Do you know the main ingredient in the secret sauce of healing?

It’s so simple.

Have you ever received a message at the exact right time? Maybe you got a text from a friend just as you were thinking about them? Or heard a line in a song that spoke to your soul just when you needed to hear it?

Have you ever felt an instant connection to a word? As a spiritual being and a lover of language, I find words and names highly intriguing. The first time I heard the phrase “Akashic Records” I felt an immediate shift in my awareness and a sense of reconnection, which drove me to learn more about this practice on my own and under the guidance of wise teachers.

From childhood, most of us are taught to fear our emotions. We’re told to “stop crying” and “calm down” by adults who are struggling under the weight of their own unprocessed feelings.

I recently returned home from two magical weeks in Italy. Half of the trip was devoted to a life-changing spiritual retreat steeped in ceremony, movement, song, sisterhood, ancestral healing, and more.

Now that we’ve crossed the threshold of Summer Solstice, marking the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, our days will slowly begin to yield to night earlier and earlier until we reach the Winter Solstice in December.

You may have heard the phrase “be the light” used in the context of spirituality, but what does it really mean and why does it matter?

In the world of finance, the denominator effect is something that happens when a portion of your overall portfolio decreases dramatically in value, which causes the rest of your holdings to increase as a greater percentage of your total portfolio. Essentially, something that was meant to occupy a certain amount of space could suddenly appear to take up a much larger share of the whole.

The first time I consciously heard the voices of my ancestors was over 25 years ago. I was playing percussion to accompany my college African dance class, when I heard a clear and distinct chorus of voices.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the most powerful healers I know have had very complicated maternal relationships.

Full moons are an optimal time to release what no longer serves you. Today’s full moon + partial lunar eclipse in the mystical and creative water sign of Scorpio brings us a beautiful opportunity to let go of those aspects of the ego that try to keep you stuck in the illusion of “safety.”

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting a wise and radiant elder who told me that, in her youth in northern India, they would have gatherings with a great number of brass Himalayan signing bowls and that these sound meditations would last for hours. This was a beautiful reminder that sound medicine is nothing new, although it’s now gaining a broader audience in western wellness practices.

Part of the gift of working in the healing arts, is the opportunity to gain a broader perspective on this journey we call life. And I’ve seen so much unnecessary suffering resulting from feelings of not belonging or not conforming to some generally accepted category of x, y, or z.

Reiki is a gentle healing technique that helps you to bring your mind, body, spirit, and emotions back into balance. It’s sometimes described as an “energetic massage”—the difference is that you’re fully clothed and, instead of physical manipulation, the focus is on the flow of energy throughout your body.

Over the month of March, I trained the entire staff of an NYC public elementary school on mindfulness—it’s benefits, impact on the brain and body, and ways to incorporate simple—yet massively impactful—practices into your day. My intention was to sow and nurture the seeds of mindfulness throughout the school community.

I’ve never considered myself a particularly confident person. If anything, for the majority of my life, most people would probably perceive me as being fairly timid.

So much can happen while you’re in flight.

My little family and I were called to visit Argentina this week. Although in these past few years, my adventuring has been focused on the journey within—through the akashic records, reiki, and sound healing—I deeply appreciate the unique energy and multi-sensorial delights of this new (to me) land.

Most of us are led to believe that we must embark on some form of hero’s journey in order to find true love. And that if we have the courage to face external challenges, we’ll be rewarded with a partnership that ends in happily ever after.

I’ve always been fascinated by symbols, patterns, and interpretation. I remember as a kid buying a book about how to read Egyptian hieroglyphics. It was too complicated for me, but I did eventually learn how to read, write, and speak Mandarin Chinese, which contains a deep and delightful wealth of beauty and wisdom in its linguistic patterning and symbology.