Today we’d like to introduce you to Meera Dawson.
Hi Meera, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my journey as a voice activation coach and sound healer when I learned how to use my own music to heal myself. I suffer from social anxiety and have difficulty with being seen and noticed. I found that making my own music and specifically singing to myself and listening to the music back was very healing for me. Teaching people to listen to their voices on recording is an important feature of my coaching practice. I started to hold voice activation circles in the Sugar Land area, and I continue to hold these circles each month. I also expanded my sound healing practice. I have been doing sound baths in the greater Houston area at various venues around town. A key feature of these sound baths is using my voice. I originally trained as a classical vocalist and completed a Master of Music at Louisiana State University and people responded to my voice telling me it has a healing and very ‘otherworldly” quality which transports you to another place. I love using my voice in my sound baths. I also share content on my youtube where I post sound baths and healing tracks called mantras. I am continuing to grow my voice activation coaching practice and I incorporate some of my speech pathology background in the cognitive techniques and voice techniques I use which involves incorporating measurable goals for clients. I incorporate my knowledge of astrology, tarot cards, and past life regression hypnosis to round out the mix of what I offer. I have really seen some powerful shifts using the combination of cognitive techniques with spiritual practices.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. As I mentioned, I have social anxiety disorder which is a challenge to overcome for anyone who aspires to be an entrepeneur. There is a lot of self promotion as a business owner which I have had to work to get comfortable with. I continue to work on this, but music and my spiritual practices have really pushed me forward and kept me going, especially in the hard times. Before I started as a voice activation coach, I struggled for over two years just trying to find my niche. I started doing past life regression hypnosis, but music just kept calling me back. I used to suffer from crippling shame around my abilities as a musician and I also had developed muscle tension dysphonia when I was younger causing me to feel shame around my voice. It really has been a life long journey to feel comfortable singing in front of others and the truth is I did it by singing only for myself for a number of years without any expectation of performance. From 2010-2023, I did not sing for others, so it took me 13 years to get back to performing music. When I was ready, I came back to performing for others, but I always remind myself that I sing for me first and that is most important.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business offers individual coaching called voice activation coaching as well as group events called Voice Activation Circles as well as Sound baths. My mission is to teach people how to use their voice for healing. I work with clients one-on-one in single voice activation sessions as well as 4-6 session packages. In the packages, we can go really deep and explore your goals and see real progress over a period of 4-6 weeks. These coaching packages are for those who suffer from anxiety, difficulty being seen, challenging life transitions or just being comfortable speaking up and using their voice, whether through speaking or singing. I also love to use a framework that allows a client to pick 2-3 areas of focus and just work on those areas. We set goals for those areas and ways to measure progress. This gives the client a touchstone to go back to as we work through each week. The interesting thing is that each client is unique and their journey will look different. My greatest successes are when people tell me how much more comfortable they are expressing themselves and using their voice, and how they feel more empowered. People feel more confident when they learn that their voice is just for them and they can learn to love it and use it for themselves. It does not need to be for anybody else. This applies to most things in life, not just how you use your voice. Also, another important feature is that I do not have all the answers – I just help people to listen to themselves and find their own wisdom and that is a very organic and beautiful process.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I do not have a specific mentor, but I have worked with different coaches and professionals. I trained in spiritual hypnosis with Jina Seer and Sarah Leverett and sound healing with Zoey Greco and Taran Ailey of Rogue Reverie, so I have had some amazing teachers along the way. My friend, Becky Wiley, helped me with discovering my love for using voice coaching for transformation.
For networking, I wish I had a magic piece of advice, but I am still figuring it out. I think one thing that I heard on a podcast that helped is to celebrate your “rejections” from others because sometimes when someone says ‘no’ or you don’t hear back from them, it still means you tried and put yourself out there, which is a success in itself- especially for someone who is not naturally extroverted. I made myself a list of times I have been given a ‘no’ and I celebrate them so that they don’t affect me as much anymore.
The other thing I would say is there are not many systems in place for people in the spiritual or sound healing community to bring people into the fold and nurture new talent, so I and my friend, Anita, are building an organization called Houston Unified Sound Healers (HUSH) that we are hoping to fulfill this function for sound healers in the future. We know it will take years to build HUSH, but we believe well worth our effort.
Lastly, time is super important. It just takes time to learn to get your business where you want, and you really cannot rush it. Developing your inner resources is part of the process and it is worth it to build those resources. So give yourself time and patience and don’t let your setbacks discourage you. Hold on to the things that matter – for me it’s music and spirituality and service. Hold on to those things to see you through the tough times.
Pricing:
- $90.oo for voice activation coaching, single session
- $300 for a 4 session package
- $420.00 for a 6 session package
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meeradawson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meeradawsonmusic/#
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meeradawson854
Image Credits
Nina Munguia
