I Reclaimed My Right to Joy

The day after I resigned, and threw my whole heart into Luna Serenity. Photo by Brenda Amaya.

An end-of-year reflection from inside the Luna Sound Lounge

I’m writing this from inside a dream come true—inside my own Luna Sound Lounge, a tiny home for Luna Serenity, nestled within the Pink Moon Collective.

If you had told me a year ago that this is where I’d be… I don’t think my nervous system would’ve believed you.

Because I started this year at my absolute lowest, mentally and emotionally.

I was in a job that was deeply out of alignment with the life I wanted.

My heart knew it long before my rational brain could catch up. I tried to make it make sense. I tried to be practical. I tried to convince myself I could tolerate the discontent.

But it wasn’t sustainable.And I knew it.

The moment I chose to lean into my heart anyway

Last September, I sat in ceremony in a temazcal—complete darkness, the kind that makes you meet yourself. And in that darkness, I sang. I called in the element of fire, not just for the ceremony, but for my heart. For courage. For the kind of bravery that doesn’t always roar—sometimes it trembles, cries, and still chooses the leap.

And when the time came this year… I took it.

I cried tears of joy as I said:

I reclaim my right to joy. I believe in myself - more than I ever knew was possible.

Even when the vision for Luna Serenity didn’t “make sense on paper,” something deeper than logic kept whispering:Trust. Lean into the heart. It’s safe. You’re safe.

The biggest lesson of the year: faith + small wins

This has been a year of great joys and great uncertainty.

There were so many moments where I worried about what would be next—money, timing, stability, the “how.” And each time, Mother Earth, the Universe, and cacao reminded me:

Trust. Lean into the heart a little more. Celebrate what’s already here.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is this:

Trust and have faith. Celebrate the small wins. Give yourself grace.

Because I am doing something not many people ever give themselves the chance to do—I am truly following my heart’s desire.

And the truth is: yes, this year held struggle and uncertainty…but I have never been happier.

My daughters are watching a dream take shape

One of the most emotional parts of this year has been realizing that my daughters are watching their mother choose a different path. Not the path we’re told is “right.” Not the path that looks perfect to outsiders.

They’re watching me listen to my inner knowing. They’re watching me build. They’re watching me come alive again.

And that matters more than I can put into words.

What this year held: proof, magic, and momentum

This year, I created spaces for people to dream, rest, release, and remember themselves.

I:

• Facilitated sound baths and meditations that left people saying “WOW”—the kind of “wow” that lands in the body and stays there.
  

• Walked into the National Building Museum to lead a sound experience—one of those full-circle moments that felt like a quiet (and deeply satisfying) message to anyone who ever tried to make me feel small.(I’ll keep it classy and just say: I smiled.)
  

• Hosted a retreat in Mizata, El Salvador, where we moved with the ocean, breathed with the land, and built a library for a local community, a reminder that wellness can be both nourishing and connected to something bigger than ourselves.
  

• Created workshops and gatherings designed for softness and strength—spaces where people could exhale, feel held, and return to what matters.
  

• Taught a lot of in-person classes—more than I ever thought I could hold, and somehow, it kept expanding my capacity instead of shrinking it.
  

• Expanded my workplace wellness offerings, bringing sound + breath + grounding into professional spaces that desperately need it (and are finally starting to understand that rest is a leadership practice).
  

• Grew the roots of my online community, including the free Virtual Luna Lounge—a space that makes it possible to practice with me from wherever you are.
  

And somewhere in the middle of all of that… I started to feel like myself again.

Not the version of me that was surviving.The version of me that was here for a reason.

I’m proud of me

I’m proud that I didn’t give up when it felt messy.I’m proud that I kept going when the outcomes weren’t guaranteed. I’m proud that I let joy be a compass.

And I’m proud that Luna Serenity keeps becoming what it was always meant to be:

A place to come home to yourself. A space to experience a vibrational shift. A community where healing is personal and collective.

What I’m calling in for 2026

When I look toward 2026, I don’t just see expansion.

I feel it.

I feel community deepening.I feel more moments of gathering—online and in person.I feel more sacred space for BIPOC community, for mothers, for women who are tired of performing strength and ready to actually be held. I feel Luna Serenity continuing to grow into a home base for those who want to live with intention, not just survive the calendar.

If this year taught me anything, it’s that the heart knows the way—even when the mind can’t map it yet.

And I’m walking with faith.

Ways to stay connected (and be part of what’s next)

If you’ve been here quietly, cheering me on from the sidelines… or if you’re new and something in this story touched your heart—here are a few ways to stay close:

1) Join the free Virtual Luna Lounge - A free online practice space for breath, meditation, sound, and seasonal resets.➡️ Join Here

2) Visit me in person at the Luna Sound Lounge Located inside the Pink Moon Collective—come for a sound bath, meditation, Reiki, or a grounding reset.➡️ Learn more / book: Sound Sessions & Reiki Sessions.

3) Come on retreat with me to Mizata, El Salvador - Ocean, ceremony, community, and the kind of healing that stays with you.➡️ Retreat details.

4) Pop into a workshop or class - From seasonal circles to sound + rest experiences—there’s always a doorway to begin.➡️ Upcoming events.

Thank you for being part of this chapter. Thank you for witnessing my joy.

And if you needed a sign to trust your own heart a little more…let this be it.

With love, Johanna