In a small shop in Salem, Massachusetts, the owner of Tibetan Arts & Healing Tibetan Arts and Healing in Salem, MA invited my friend to step inside a large singing bowl as it was played. I stood behind him and watched his body soften. He became still. Quiet. Present for the full resonance of the sound.

For someone with severe ADHD, that stillness was rare.

That moment stayed with me.

At the time, I was already a special educator deeply attuned to how sensory experiences impact regulation, focus, and emotional safety. Years of working with children and adults with disabilities across residential homes, camps, museums, and classrooms had reinforced one belief: meaningful support begins with listening.

When I purchased the green bowl that day, I did not yet know it would become part of my classroom practice.

Soon after, I brought it into the classroom.

Not long later, a student with ADHD who struggled socially and emotionally asked during an IEP meeting if he could bring “the green bowl that makes my brain calm” home to show his mom.

That was the moment I understood this was not simply an interesting experience. It was access.

During the pandemic, when classrooms shifted online, I brought sound into a virtual space for my students. What began in a physical classroom continued through a screen, offering consistency, grounding, and familiarity during a time of uncertainty.

At home, I also began using sound intentionally with myself and my daughter. In those moments, I realized this practice was not only for students. It was for families. For educators. For community.

My foundation as a special educator, lived experience with ADHD, and these evolving experiences converged. What began as curiosity became intentional practice. What began as a single bowl evolved into a structured framework.

The Sound Sanctuary exists today because of that realization. Intentional sound, offered in a thoughtfully curated space, can create access to centering, regulation, and connection.

The Sound Sanctuary

The Sound Sanctuary at Centered Wellness NY is an intentionally curated sound space serving NYC and Long Island, dedicated to centering and sensory awareness.

It is a calm, purposeful environment designed to invite stillness and connection to the senses. Natural elements are thoughtfully integrated throughout the space, grounding the experience and supporting focus, presence, and emotional balance.

Instruments are introduced as both works of art and intentional tools for centering. Sound may open or close workshops, support transitions, or anchor engagement within SCANA™ sessions for students, educators, and school communities.

The Sound Sanctuary is also mobile. Workshops and sound-based experiences can be brought directly into schools, classrooms, and community organizations across NYC and Long Island while maintaining the same thoughtful design.

Professional Background

Ashley Cantor-Birnbaum is a certified special and general educator with over 20 years of experience supporting children and adults with disabilities across residential programs, museums, camps, and classroom settings.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Special and General Education for students ages 14–21 and an Advanced Certificate in School-Based and District Leadership.

Her professional focus includes Arts Education, Social-Emotional Learning, Transition Skills, Curriculum Writing, Creative Arts Integration, Family Engagement, and Advocacy for Individuals with Disabilities.

Ashley is the creator of SCANA™, the SCANA Skills Program™, and Overjoyed!, a planner and attendance tracker designed to support Special Education teachers in maintaining structure, self-care, and safety within schools. She is also an international best-selling author, reflecting her commitment to sharing accessible tools and structured practices with educators and communities beyond the classroom.