Daily Inspiration: Meet Annette Lombardi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Lombardi.

Hi Annette, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for contacting me and allowing me to tell my story.
Over the past few years,, I developed a sound healing practice; however, this is not my first foray into a musical career! I was a classical piano player throughout my childhood and was accepted into music school at FSU. However, I also had a deep desire and passion for the healing arts, which led me to take a veering path toward receiving my MSW in Social Work, putting music on hold. During the same period, I became fascinated with mindfulness retreats and the healing arts, spending the last 30 years in monthly silent retreats, participating in reiki trainings, completing UCLA mindfulness teacher training, and teaching meditation classes and retreats.
A few years ago, I had an inspiration to purchase Tibetan singing bowls after having a dream about a beautiful blue butterfly. A week after the dream, I saw the butterfly in my dream right beside a vendor selling singing bowls. It was a magical inspiration. I knew that finally, music and healing arts had come together. It was a natural progression after learning new skills to intertwine years of musical training and healing practices into a sound healing journey that I’ve come to deliver. Thus, the birth of leading sound baths for people was a natural outcome. I found my own unique sound bath presentation through intuition, years of musical training, and guidance from experts, maybe even the blue butterfly :). It is my hope to create inspirational sound healing sessions in group settings and individually to help others discover ease, mental clarity, relaxation, and transformation.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Opening this sound bath business wasn’t too difficult if that is what we are referring to. However, if you want to talk about my life, there is nothing smooth about it. Even though I have had countless fortunate circumstances including three healthy children, fairly comfortable economic privilege, nothing can prevent the fact that difficult things arise constantly. All of us have this suffering from one extent to another and I tell my clients who sometimes feel ashamed to share their suffering or pain for exactly this reason, that everyone’s pain and difficulties are real and should be valued and given space. Without wanting to hurt anyone in my family or personal life, I’ve definitely had my share of tough moments, but because of the unbearable, I found the only thing to make life bearable is to go through and face the music, to help manage all of life’s worldly winds! A meditation practice, particularly when going on on very intimate silent retreats have given me the tools to a least have some space around reactivity and understanding that life is rather fleeting, impermanent, and to make the best of what you have. This is not easy to do when in serious pain, both emotionally and physically, but if there is a notion that this won’t last forever, you can sometimes see the qualities of why we suffer much more clearly and not take them as personally.. Thus, making a bit more freedom for ease even in the worst of times.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since I was a teenager in the 80’s, I found my way to mindfulness type of teachers, yoga and many healing arts of all different backgrounds. Some teachers were Indian buddhist, Sufi Dream instructors, yoga teachers, all at a time when this was not a popular concept to others. I was raised Catholic and do love the teachings of Jesus, but I also find that opening yourself up to many other spiritual practices can really transform you personally. This led me to many years of mindfulness practices, most prevelanty, vipassana or insight practices which somewhat correlate with western psychology but more potent. I’ve done many silent retreats at places like Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Center in Barre Mass, and places all over the country. The longest one I’ve completed is 30 days and I’d love in the future when I don’t have as much responsibility to my autistic child, to participate in longer ones. The experience is profound and transformative. I am now a teacher at a local sangha called South Bay Insight LA after receiving a two year Mindfulness Faciliator Training Degree from the UCLA Marc Program. Even though I still feel as if I have so much to learn, I have come to a place where I’m at ease with myself, have confidence in my abilities to teach mindfulness and blend it into my Sound Bath Practice. I was also a classical piano player for the early part of my life until I went to college at FSU being accepted in the music school. Last, I got my MSW in Social Work which also helped my ability to lead groups well. With all these things, it blends to make it such a perfect transition into this healing-type work of Sound Journey. I am surprised at the huge change from the shy girl from New Jersey into this hopefully better version of a human being who tries to be compassionate, kind and introspective.

I never thought of myself as an artist, a creative, but as I look back, that’s who I am. I’ve journaled my whole life, wrote poetry, and have been an active hobby photographer, traveling both on my own all over the country and on photography trips in different parts of the world. My most recent trip was capturing the norther lights in Alaska which was a grueling and difficult trip, but oh, so worth it. I can spend hours with my camera in my hands, creating and living in the moment. One of my favorite things to do is to go to Joshua tree and shoot Milky Way photos in the summer. I often go alone, planning my photos in daylight and then returning at night to shoot my favorite spots. I do meet other people on these journies which is so amazing and we get to share our love of photography, locations, camera settings and compositions. Even though this year I’ve dedicated to retreats and sound baths, my camera is close and ready for discoveries.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I really do feel when you do something that you absolutely love to do, the people will come… (using a reference from Friend Of Dreams.). I’m 61 years old and enjoying life more than I’ve ever enjoyed it. I love getting to know people, making them feel comfortable and trying to help them in any way possible. I love hosting events and find that as I continue to expand my business, more and more possibilities arise which fill me with excitement.

Since I have a musical background, I found learning how to play the instruments very easy. Also, because I have a good ear for music, I was able to easily figure out which bowls go together to create harmonic rather than dissonant sounds. Also I am a super detailed internet searcher and really needed to use those skills to figure out where to buy the instruments. There are many various places to purchase singing bowls, but often they are not in tune, and prices and materials vary. You have to self teach and make connections with people who are able to get the instruments. In fact, the gongs I use are from Germany and the distributor was the teacher who offered a training on how to do sound baths. I have not seen any other sound bath players that use these gongs and I must say, they are the best in the market. I like to have the information of everything that is possible to make the best decision on whether to purchase this or that instrument. This only is worthy of a training, to streamline information about how one purchases instruments to lead a sound bath knowing everything that is available and where you can get the best deals financially.

I also want everyone to know that I support a sliding scale fee to those who can’t afford this and would like to enjoy this form of relaxation and self-care. That is very important to me. I’m also rather flexible and understand things come up with people if they have to cancel and want to respect that they will make whatever choice they can about refunds.

Pricing:

• 35.00 for regular Sound baths, 45.00 for pool sound baths with six people
• prices for combined two hour events are typically 50.00 for two hours
• Host your own sound bath, group rate is 225.00 for one hour and 1/2
• Prices fluctuate when traveling and doing outside events depending upon what the person needs

Contact Info:

• Website: https://serenitysoundbath.com
• Instagram: netter11
• Yelp: serenitysoundbath

Image Credits
All of these images I took or had a friend take. The one with the Milky Way was in a workshop where I posed as the model in Death Valley but I set up my own camera and had someone push the shutter for me.