I was stepping into the role of whatever this next chapter held for me, fully releasing the idea of hospice nursing and yoga teaching as part of the journey.

Since that timeframe, my routine private service recipients have drastically expanded; the newly-developed group soundbath gatherings out of my home studio fill swiftly after announcing; aligned invitations are flowing in and clarity for when the answer is no is also widely available.  I also have begun working with the Akashic Records. I just received the Buffalo drum this week, the same day of receiving some huge and exciting news on where my work may end up.   I have not informed any of the recipients about it and yet, after each session, everyone is specifically commenting about “how playing the drum at their head was just excellent”; or “how did I know that playing the drum there was just right? “ Waiting for a service recipient to arrive the other day, I played my drum into near self-hypnosis without hearing anything outside of it.  Spontaneously, I set down the drum and opened the front door.  She had just arrived, opening her car door.  Surrendering to divine alignment can feel like you are stepping into a drought-filled desert without any awareness of rain on the horizon.  The Buffalo reminds us all “There is Plenty” or in other words, May AbunDANCE rain/reign upon all beings & be fully received with hearts centered in good.

Medicine Drum Making & Akashic Records ~ Drum Doula

Reflections about the Journey through & to Sound from nursing

About a decade ago I was introduced to the power of the gong and soundbaths. My first experience receiving a gongbath was during a blind-folded 2 hour session where I would eventually return a decade later full-circle for a 10-day world-renowned gong immersion training. While I was in the nursing field, I would monthly receive sound and vibrational attunements from a close friend for stress management and optimizing my wellness. I already knew and felt to my core the value of routinely receiving sound immersion. After working on the covid floor at the hospital as a bedside nurse for a year-and-a-half (3 years in acute care nursing total), I recognized that feeding a system that was falling apart wasn’t serving me anymore. None of my beliefs and values aligned with the protocols I was carrying out on the floor. It was a only matter of time that I would resign as I weaned hours, not knowing where I was going when said close friend gave me some clear guidance, stating I was free and fluid like a dolphin whenever she played the gong for me in sessions. This gave me the go-ahead to invest in my first gong. That night I went on Facebook Marketplace and found a listing with not only the gong, but a slew of other instruments including my ocean drum and singing bowls, for a fragment of the usual cost. I came to find that I had inherited a woman’s sound kit she had consciously curated for her sound meditation business that she was ready to give up. It was all destiny with spirited guidance and very little effort on my part. So begins Jen who plays the Gong. It was time that I began to administer the most potent, immediate, long-lasting and low-to-no side effect medicine I have ever personally experienced: sound and vibration.

Since resigning from nursing at the end of 2021, I have successfully launched private individualized sessions for wellness for many walks of life, but interestingly enough many nurses have gravitated to this modality. It has been an honor to offer sound immersion in a variety of locations including a local hospital, farms, schools, long term care facilities, yoga studios, art boutiques, an acupuncture clinic and more. It is something that I am truly passionate about offering as a form of routine holistic healthcare wellness. I also facilitate private soundbath parties for corporate wellness, family and friends. Since resigning about a year and a half ago to this point, I have also hosted or co-hosted 4 retreats with focus on non-doing for deep relaxation, including one in Costa Rica. There is not an end in sight to hosting these retreats that are special to my heart.

Sound and vibrational immersion with stillness is incredibly effective and imperative for incorporating into our busy lifestyles of Modern day. It affords us effortless deep peace, calm and relaxation when we are in the age of the monkey mind. Even just a moment can feel like an eternity when your mind is quiet without any agendas or narratives. Sound immersion facilitates effortless reframing of our nervous systems by easily activating the parasympathetic, or rest and digest mode, for substantial and deep repair. This is huge in an absurdly over-paced world of notifications. It is my mission to magnify this particular and immeasurable benefit of this under-looked modality for our stressed society.

My bedside nursing comes through by taking the time to attend to the needs of each recipient that arrives for group and especially individual sessions. Tending to humanity during this pivotal time of wakefulness being integrated post-pandemic is such an honor and gift for me.

