Hi, I'm April.

Meditation Guide • Professional Permission Giver • Founder of Mindful Together

I'm a curious mix of science and woo. I'm fascinated by how our brains and nervous systems work, but I'm also perfectly happy lighting a candle, setting an intention, and embracing a little everyday magic.

I believe everyone deserves access to rest, that five minutes counts, and that nobody should have to reach complete exhaustion before giving themselves permission to slow down.

Of course, I didn't always know how to do that myself.

How I Got Here

For years, I worked in specialty pharmacy, supporting patients navigating cancer, rare diseases, and complex medical conditions.

And I genuinely loved that work.

These were people facing some of the most difficult and uncertain moments of their lives. They needed more than medications and paperwork. They needed kindness, compassion, patience, and someone who remembered there was a human being on the other end of the phone.

That mattered to me.

But after the company merged with a much larger healthcare organization, things began to change. The people-centered approach I valued seemed to get lost in the corporate machinery.

The stress built over several years. And living with Crohn's disease meant my body was already navigating its own challenges.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I started getting curious about stress, the nervous system, and how we respond to the things life throws at us.

The Accidental Meditator

For the longest time, I was convinced I couldn't meditate.

Because, like a lot of people, I thought meditation meant shutting off your brain.

Which, technically, would be a pretty serious problem. You need that thing.

Then one day, I saw an ad for an inexpensive meditation course.

It was cheap. I was curious. And apparently my impulse-shopping habit had decided we were doing this.

I clicked.

I took the course. I started practicing.

And something surprised me: I could meditate.

Not because my thoughts magically disappeared, but because I learned I didn't need them to.

That first course opened a door. I went on to study with several different schools and explore the many beautiful ways people practice meditation.

I also learned something just as important: not every practice is right for every person, or for every moment in their life.

For someone navigating trauma, for example, closing their eyes and sitting in silence may feel anything but peaceful.

That understanding shaped the way I guide people today.

Less "you should do it this way." More "let's find what feels supportive for you."

Why Mindful Together Exists

I created Mindful Together because I believe caring for ourselves shouldn't feel like another job.

Through meditation coaching, Reiki, and Yoga Nidra, I offer ways to slow down, reconnect, and make room for yourself in the middle of real life.

The messy, beautiful, occasionally exhausting kind.

I'm also a self-appointed Professional Permission Giver.

Permission to rest before you're running on fumes. To have a wandering mind during meditation. To keep your eyes open. To try something different. To decide a particular practice isn't for you.

No perfection required. No pressure to become an entirely new person.

And despite all my training, my own brain still has approximately 47 tabs open on any given day.

And Then There Are the Good-Smelling Things...

I've always loved candles, perfumes, bath products, and figuring out what makes certain scents so wonderful.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I started making my own.

I fell in love with the whole process. Learning how fragrance notes work together, experimenting with blends, discovering the science behind candle making, and yes, spending a ridiculous amount of time making the labels pretty.

But here's where the intention comes in.

I always start with how I want something to feel.

Maybe it's comfort, joy, grounding, or a little encouragement to slow down. Then I explore the scents that bring that feeling to life.

It's part science, part creativity, a little woo, and a whole lot of joy.

Every candle, spray, bath soak, and little ritual I create begins with an intention. What you choose to make of that moment is entirely yours.

Because sometimes caring for yourself looks like a meditation practice.

And sometimes it looks like lighting a really good-smelling candle.

The intention is the magic.

A Little More About Me

There's more to my story than corporate stress, meditation cushions, and jars of bath salts.

Some chapters are funny. Some are tender. And a few have taken me years to make sense of.

I'm beginning to share those stories, one at a time, on Substack—because I'm still learning, growing, and figuring out this whole being-human thing, too.

I'm glad you're here.

Come as you are. We'll begin there. - April