Tri-State author, educator uses meditation programs to help others

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Our days can be filled with chaos and anxiety, but a Tri-State author and educator has learned to stay calm and centered through meditation. Now, she is sharing that practice with others.

Stacy Sims is the creator of The Well, it is a foundation that has several different programs that focus on meditation.

The power of music is a lesson students at schools across the nation are adding to their lesson plans through Sims’ program, Mindful Music Moments.

“We started it in 2016. A pilot program at the Academy of World Languages in Cincinnati,” recalls Sims. “And it combines mindful creative prompts and world-class music, in partnerships with orchestras and other music providers daily in schools usually over the announcements.”

Sims, who is a mind-body educator, says the idea came to her after spending a lot of time in schools helping children understand how to manage stress.

“And I heard the announcements every day at the school, and I thought, what if you could use that for the channel for a daily offering for everyone,” Sims explains.

That’s how Mindful Music Moments was created.

She works with the Cincinnati Symphony and the opera to create a playlist that students listen to and meditate to each morning as they start their school day.

“One young boy I was listening to recently was talking about how it helps,” says Sims. “I mean, he’s like little. He’s saying, ‘it helps me with my anger issues. It helps me not get in trouble,’ so they know they are overwhelmed, and this is just an easy resource.”

The same resource that Sims says helped change her life as well.

Sims says she learned the power of meditation and it helped her heal mentally and emotionally while struggling with addiction.

“I was drinking way too much, smoking way too much,” Sims recalls. “I was having panic attacks. I was becoming very isolated. I just felt soul sick.”

She says working on sobriety and turning to pilates helped unleash years of trauma and stress.

Now, she’s helping others do the same, not just with Mindful Music, but with other programs she created including Mindful Poetry Moments. The program encourages students to write about their feelings and the True Body Project helps young ones appreciate and love the skin they’re in.

“The bad news is, it’s rough out there,” Sims explains. “Mental health is a true crisis for really for all ages. We feel really lucky to be doing this work in this moment.”

The work Sims and her team is doing is gaining more attention around the world.

Mindful Music Moments now serves more than 120,000 students in more than 300 schools across the country.

Sim has also published several books including two children’s books that she says helps create a bedtime ritual focusing on the mind and body.

If you want to learn more, you can check out all of her programs on her website.

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