Folks We Love: Frank and Nikki Mocerino from The Ohm Store
Nikki and Frank Mocerino are a brother/sister duo who wanted to bring mindfulness to the modern world and thus The Ohm Store was born, selling handmade, authentic Nepalese singing (sound) bowls designed as mindfulness and natural healing tool.
Going beyond its purpose as a powerful mindfulness tool, the singing bowl brought Frank and Nikki a sense of connectedness to something bigger. They have recently just launched a line of singing bowls for kids, to help get kiddos off the screen - making them feel less isolated and more in touch with their inner child. The bowls are kid-sized and come with fun designs/pillows to rest the bowls like stars, hearts, and smiley faces and we love anything that helps encourage mindfulness in children. We caught up with Nikki and Frank to learn more about the singing bowls, find out the impetus for The Ohm Store and more.
Where are you from?
We grew up in Darien, IL -- a suburb 20 miles outside of Chicago.
Who is in your family?
Our Mom and Dad, and us - Nikki and Frank. Nikki's boyfriend Stephen and Frank's girlfriend Lauren. Our dogs are family as well - Ralphie, Figgy, Buddy, Mia and Tye. We grew up very close with our grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and lifelong family friends that we're still close with.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Nikki: I feel grateful every day to be living a life I love.
In my '20s, I had a certain idea of what I thought my life should look like. I spent a lot of time chasing success and building my career, and fulfilling a vision that I thought I should have. When I got to the end of my '20s, something felt unfulfilled even though I was working a job I loved. I realized that I had built a life that was big enough for me. For a time, that was enough. And going into my '30s, I started to ask myself how I could build a life that was big enough for the people I love and encompassed a vision that was much bigger than just fulfilling and meeting my own needs. That was around the time Frank and I started to pour a lot of our energy into the Ohm Store, and building the Ohm Store is something that I often think my eight-year-old self would be proud of.
I love food, and I love cooking and experiencing the world through food, whether cooking with my boyfriend in the kitchen or experiencing chefs doing their life's work and creating beautiful food. I love experiencing travel through food. I love going on a nature walk every day, which looks slightly different now that I'm living in the city, but I love going outside to walk every day. I use that time to unravel or have a conversation with what's going on inside of me. I love traveling, especially going to Italy. It's one of my favorite places in the world, pre-pandemic. I traveled there every single year with my best friend. I love culture, and I love Italian food.
Frank: As it stands today, I am currently living my dream life that I invented sitting on a porch in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in January of 2015. At that time, I had just walked away from a 10-year career selling software and decided to head down to Argentina, where Nikki was living; she was working to hire developers for a consulting company.
I decided to quit my job, move to Argentina with Nikki, and we decided together to create a business. And I remember sitting there on that balcony in Argentina, six or seven years ago now, and inventing the life I wanted to live - which had us working on an important business that would be meaningful to others.
That idea involved a life close to nature, being immersed in nature, being surrounded by animals and trees and space to roam, and that life involved having an amazing romantic partner. All of those things that I imagined six or seven years ago are now my reality.
And personally, for the quick and simple things: I like reading, hiking, making campfires, and sitting around campfires with people that I love. I like meditating; I like breathwork. I enjoy pursuing ultimate health and wellness, which came from experiencing chronic illness. And that made me want to put my health first and prioritize my energy because the energy that I generate can create extraordinary things, products, companies, ideas for other people.
How did The Ohm Store come to life?
For eight years leading up to the Ohm Store's launch, we experienced a series of escalating physical ailments that ultimately led to Frank being bedridden for months at a time and Nikki struggling for her health while supporting her older brother.
This journey put us both through the crucible of pain and suffering - and changed our lives for the better. There is no experience like pain to reset your entire life and its purpose. Our emotional and spiritual state strongly influences physical health. As disease states unfolded, we traced back each major physical breakdown to emotional and spiritual dysfunction.
Our idea from the start has been: The things we touch, touch us. We decided to invest in products that passed through the hands of individual artisans and then made a move to bring these types of products to the world at scale.
Singing Bowls are a way to get into people's hearts and minds, to offer a fundamental tangible tool and representation of their own emotional and spiritual journey. Something was inspiring about practicing a Nepalese mindfulness ritual with a singing bowl hand-hammered by someone 7000 miles away. You feel connected to the artisans, real people who put thought and effort into every item they produce.
What is the primary mission of The Ohm Store?
The mission of the Ohm Store is to create products and experiences that offer people peace, harmony, and happiness. Everything we do is designed to provide someone a path towards more harmony in their lives. It's everything to us.
Why do you believe in fostering mindfulness practices from a young age and what are some ways parents can help instil this in their children?
Nikki: A lot of our ways of being and patterns and development happen from a young age. And those are incredibly formative years when the ways of being and the way we see the world is being created. And in a world of human beings for the first time integrating technology so deeply into their lives, I think it's more important now than ever to learn how to use technology as a tool rather than having it run your life. So mindfulness is an opportunity to develop a conscious relationship, not only with technology but with our inner world and the world around us.
I think the best way to instill mindfulness in children is to be living it as parents. The authority figures in their life shape children -- and they are watching what the people around them do. One of the best ways to instill mindfulness in children is living and breathing and practicing mindfulness and presence as an adult. Take time to listen to what kids have to say, make eye contact with them, be present with them, and not give in to distractions when interacting with kids.
