Right now, I feel change afoot—they’re all good changes, but I’m taking on many new creative projects in some new areas. Photographing my clients, all of whom are ambitious, active, passionate members of the community, helps me continually connect with incredible people and draw inspiration from them. Recently, I had the privilege of photographing Samuel Palmer, a San Francisco singer, yoga instructor, voice teacher, and sound healer.

I had never experienced sound healing before, and was ready to give it a try. Who better to do it with than with someone I trust?

The experience was, to sum it up briefly, beautiful. Samuel explained to me how energy moves throughout the body, and his work to unlock it, channel it, and encourage it as he intuits. Lying on the ground covered in darkness and the humming of a multitude of Himalayan singing bowls, I felt calm and joy. Samuel asked nothing of me, except toward the end, when he asked me to visualize my fully realized creative self [I had expressed to him before my transition from lawyer to photographer, blogger, singer, and artist]. The resulting visualization felt vivid and true to me. From my experience, I’ve seen that having a clear vision of what you want is the best way to getting it. Hopefully, this one comes to pass! Only time will tell.

That said, the connection I felt to Samuel I felt truly was one of the most beautiful elements of our session. As I moved to greet him at the doorway of his new studio, his welcoming, warm smile revealed that he was in his element. Samuel spoke to me with compassion and listened to my jumbled reflections. During our session, he created a safe, nurturing space where one can look inside oneself and find joy.

When we had our photography session, I knew I wanted to capture the gentle confidence he brings to all of his practices. You can see his yoga photos and headshots in my online portfolio.

For more information about Samuel Palmer’s voice or yoga instruction, or his sound healing practice, please visit his Facebook page (his new website is forthcoming).

I close with a question for you: Where do you find inspiration as you strive toward your best self?