Meet Hamid Jabbar in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hamid Jabbar.

Hamid, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have spent the better part of my adult life investigating Eastern philosophical and practical systems of Yoga, Ayurveda, Buddhism, Thai bodywork, Japanese energy work, Amazonian Plant Medicines, and other traditional healing methods. Of course, this all started as passion while I was a full-time lawyer. Over the years, as I became more entrenched in my interests, they slowly morphed into my way of living to the point where I no longer practice law. I continue to learn on a daily basis though travel and seeking out knowledge–this is what fuels me. My formal Western education includes a Doctorate degree from UCLA and Bachelor of Music degree from NYU. And, I hold the highest available designation with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 500, certifying over 500 hours of training and 2,000+ hours of teaching. But, my education is continually evolving. I just returned from two months in Peru exploring more indigenous traditions that I will be incorporating into my work.

Most of what I do today revolves around the use of sound, be it instruments such as gongs, bowls, flutes, drums, or the voice. But, the sound is only a tool to quiet the mind and one of many tools I use in meditation. In our modern world, there is so much distraction and noise, meditation is becoming a necessary part of life for many in order to reclaim our divided attention. All in all, it took about ten years of practice before I fully transitioned from practicing law to practicing as a teacher, and the path was far from certain.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Having started my young adult life as a lawyer in Los Angeles, the road to becoming a full-time teacher or sound meditation, yoga, bodywork, and other similar practices has been anything but straight! But, it’s been a beautiful ride. The biggest struggles were with overcoming fears that were not mine–fears implanted by society about what it means to be “successful.” Once I realized fully that success was a state of being within me, I could let go of the notions that held me back. From there, there were no real struggles, just surrendering and walking through doors as they appeared.

What else should we know about you and your work?
My business is me, which makes it difficult to tell people what I do! My business cards simply say my name now, so there is no labeling of my practice. What I do most often is train people in how to teach meditation and work with sound. This includes creating training for meditation studios and private practitioners, holding in-depth training for teachers, and working one-on-one with aspiring teachers. When I am not teaching teachers, I do sometimes conduct public classes and workshops. My most well-known training is my Sound Practitioner Training, which certifies people on how to work with gongs, singing bowls, flutes, drums, and many other instruments for the use in sound meditations, yoga, and therapy. This is a training I conduct every few months at various locations.

What sets me apart from other similar practitioners and teachers in my interdisciplinary approach. There are numerous training in various lineages. For example, someone might easily go get a gong certification in the Kundalini Yoga tradition, or a meditation certification in Mindfulness. However, I’ve studied and continue to study all of the major traditions, so my training incorporates not only these nuanced practices but the best elements of Western medicine and science. This way of teaching and learning allows us to remain open-minded.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success, for me, is living a life from the heart and one without regrets and without trying to satisfy the opinions of others. In other words, it’s living an authentic life that is true to me. I wake up on 99% of my days excited and happy about the day ahead. Back when I was a “successful” lawyer, I used to constantly have moments where I could not wait for the day to be over, but that has not happened to me in many years. Now, I am usually just savoring the whole day, and that is a success for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hamidyoga.com
• Phone: (480) 206-2513
• Email: hamidjabbar@icloud.com
• Instagram: hamid.jabbar
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamidjabbar
• Other: www.sonoransound.com

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.