As I begin the journey to create my new website I have time to pause and reflect over the last 12 months, and like everyone I have felt the ground fall away beneath me, all normality and security thrown out the window and a time to either give up ….. or embrace the opportunities presented.
When lockdown hit first in 2020 I was literally moving home, yurt, equipment, children, the whole shebang into a larger premises! I’d taken a chance and rented a lovely space to work from and live…and as I was unloading the boxes I was also watching all my lined up work float way – bookings in schools, teaching sessions, clients, workshops, group sound journeys…everything cancelled!! Like many, many others. And it wasn’t time to feel sorry for myself or give up, people were ill, people were scared and I knew I had a role to play.
Within two weeks of moving and still unpacking boxes I was online and delivering my first sound journey (thanks to the help of a dear friend). Over 50 people attended, the sound was cutting out, the signal was breaking…. but there were periods of lovely sound and those that were there appreciated the fact that I was even trying, and also were amazed at how effective it was remotely when it did work!
I decided to choose an oracle card for the first group session to help guide us and decided on the Earth Warriors deck by Alana Fairchild. I also dived into to the Astrology, philosophies and spiritual teachings in order to share with the group. And what came forward was beautiful. The first card was Eljak, the Deer – the one who guides us through the passageway when all others are afraid. When the monster appears (fear/anxiety) she simply tells it to move out the way as she has a place she is going and she keeps her focus clear and on the path ahead – the light at the end of the tunnel if you like.
How perfect!! How beautiful, and over the last 12 months she has repeatedly appeared and what a wonderful guide. As we have gone on we have passed through a birth channel (and are still in) and some believe towards a New Earth, and New Way of Being, the Age of Aquarius is being birthed and it’s not easy, it’s not a walk in the park. As we know birth can be traumatic, it can be painful, it can be difficult and we need to call on our tools – our breathing techniques, our music, sound, and join together with others to support the mother – the midwives and doulas are needed and sometimes medication.
And this was the beginning of my Expansion and my Online Journey. I have learnt so much in the last year. From the technical side of how to stabilise the internet connection, how to set the microphones up, mix, record, deliver, change the Zoom settings and I am still learning and I feel that truly this has been a pivotal moment for me, a real turning point in my journey with Sound. I am thrilled that now guests are telling me “the Sound quality was excellent” “I felt like you were in the room” “I’m amazed how relaxed I felt”. Such a relief!!
I’ve also had time to pause and reflect on my journey since launching Soundsphere in 2009 and check in with my priorities and my direction. When I launched Soundsphere in 2009 I wanted to take sound into schools and into mainstream places. I wanted to develop my own skills as a facilitator and sound practitioner and share those with others. And over these last 12 years I have certainly explored many things. I have set up a training school, delivered group sessions to 1000s of people all over Scotland, seen clients, run sessions in nurseries, primary and secondary schools, run workshops, coached people through Holistic voice sessions, sold lovely instruments and now it’s time to consolidate all of that, and this website brings it all together in one magical place.
Creating the website itself has been a huge journey. It has been the foundation for my reflection and envisioning. A time to make decisions, to develop strategy, to up-skill in technology and to actually begin to share all what I have dreamt of. I am so happy to be able to release recordings for people to use at home. I am loving developing my suite of self led courses that people can do in their own times, and I am thrilled to be able to host events in person again in my yurt.
The future for now is a blended model. We managed to deliver a fantastic 6 week project in 2 primary schools via pre-recorded lessons – next year we hope to combine the video with some sessions in person. I also still love to share my offerings online which has proved to have it’s own set of benefits – guests can be cosy at home, no travelling, no hard floors to lie on, good headphones and excellent sound quality, guests videos and mics are off – they can dance, snore or whatever without bothering anyone else, and they can join from wherever they are in the world! A huge benefit. I even send a replay in case guests lose their signal and it also allows them a chance to re-do the session.
I know Therapeutic Sound offers a space for people to rest, to process, to be held, to be nurtured, to refresh, to energise…I know it helps people to feel more balanced, to shed “stuff”, sometimes to cry..it helps to harmonise their being, to bring balance, clarity and peace. And in the midst of a crazy world where the truth is a difficult commodity to pin down, Therapeutic Sound can help reconnect us to our own hearts and our own Truth as we continue to navigate a world in deep transformation.
As I begin the journey to create my new website I have time to pause and reflect over the last 12 months, and like everyone I have felt the ground fall away beneath me, all normality and security thrown out the window and a time to either give up ….. or embrace the opportunities presented.
