Sounds Heal Podcast

Don Reed Simmons is a mystic, shamanic practitioner, meditation teacher, and pioneer in the modern sound therapy movement whose life’s work explores how vibration awakens kindness, compassion, and peace.
Raised on a farm in small-town Mississippi, Don’s earliest memories are rooted in sound: the mooing of cows at dawn, the wind moving through trees, the subtle hum of the natural world. It was sound that first soothed him during a life-threatening hospital experience in his early twenties, planting a seed that would later become his life’s calling.
After years in radio and a long career in film production in New York and Los Angeles, Don experienced a profound turning point. A near-death experience while scuba diving in Hawaii and later recognized by a shamanic teacher as a rite of passage. This opened him to a deeper understanding of resonance, spirit, and the unseen dimensions of healing.
Since then, he has worked with thousands of individuals across the globe, integrating shamanism, meditation, hypnosis, and numerology with therapeutic sound. As a longtime President of the International Sound Therapy Association (ISTA), Don helped train and mentor hundreds of practitioners while bringing sacred sound into hospitals, hospice centers, trauma recovery programs, and spiritual communities.
A lifelong meditator who has studied with masters such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Don teaches that sound is more than technique, it is relationship. It is coherence. It is a remembrance. His work invites people to experience joy and well-being, not as an emotion to chase, but as a state of resonance we return to when body, mind, and spirit are in harmony.
At heart, Don remains a mystic devoted to one simple truth: when we listen deeply healing begins.
https://www.donreedsimmons.com/
https://www.themindfulsociety.com/

Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast:
http://www.soundshealstudio.com
http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio
http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal
http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio
Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA
Email: [email protected]

Based in Washington, DC, Born I creates at the intersection of hip-hop and mindfulness, blending lyricism, spirituality, and cultural storytelling into a body of work that’s both innovative and deeply human. His influences span Wu-Tang Clan, Ka, André 3000, Alice Coltrane, and Buddhist teachers like Thích Nhất Hạnh, and his music has garnered over 20 million streams worldwide.
Born I’s most recent album, Komorebi (2025), has been hailed by listeners as “a missing piece in hip-hop,” praised for its meditative flow and spiritual depth. The companion book, Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness (Parallax Press), arrives with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, further cementing Born I as a unique voice at the intersection of art and contemplative practice.
A certified meditation teacher, Born I is also the male voice on the Balance app, where his teachings reach millions of listeners daily. He regularly leads retreats, concerts, and hybrid events that weave live hip-hop with meditation and sound baths – including performances at the Kennedy Center, Buddhist Arts & Film Festival, and alongside the monks of Plum Village Monastery.
Through his label YAE (You Are Enough), Born I has released a wide range of projects, from the autobiographical hip-hop album In This Moment (2021), to the spiritual lo-fi project AMIDA (2023), to his latest genre-defying live shows and immersive short films. His children’s books, You Are Enough and Love Your Amazing Self, encourage young people to practice self-compassion and have been featured at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
Whether performing for a packed festival crowd or guiding intimate circles in meditation, Born I carries one message across every medium:
You are enough. Right now, exactly as you are.
https://bornimusic.com/

Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast:
http://www.soundshealstudio.com
http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio
http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal
http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio
Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA
Email: [email protected]

