Sound has always been more than “background” for me—it’s information, atmosphere, a doorway. In this essay I share my lifelong sensitivity to tone, why certain soundscapes create safety in the nervous system, and a simple 3-minute practice to help sound become a steady sanctuary you can return to.

Yesterday, something shifted inside me. Our first live ceremony — opening Canyon Ranch’s Awaken Festival — became a moment where everything I’ve been creating finally breathed on its own. In a sunlit room framed by two walls of windows and guarded by towering amethyst geodes, sound, breath, and intention came alive. Kevin’s blessing, Jared’s soundscape, and my voice found each other in perfect rhythm. And in the slowing down, in the spaciousness, something opened — in me, and in the room.