You do not need to sit still. You do not need to breathe differently. You do not need to feel relaxed. You may listen briefly. You may turn the sound off. You may leave the room entirely. The bowl does not follow you.

I am a First-Degree Nia Black Belt  and a Sound Alchemist , but that was not always a comfortable truth to live inside of. When I first walked into a Nia class and later into Nia training, I carried something many people could not see: a deep fear of using my voice.

We live in a culture obsessed with calm. Calm your mind. Regulate your nervous system. Breathe until everything feels better. For many people—especially those who have lived through trauma, grief, military service, chronic stress, or long-term overwhelm—this message quietly turns into another form of pressure. If calm were the doorway to healing, you would already be healed.