We were lucky to catch up with Megan Hook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Megan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
I was working in a very stressful job, you could say a toxic environment with so much dysfunction. I was already practicing meditation and doing yoga, but I felt I like I needed something more to help me catalyze and transform all the negativity. A friend serendipitously told me she had just been to a “sound bath” and asked if I had I ever been to one. I hadn’t even heard of it!! She explained to me what it was and I was intrigued. It seemed to integrate so many of my loves: sound, meditation, relaxation. I went to my first sound bath and it was amazing. I could feel all the stress melt out of my body and I came out of it rejuvenated and inspired. I also knew, from that first sound bath, that it would be something I would like to study and offer to others.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started “mindsound” to integrate the different modalities I have studied and offered over the years. Mindsound allows me to combine the skillset I have honed to offer a unique and integrative experience to those seeking to explore the transformative powers of sound, yoga, meditation and more. As a learner, I have always been interested in studying deeply and widely, looking for cohesive elements across wisdom traditions as well as the elements that make each discipline unique. I like to synthesize but also hold space for the uniqueness of each beautiful tradition.
Right now through mindsound, I offer sound baths in-person and online – locally, nationally, and internationally. I also teach Kundalini and Hatha Yoga, lead Yoga Nidra, and offer mindfulness and meditation classes and retreats. Recently, I had the pleasure to present for two days at a conference, integrating yoga, mindfulness, yoga nidra, and pranayama. It was great to be able to offer the client and participants a really comprehensive program, sharing so much of what I love.
I have also been offering online training courses through mindsound. I am a certified educator through Yoga Alliance, offering CEUs. Right now I am teaching a Level 1 Sacred Mantra course and I will start a Level 2 Sound Healing Training in January. I will be re-offering the Level 1 Sound Healing Training in the Spring. I love working with students around the world who are passionate about sound, contemplative practice, and the healing arts. Supporting and mentoring others, while sharing what I have learned through the years, is such a beautiful experience.
Regarding my background, I have been meditating and practicing mindfulness in sacred and secular traditions for over 25 years. I received the 5 Mindfulness Trainings in the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, and had the privilege to sit with him many times in Southern California. I also graduated from the MARC program at UCLA, part of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Biology. As a musician, I have a degree in classical music from Ithaca College and write music under my band name “The Bright Forever.” I has been practicing and studying yoga for over 20 years. Kundalini Yoga is my root yogic tradition, but I also study and teach Hatha and facilitate Yoga Nidra, Pranayama. Further, I am deeply interested in Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound. Yoga is really such a rich, complete and deep modality, the more I study the more I want to learn.
It is important for me to continue to be committed to my own creative output, even as I teach others. Right now, I am currently recording two albums of sacred mantras, in addition to the other songwriting that I do. I sing with a wonderful choir here in Syracuse, New York, and am currently working on my first choral commission which will be premiered in April 2024.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I think of the quote from Helen Keller, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.” I think society in some ways tells us to play it safe in life, to do the stable, safe thing. Anyone who tries to follow their own inner wisdom and guidance knows that it can feel like swimming upstream, against the current, at times. I know why mentors and parents sometimes encourage us to play it safe, however learning to trust myself has been a great gift in this process. Even and especially when things are challenging. It’s easy to trust yourself when everything is flowing easily, but can you trust yourself when things are confusing or falling apart? There is a stamina and commitment that gets honed every day when trying to build the life you want to have. I continue to grow into that and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do that in this lifetime.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Social skills are always so important: being able to talk with others, collaborating with a client as you support their goals, partnering with organizations, and building relationships. Organizational skills are also huge: scheduling, time management, billing – when you’re running your own business, there are so many hats you wear. Then there are also skills like being resilient when things go wrong, creating some balance in your life so you’re not burning yourself out. And also learning to pivot and adjust when it becomes clear that that is what is needed. Life, and running a business, really is about so many “little things,” that aren’t so little after all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mindsound.co
- Instagram: kmhook
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a133hrFCspk , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1YopX1xQdY
Image Credits
photo credit: Jacob Larham