Ultimately, facilitating sound immersion and stillness is my divinely-appointed role for sustainability for the souls of humanity (all beings) and the soil of the earth. The more consciously slow, still and receptive we become; the more fulfilled we are with less therefore reducing what we needlessly consume.

The spiritual ecology of a soundbath

There is a book called The Great Animal Orchestra by Bernie Krause, a pursuant of field recordings in natural soundscapes. He talks about how it has become increasingly difficult to nestle into old growth terrain and how androphony (human-made sound) is increasingly prevailing… and this book was published in 2012. There is the gentle suggestion within his writings of the importance of finding the coherent, constructive vibrations and rhythms within these environments (our true home). Krause alludes to the pronounced pure and spiritual quality of a sound, natural environment.

When I read this book over two years ago, I took to heart that creating a safe, cohesive, quiet soundscape is a crucial aspect of holding space for remembering inner peace in a noisy world. In a time where land development, construction and traffic is expanding evermore, I find it fascinating that the amount of people gravitating toward playing gongs or receiving their frequencies seems to be growing at a similar rate. It is very exciting and also very encouraging. Playing with the intention of supporting the highest good will reach beyond us human folk to the earth as a whole.

May we relish in the sanctity of the sound immersion field. May our intention to give and receive goodness reach far beyond our eyes and hands can reach, into the ether and beyond.

Finding Triskele in the wild

A mystical global scavenger hunt

My visit to Crete, Greece was guided by a dream.  In the dream, I was standing on the coast and looking out at sea.  Not far in front of me was a deserted island.  When I awoke from the dream, I connected with the idea of this being a spirited travel.  All signs pointed to yes and within 48 hours, I spent $350 for roundtrip, direct airfare 3 weeks later.  When determining where to stay, I looked at the map for a quiet, off-the-beaten path destination by the sea.  My lodging requirements were a seaview and a terrace.  When looking at the east coast of Crete, the village of Mochlos kept calling to me.  It was a full body yes.  When looking at airbnb reviews, “peaceful”, “remote” and “relaxing” were the affirmations I needed to book my seaview room.

What I did not realize was that there was an uninhabited island covered in ruins very close to the shore, just like in the dream.  I would later learn it was an Ancient Minoan port that became detached from the land with the expansion of sea overtime.  Apparently there was an escavation on this island which surfaced some incredible artifacts from ruling elite families.  Of course, learning this, I was bound and determined to get to this island.  There were one of two ways: swimming or the luck of a fishing boat being available that day.  The swim was only 100 meters, but I dare not test the waters.  Fortunately, the weather was mild and temperate which permitted a fishing boat to take individuals and small groups out at a time.

When I was out to breakfast one morning, I overheard the owner of the cafe speaking with a tourist asking whether or not the man with the boat was a fisherman.  When he explained he ferried people out to the island, I paid my check and immediately departed.  It was docked at the restaurant where I had eaten the night prior and the waiter I had had was there.  I spoke with him, telling him I was interested in going to the island.  He talked in Greek with the boat owner and told me to come back at 1pm.  I was out standing on my terrace at 12:48pm (yes I remember) and the man was boarding the watercraft.  I bolted down, the waiter called to the man for me and I was on it.  Alone.  I had a whole hour on this incredible, chilling, silent, mysterious land heaped with ruins, stones and endless curiosities.  All to myself.  

I somehow learned that the artifacts withdrawn from these ruins were located in the Heraklion Archaeological museum.  I decided to stop on my way back from Crete to Athens.  Heraklion is the airport where I would fly out of that night.  It was noon when I dropped off my rental car.  I had plenty of time to explore.  The museum itself is a wonder.  I walked through room after room of indescribable treasure until finally I arrived in the wings where the items escavated in Mochlos were located.  They were interspersed among objects found other places, so you had to look at each plaquard to see from where it was found.  My eyes rested on a black urn with a satisfyingly rustic variation of the triskele, unbeknownst to me a symbol from Greece as well.  It was from the excavation on the island of Mochlos.  

