walking
together
A Message from Our Founder
Dear Sounds True friends and community,
While holding a mirror to our own organizational accountability, Sounds True unequivocally stands in solidarity with the Black community. We stand with and for our Black employees, our Black authors and colleagues, our Black customers, and all of the protestors and social change activists—past, present, and future—who are working to put an end to racism in every corner of our society. And we are committed to not just stand in solidarity but to step up.
Since George Floyd’s murder, we have been having many in-depth discussions among the 125-person staff at Sounds True about the most meaningful actions we can take as a transformational learning company to help educate ourselves and our community and contribute to the dismantling of racism. We have been asking ourselves questions such as: How can we best use our platform to better amplify the voices of wisdom teachers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)? What unconscious biases do we need to bring into the light of awareness? How can we evolve as individuals and as an organization and be a force of genuine service in the world?
Working to dismantle and heal racism—in ourselves, in our organization, and in our world—is not a flash-in-the-pan effort at Sounds True. This is a long-haul commitment to the creation of a different world that is just, kind, and equitable.
The answers to these questions are not simple, quick, or easy. We have felt as a team the need to listen carefully and look deeply within in order to lay out an action plan moving forward that will contribute to meaningful and substantive change. Anything less falls short of what I believe this moment is asking of us.
Working to dismantle and heal racism—in ourselves, in our organization, and in our world—is not a flash-in-the-pan effort at Sounds True. This is a long-haul commitment to the creation of a different world that is just, kind, and equitable. We don’t want to simply talk about spiritual awakening. We want to embody it … as individuals, as a company, and as a force in the world. Humbly and boldly, we are going to give everything we have and invite you to do the same. This is the time for us to step up, together.
With love on the journey,
Tami Simon
Founder and Publisher, Sounds True
Over the next two years, Sounds True has committed to calibrating a long-term Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy with TMI Consulting, led by Dr. Tiffany Jana, that will include in-depth training and ongoing structural and organizational culture support. We will review all Sounds True policies, practices, and procedures to uncover any implicit biases that may be embedded within all of our systems.
Let Us Make Sanctuary
Freedom Meditation
Healing Racism - Part 1
Healing Racism - Part 2
Healing Racism - Part 3
More
We Will Dance with Mountains: Let Us Make Sanctuary with Bayo Akomolafe, PhD
Join Dr. Bayo Akomolafe and a global community in this hybrid course of online and offline practices, collective research inquiry, and exploration “on the heels of cataclysmic endings and strange inflections.”
- Notification of new and upcoming free teachings
- Suggested reading from "Walking Together" authors
- Periodic messages from our founder, Tami Simon
Practical books to support self-growth, empowerment, and healing
Please consider the following recommended titles by BIPOC authors published by Sounds True and others. We will periodically update this portion of our “Walking Together” page with additional resources.
Ruth King
An international teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition. King has a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and is the author of several publications, including Healing Rage and Mindful of Race.
Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out
“Racism is a heart disease,” reflects Ruth King, “and it’s curable.” Exploring a crucial topic seldom addressed in meditation instruction, this insightful and revered teacher takes to her pen to shine a compassionate, provocative, and practical light into a deeply neglected and world-changing domain profoundly relevant to all of us.
Justin Michael Williams
An author, transformational speaker, and top 20 recording artist who has been featured by Grammy.com, Yoga Journal, Billboard.com, and more. He has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness.
Stay Woke
Stay Woke is FOR THE PEOPLE. All people, of all backgrounds deserve to have access to the information they need to change their lives. And if you grew up in struggle—overcoming homophobia, anxiety, sexism, depression, poverty, toxic masculinity, racism, or trauma—you need a different type of meditation … one that doesn’t pretend the struggle doesn’t exist.
Dr. Tiffany Jana
Leading DEI educator and a non-binary Awareness Artist. Dr. Jana [they/them] is the coauthor of the books Overcoming Bias, Erasing Institutional Bias, and Subtle Acts of Exclusion, and the founder of TMI Consulting, Inc.
Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences
Everybody’s biased. The truth is, we all harbor unconscious assumptions that can get in the way of our good intentions and keep us from building authentic relationships with people different from ourselves. Tiffany Jana and Matthew Freeman use vivid stories and fun (yes, fun!) exercises and activities to help us reflect on our personal experiences and uncover how our hidden biases are formed.
Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion
Building upon the revelatory power of Overcoming Bias, which addressed managing individual and interpersonal bias, Erasing Institutional Bias scales up the framework to impact systemic change in organizations. Jana and coauthor Ashley Diaz Mejias bring together in-depth research on how biases become embedded into workplace cultures with practical and engaging tools that will mobilize readers toward action.
Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions
This practical, accessible, nonjudgmental handbook is the first to help individuals and organizations recognize and prevent microaggressions so that all employees can feel a sense of belonging in their workplace.
Presented by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP) is a two-year intensive to train a new generation of mindfulness teachers. We want as many people as possible, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), to have access to attend this program.
We currently have close to 200 BIPOC applicants who have requested scholarships to the next two-year training. The Sounds True Foundation is determined to grant as many full scholarships to the MMTCP as possible. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!
A Steady Heart in the Time of Coronavirus
Awareness Meditation
Committing to Our Spiritual Growth
The First Step of Conscious Manifestation
Inviting the Co-Creative Power of the Divine
Compassionate Abiding
Deeper Connection
Come Back Home to Your Heart
Awakening Presence and Love During This Time
Practices to Relieve Stress and Self-Soothe
Expanding the Capacities of the Heart
An Inspiring Resilience Story
Working with Fear, Anxiety, or Isolation
Parenting in the Pandemic
A Guided Meditation to Liberate Fear