Meet Your Instructor:

Shannon Hawley

Shannon Hawley is a sound therapist, breathwork facilitator and singer-songwriter based in Point Pleasant, NJ. She holds space for individuals and groups to slow down, listen deeply to themselves, and practice self-healing together. She is a trained clinical social worker (MSW) and has just released her second album, STARTHROWERS, dedicated to caretakers and those brave enough to love in a brutiful world.

More about Shannon:

(directly from Shannon’s website www.songandsoundhealing.com)

Songwriting has been my primary method of self-healing for most of my adult life. Allowing the words to come onto the page and then through my throat, singing to both soothe and discover myself, revealing what questions I was living in the moment. It was a self-taught creative process that was sometimes painful but always worth it.

Creativity is a direct line to healing and to spirit. Each song I wrote was a prayer from my heart, however, it was also a lonely road to pioneer and I was afraid to truly be seen or heard. Creating art was a way to transform my personal pain into something beautiful. I didn’t know it  then, but I was cultivating a practice of navigating transformation and becoming more my full self.  I continued to write and sing through the transitions. I was professionally trained as a social worker (MSW at NYU) and worked in domestic violence shelters, outpatient care, alternative schools and hospice, however, I often felt burnt out by my role and by the system I was working in.

In my pursuit to accept and love myself more fully , cope with multiple cross-country moves , evolve into motherhood, and  juggle all the demands of being an empathic human in a violent and rapidly changing world I wandered into a soundbath in Los Angeles in 2017.  During that soundbath I experienced the deepest sense of  calm in my mind and body that I had ever felt. I noticed a shift to a healthier relationship with sound and the present moment, and could listen more clearly  to my own heart's longing.  I was deeply at ease in my body and felt connected to both myself and the world. I was safe and vibrating, which echoed into my daily life.  I immediately began to read, learn, train and  immerse myself in sound exploration and meditation with my beloved teacher Lauren Wagonner (Soundology). I curated soundbaths at schools, team building retreats, women’s groups, and for groups and individuals. I relished being able  to hold space for others to experience deep relaxation, practice deep listening, and connect to their bodies, minds, and spirit.

Working with sound was my first step to truly listening to myself and it led me to work with breath.  If sound therapy helped me calm down, deeply listen and be mindful it was breathwork that emboldened me to make changes, to embody my full self, and to remember my wholeness. It deeply healed me, through the breath and journey work I released years of built up emotional energy and trauma from my body. It reset my nervous system and started to allow me to receive the support I needed from myself, spirit, and others. As an active meditation that bypassed my executive functioning I was able to experience trust and use my voice, to be more confident in my own journey, and to see the patterns of transforming pain into beauty, of alchemizing my life. I trained with David Elliot and Erin Telford in Los Angeles and have been honored to hold space, guide, and witness others embracing this heart medicine.

Healing is not linear and it doesn’t end. Healing is living more fully and loving more deeply. Healing is listening with gentle curiosity and using your own unique voice. Healing is acknowledging fears, shame, and past trauma responses and realizing these are opportunities for forgiveness, peace, self-love and growth. I continue my quest by writing and singing my own songs and by holding space and guiding others along on their own unique and beautiful human journey.  Most recently I completed my 200 hour Kundalini Yoga Teacher training in order to provide additional daily practices to support deep healing and cultivate loving kindness for self and others.

The common thread in all of my growth and healing has been the opportunity in times of transition and tapping into non-ordinary states of consciousness to activate self-healing and deep connection. Whether it was moving, being thrust into motherhood, grieving the death of my father, living nomadically, falling in love, changing jobs or careers, writing songs,  using my voice,  or a dedication to a spiritual practice - they have all been opportunities to heal, transform, and expand. In the same respect they have also been opportunities to love myself exactly as I am, to trust that the universe holds me, and to come home to myself again and again, I believe in helping others - through times of transition or when they are feeling called - by holding space and giving gentle guidance. To help others pause and calmly listen, breathe, and remember their whole and beautiful selves.

Additional Information:

Location: EmBodied Physical Therapy, 1009 Arnold Ave, Suite 1B, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742

Please register in advanced, space is limited - there are no refunds or exchanges for purchased classes.