Jay Hollingshed, known as "Papa Sage," owns Quantum Mind Body Medicine, a pioneering holistic practice where he works as an International Energy Healer and Spiritual Coach. Jay orchestrates therapeutic healing journeys that release emotional trauma from the mind, spirit, and body using only energy, frequency, and vibration. His work involves no pills, side effects, or multiple therapy sessions. He is committed to his earthly purpose of unconditional love and abundance through his healing practices.
With expertise spanning various modalities, Jay holds the esteemed position of Reiki Grandmaster, adeptly wielding multiple forms of Reiki, and is a proficient Biofield Tuning Practitioner and Shamanic Healing Practitioner. Ohio-licensed as an ordained Minister of Healing, he also has a Master of Science degree in Health Administration and over 25 years of healthcare experience across physical and mental health domains.
A John Maxwell certified Life Coach and international best-selling author, Jay's influential voice has resonated through notable platforms such as Brainz Magazine and the Huffington Post's global publications. He has triumphed over seven chronic mental disabilities and intellectual disorders to achieve these milestones.
Beyond professional accomplishments, Jay has contributed to the community as a 10+ year executive board member of 'All T.H.A.T. (Teens Hopeful About Tomorrow),' a Columbus-based non-profit mentoring youth in academics, career prospects, and life skills. Additionally, he volunteers weekly at 'Motherful,' a Columbus nonprofit offering vital support and resources to single mothers.
Amidst a dynamic life, Jay finds solace and joy in dancing, meditation, Qi-Gong exercises, communion with nature, carpentry, and the culinary arts. Rooted in the tenets of LOVE, his spiritual sanctuary resides within the heart of every living being, reflecting a profound devotion to humanity's well-being.
Jay is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, exemplifying an unwavering dedication to personal transformation, holistic healing, and selfless service to others.
https://www.jayhollingshed.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jay.hollingshed/
https://www.facebook.com/JayHollingshedLeadership/

Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast:
http://www.soundshealstudio.com
http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio
http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal
http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio
Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA
Email: [email protected]

Annie Ridgway is a seasoned sound healing practitioner, musician, and singer-songwriter whose work weaves together sound, voice, and intention. For over two decades, she has been guiding individuals and groups through workshops and experiences centred on singing, sound, and embodied awareness, both in Australia and internationally.
From 2012 to 2016, Annie was invited to work as a Sound Healing Visiting Practitioner at the world-renowned five-star Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand, where she supported guests from around the world in their journeys of rest, renewal, and transformation.
Holding two Diplomas in Sound Healing through the International Sound Healing Academy in the UK, Annie brings a depth of training and lived experience to her work, offering sound as a pathway for balance, wellbeing, and inner harmony.
Based in the Tweed and Byron Shire, NSW, Annie runs a thriving sound healing practice through Lakshmi Sound Sanctuary. She also serves as the Australasian Region Lead teacher in Education Training for the International Sound Healing Academy, where she facilitates Level 1 Foundation Certificate courses and Level 2 Diploma trainings for both one-to-one practice and group facilitation.
In addition, Annie is the founder and co - facilitator of the Alchemy of Sound Retreats, created in collaboration with Anita Cassidy Bowman. These retreats invite participants into a rich, sensory exploration of sound through the five elements — Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether — offering space for reflection, integration, and creative renewal.
Experience the restorative power of sound through a deeply immersive Sound Harmonic Spa journey with Annie Ridgway, founder of Lakshmi Sound Sanctuary.
https://www.lakshmisoundhealing.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lakshmi.sound.sanctuary/
https://www.facebook.com/LakshmiSoundSanctuary
http://www.academyofsoundhealing.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxhNpH94R3yfY5ajAcD7uRA

Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast:
http://www.soundshealstudio.com
http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio
http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal
http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio
Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA
Email: [email protected]

This bonus episode of the Sounds Heal Podcast is a special listener questions edition, released in celebration of the podcast’s 7 year anniversary. I’m diving into questions you’ve sent in around biofield clearing, the physiology of sound healing, how sound supports the nervous system, and the balance between training, certifications, and intuitive ability. We also touch on what’s currently inspiring my own practice and studies. Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation and for continuing to listen with curiosity.

Natalie would like to thank her teachers and mentors:
Tony Nec, Dr. John Beaulieu, Thomas Orr Anderson, Mitch Nur, Michael Bettine, Mike Tamburo, Rhonda McCrimmon, Bhuwan Chandra and Jivasu at Nada Yoga School, Dr. Tiffany Barsotti, Master Mingtong Gu, Satyam at TriYoga, Dr. Ian Russell and Dr. Tom McKean at the University of Aberdeen, Dr. Kevin Droe at the University of Northern Iowa, Leopold La Fosse at the University of Iowa, and Sonja Zeithamel at the Preucil School of Music.

Natalie Brown, host of Sounds Heal Podcast:
http://www.soundshealstudio.com
http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio
http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal
http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio
Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart http://www.youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA
Email: [email protected]