Rising Stars: Meet Leslie Shores of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Shores.

Hi Leslie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2014, (in Chicago where I was living at the time) my friend invited me to a “Gong Lab”. At the time I had no idea what that was and besides meditating in shavasana, I had never meditated before. She explained it briefly saying it would be an hour and a half guided meditation followed by sound(mainly a gong). I have always been into mystical things since I was a child so I was excited and happy to attend.
I was a very booked, extremely busy Hair Colorist at upscale salon off of Michigan Ave.
The gong lab was on a Friday night, right after work, I was frantically, running to get there across town in a cab and she saved me a seat right in front, dead center of the gong. I had never experienced anything like it. I could feel the vibrations throughout my entire body. It made me slow down and realize how badly I needed to quiet my mind and relax. I was living in my favorite city but I was running myself into the ground. I was hooked! I began to find sound meditation all over Chicago and anywhere else I could when I was out of town. I then attended many different forms and styles of sound meditation every week for years. As my practice became deeper, after living in the heart of the city for seventeen years, I began to notice a shift in myself. The city began to become too loud and stimulated for my liking. I needed everything to slow down. Craving a change and more quiet, I moved back to Tn. (where I grew up) and in Feb. of 2020 I made the decision to get certified in Sound Meditation with Ann Sensing. I now offer Sound Meditation in different areas of Nashville and by appt.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe when you are making a change or chasing any dream there will be a lot of resistance that shows up. This work in general will take you on your own unique journey and spiral of self. I have def. tapped into fears I didn’t realize I had and experienced a bit of imposter syndrome. “Who am I to be doing this?”, kind of thing. Fears of being really seen. But that just comes down to believing in yourself and really knowing yourself on the deepest level. When you have the confidence, are grounded in your body, and are truly passionate about being of service and helping people there isn’t anything or anyone that can stop you, including yourself.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Sound Healer, Reiki Master, and Holistic Hair Colorist. I am also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200)
I facilitate group sound experiences and private sessions for both sound and reiki -energy work. “Sound Bath”, “Sound Journey”, “Sound Immersion”, or any experience where you are meditating to sound frequencies and also setting an intention to heal, is an acoustic healing journey that relaxes the body, calms the mind, and activates the body’s natural healing systems. Sound healing is like a massage for your cells. Somatically assisting the body to move stored trauma. Each experience can be different and depending on what you are working on that day it could bring fourth a peaceful effect or it could possibly stir up some stagnant energy. Shaking things up and then settling things down and repairing aspects of ourselves that are out of alignment. Sound will gently shine a light if something is out of balance and then help you change the pattern of what might have caused the imbalance. Helping to restore the body’s own resonant frequency where healing can occur.
Each of my sessions or experiences for each person will be totally different depending on the client and their intention that day. For appointments and experiences, I normally go off of the energy and intuitively channel whatever needs to happen. For private sessions it is normally a mix of sound healing with many different instruments including biofield tuning, reiki energy work. and intuitive guidance.
For sound healing, I feel like I am known for my work with the Gong. It is close to my heart as it’s how I began meditating. I play several at once and also use the gong for body work. It is a powerful tool of transformation and is known to move energy in a quick but gentle way. I want my practice to be connected with deep listening and a connection with mother earth. Leading with authenticity and teaching that we are all connected with the natural world.

Even though Sound healing is my main focus, I am also still a Hair Colorist as well. Being so busy and over worked doing hair is one of the things that led me to meditation and I will always love every part of it.
I feel like I have always mindfully used the most gentle, low toxic, organic ingredients that I could.
But beginning my practice and moving here, I have approached doing hair in a different way than I did before by taking less clients, slowing things down, and making my personal wellness top priority. I also took a year off from hair and I am glad I took a break when I wasn’t sure if it was still working for me. But I had done hair for fourteen years and ended up missing the creativity and connection I get to experience with it. Plus it’s really fun and a fun environment!

With hair, my goal is to accentuate people’s natural beauty while keeping your hair as healthy as possible. And I really just want to help others feel pretty not only on the outside, but also from within.
I specialize in Balayage, a French highlighting technique that is more gentle on the hair. While I throughly enjoy the social aspects of everything I do and we certainly laugh and have fun in my chair, I have been told my hair experiences are obviously pretty chill and relaxing. I have had many clients fall asleep in my chair and I’m happy they feel comfortable enough to do so.
In the hustle culture that our world is, I really overall just want to help others know that it’s not lazy to rest and slow down. It’s a gift to yourself.

I am most proud of myself for embracing different ways to be of service and to help others all while being creative and also taking care of myself the best that I can.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can book appointments for Sound Healing and Energy work on my website www.leslieshores.com

I also have Sound Events all over Nashville and list events there and through my instagram- @acousticguide

I am also currently collaborating with Blooming Spiritus Collective twice or more a month with an event called Sound and Soul. A combination of sound healing and energy work that is a deeply transformative experience. We would love for you to join us.

For Holistic hair services by appt. you can visit my website www.leslieshoreshair.com
You can check out my work there or my instagram- @leslieshoreshair

In August of 2025, I will be taking clients at Eric Marshall Salon in Belle Meade
Eric Marshall Salon is proud to bring an eco-friendly, sustainable hair experience and be a Davines (safe and non-toxic, prioritizing natural ingredients) exclusive salon.

4311 Harding Pike
Nashville, TN 37205

Pricing:

• apon request for all services
• prices vary

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leslieshores.com – www.leslieshoreshair.com
• Instagram: @acousticguide and @leslieshoreshair