Mindfulness is often described as paying attention on purpose in the present moment without judgment. Simple definition. Hard practice.

Mindfulness is about noticing what arises in the body, heart, and mind and meeting it with awareness instead of reactivity. Thoughts come and go. Emotions rise and fall. The body feels pleasant one moment and painful the next. The difficulty isn’t the experience itself. It’s the judgment we layer on top of it.

For me, releasing judgment has been the most transformative part of practice.

Sound has been a steady guide for me throughout my life. Long before I knew what “sound healing” was, I knew the feeling of being soothed by rhythm and vibration. When life gets chaotic and my mind starts spinning, I reach for sound. Sometimes it's drumming for five or ten minutes. Sometimes it's chanting. Sometimes it's simply letting a resonance wash over me from a crystal bowl or a gong. What sound does for me is simple but profound: it interrupts the mental noise. It gives my nervous system something steady to follow. It brings me into the present moment.

I love the distraction of looking for answers outside of myself. It is only when I sit still, when I cultivate the courage and willingness to explore and encounter all the messy, swirling, aching and yes joyousness inside, am I able to open my heart. When I open my heart,