After finishing at the museum, I decided to sit in the courtyard to collect myself.  It dawned on me to have this tattooed.  I had always wanted a spiral tattoo of some sort that did not feel cliche or obvious.  This one was of a spiral within a spiral.  It was mysterious magic.  It was this trip personified.  When landing upon a tattoo shop, I dropped in.  The woman who ran it was about to leave but very kindly stayed and drew up the spiral for me.  It is totally perfect.  It even has the feeling of the pisces fish flowing within it.

Fast forward to a friend reaching out to me about selling a gong… with the spiral within a spiral as the heart of it, just like in my tattoo, and rainbows just like in each of my solo travels to Ireland and Greece with naturally stumblings-upon of triskelions.

There are elements of our journeys that feel connected with our soul or like a meaningful return to somewhere very familiar yet deeply forgotten.  I am learning more and more as I flow through this existence that the Triskelion is an Ancient Human symbol for connecting with the cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth; mind, body and soul; land, sky and sea; and so many intrinsic parts to the human experience.  May we remember how it is to simply be in that understanding.

What is Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness?

Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness is a retreat format that has gradually developed over the last 4 years and 10+ retreats of experimenting and honing in on curation and hosting.  There are two upcoming Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness retreats at Menla Retreat Center and Himalayan Institute. The differences of each will be highlighted within.

There are a few key components that make this retreat so deeply restorative and nourishing to the individual and connective for the group.

1. Each modality enhances an effortless unfurling of stress and tension within the system.

Soundbaths, yoga nidra and silent meditation are a few examples of the programming.  My intention is to provide a macro dose of safe, healthy space and stillness.  Soundbaths of some variety are given daily or more due to their relaxing nature.  This is where the nervous system rebalancing can take place. 

2. Safe, tranquil atmosphere

It is of utmost importance to me that the retreat attendees feel like they are able to truly and fully let go to receive optimal benefits of these relaxation services.  In order for this to happen, as the host and facilitator I need to be a safe conduit and the retreat setting also must feel comfortable and easeful.  The Himalayan Institute has an incredibly supportive staff and peaceful grounds.  Menla retreat center is magically situated in the forest with intentional buildings and kind staff.  Plus time away from our usual environments and unplugging affords space from unnecessary demands, external pressures and noise.

3. Intimate, low key, like-minded attendance

Keeping the attendance more intimate optimizes the benefits of those attending.  Menla retreat hosts a maximum of 15 people while the next Himalayan Institute retreat hosts a max of 23.  Not to mention, it takes a certain type of person to choose to venture out of their comfort zone, do nothing and relax.  Undoubtedly, whoever attends this type of a retreat is likely to meet kindred souls seeking similar spaces for quiet reflection.  If one chooses, Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness is optionally silent for attendees.

4. Nourishing, healthy meals

The Himalayan Institute focuses on vegetarian meals based on whole foods.  Gluten-free, vegan options are available at every meal.  The meals are inspiringly simple yet so deeply nourishing for restoring your body from the subtle yet profound work that is involved within the retreat.  It is is also replenishing for mineral and nutritious .

5. Celestial and Earthly Rhythmic timing

If you are keen to it, you may notice that the retreats I offer are during a significant pivot between seasons or a meaningful time in the skies.  For “Resting within the Liminal” at Menla, we are meeting during Samhain or the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  Second Annual Spring Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness at Himalayan Institute is, you guessed it, during the Spring Equinox.  I have hosted some potent retreats around the new or full moon as well.  Interconnecting our time together with the earth’s rhythm is integral for meaningful impact.

Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness is designed as a space for reprieve from the stresses of our modern world.  Providing safe space for the recipient to relax, release and restore deeply within them.

Join us:

Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness: Resting in the Liminal at Menla in the Catskills Thursday October 30-November 2

More details and reservation here

Second Annual Springtime Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness at the Himalayan Institute in the Poconos Friday March 20-22

More details and reservation here