The Quartz in Your Pocket and the Revolution in My Hand

In my last note, I talked about the "dance" between my corporate conditioning and my intuition. Since then, I’ve been diving deeper into the history of the instruments I use, and it all started with a question from a dear friend, Heather. She asked: “What is the history of sound baths?”

I’ll be honest—I told her I couldn't do the answer justice in that moment. My connection to sound has always been intuitive. It’s the first thing we hear when we exit the womb, our own cry or the joy of those who surround us. It’s the universal language that allowed me to find my children again when they became teenagers and needed their own space. When the distance felt alienating, we could always find each other in the history of a song. Music was our family ritual; our "dance parties" were how we released the anxieties and the "stiffness" of the day.

But Heather’s question sent me on a journey. I realized that my intuition had already chosen tools that tell a story of protection and rebellion.

The Protector vs. The Overtaker

I looked at my drum, which came to me during a cacao ceremony. It was painted in Colombia with the image of a protector—a shield against the greed of systems that overtake nature and communities for profit. When I heard that story, I felt it in my bones. How much of our own nature has been invaded by a society that overtakes our stillness and feeds on our stress?

Then I looked at the crystal singing bowls, and I found a powerful, almost poetic irony.

These bowls are made from Quartz, the exact same elemental material that forms the "heartbeat" of the cell phone you are likely holding right now. In our phones, this crystal is processed and pressurized into silicon to keep us connected to a digital, high-speed world. It is quartz put to "work" in a rigid structure.

But in these bowls, that same material is returned to its pure, resonant state. To take the very element used to power our "analysis-mode" lives and use it to bring us back to stillness? That is a rebellion. It is taking the tool of commercialization and using it to find our way home.

A Gift of Kismet

At our last sound experience, a long-time member of our community, Carla, placed a small instrument in my hands. I was so touched and honored. This instrument, the Mbira (or Kalimba), is rooted in the ancient traditions of Zimbabwe. Historically, these were used by ceremonial leaders to tell stories and connect with ancestors.

When I held it, I felt that old corporate "permission" voice: “Am I allowed to play this? Do I have the right authority?” But as I sat with it, I realized that sometimes, things come into our path through kismet. If it tugs at your soul with the purest intention to connect, to be kind, and to support others, it is an invitation. Our modern world tells us permission is given by an external authority. But the "Inner Revolution" is about realizing that we have the authority within ourselves to tap into the human collective.

Breaking Up the Stiffness

My passion is to use these sounds to "break up the water" and the stiffness within you. I want to help you find a space so grounded and quiet that you can finally hear your own sound.

I’m still practicing with my new gift from Carla, still researching, and still listening to the stories these instruments want to tell.