Frank: I believe in fostering mindfulness practices from a young age because of a concept called normalization. Normalization is like a different way of saying that we all become conditioned by what we experience as kids, and what is "normal" to us is doable and achievable. What's normal to us is within our reach. We become conditioned by the TV shows and movies that we watch, by the books that we read, by what our mom and dad listen to when they're driving in the car. We're conditioned to the way mom and dad interact with one another and how they interact with people outside of our family circle. We become conditioned as children, and our conditioning dictates what feels normal to us.
It's so important because we're setting the stage for kids to understand what they believe is possible for themselves. So if as kids we normalize mindfulness practices from when they're young, they grow into young adults, and because these things are already normal to them - they can do them because it fits neatly into the identity that asks "who am I."
Our pursuit of mindfulness is just teaching our kids how to focus on something, which will benefit them in sports, music, play, academics, and social interactions.
Can you tell us more about singing bowls, what they are, why they're used and your new range' little ohmies' for kids?
Singing bowls at their core, are simple musical instruments. They create sound frequencies that can change our brain waves, which change our state of mind and being.
A traditional Tibetan Singing Bowl goes by many names. Over the millennia, they have been humbly referred to as a: singing bowl, Himalayan bowl, singing bell, standing bell, meditation bell, sound bowl, vibration bowl, and many others.
A singing bowl will produce a particular, resonant tone unique to that bowl's history, shape, size, weight, and dimension. Each bowl is as individual as you are. Singing bowls create meditative states of mind by altering our brain waves.
Over the last 6 years, we've been blown away by the number of teachers and parents who have shared how they used their singing bowls with their students or children, in classrooms, and at home. The Little Ohmies was developed because we realized these child advocates benefited from establishing a ritual of singing bowls with their kids. We decided to make them aesthetically more fun and welcoming to Little's, with the same sound quality that we build in our adult bowls. And so The Little Ohmies were born.
What are your top 3 tips to foster your emotional and spirit state and in turn benefit your physical health?Nikki: Something that I do every day is typically when I'm on my morning walk or when I'm in my journal in the morning is to really unravel what's going on for me. And I do this by asking a series of questions, like checking in with what I'm feeling and how I'm feeling and where in my body I'm feeling that. And then starting to dig a little bit deeper to ask what the fear is, maybe underneath what I'm feeling, what I'm afraid of, what I'm worried is going to happen.
And then I start to look at what it is that I'm longing for and what I need. And that's just one way where I feel like we cleanse our bodies every day, and that feels like a cleansing of emotion and a cleansing of stories to start to understand and have self-awareness for what's going on within ourselves.That's one.
The second is to have honest conversations with the people in our lives and leave nothing incomplete at the end of the day.
Each night, My boyfriend and I have a little conversation where we can share anything that's unresolved for us and really approach it in a way where we take responsibility for how we feel and for what's going on without creating any blame.
The last one is to get excellent sleep.
I think that it's easy when we're not sleeping to be a little crabby and to see life maybe with a negative lens. When I don't get enough sleep, I feel like a cranky toddler. And so I think meeting our physical needs, especially sleep, really helps to see what's going on in life as it is a little bit easier than seeing what's wrong.
Frank: My three tips are silence, solitude, and sweating.
I borrowed these ideas from others, but these are three things that I like to work on every single day that keeps me balanced in my physical state and my emotional and spiritual state.
The important thing, to me, is that we can benefit from experiencing contrast in our life.
So these three S's, silence, solitude, and sweating, are about experiencing contrast with what we usually have happened to us throughout the day.
We all experience lots of noise; we can always be connected to something or someone. I think a practice of being silent every day is something important to me, through meditation or just being quiet and seeing the world.
Solitude, I might experience by going for a long walk every morning and sweating is something that I might experience by going to the sauna, taking a hot bath, or doing some vigorous physical exercise.
And those are my three.
What are 3 self care non negotiables for you?
Meditation, moving our bodies, and eating food that gives us energy.
Your favorite way to unwind?
Frank: My favorite way to unwind is something that I've been doing since I was 21 years old - I take Friday afternoon off and see a movie in theaters by myself.
Nikki: My favorite way to unwind is movement, is just putting on music and letting my body move in whatever way it feels good.
What do you love most about mindfulness rituals?
Nikki: What I love most about mindfulness rituals is that they ground you in the present moment. And we spend most of our time not being present, living in our mind, or our mind's recreation of the past or anticipation of the future. And so presence really allows us to see life as it is.
Frank: I love that I get to remind myself that everything I require for my happiness is already inside me. It reminds me that I don't need to chase things outside of myself to achieve contentment.
How would you suggest someone who has never forayed into mindfulness, begin?
Nikki: I think this was a tip we got from our meditation teacher in our early '20s -- make your bed every day, not just with the intention of getting the bed made, but to really take time to notice the making of the bed and the way the sheets fall and setting the stage for the day, in that you've taken a moment to be present and accomplish something before the day has even begun.
Frank: You are already being mindful in your life; you just don't call it that.
Some people will say, "I really enjoy cooking, that is my me time." Some people will say that they love gardening or that they love making flower arrangements.
The first thing that I would offer to somebody who's never forayed into mindfulness is to remind them that they are already engaging in mindfulness; they don't just call it that. The best way to begin is to begin. We all tend to get caught up with doing things right or trying not to look good or feel silly.
If you think that you'd like a meditation practice, set a timer for five minutes, sit down, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Don't judge yourself; experience yourself.
If you think that you'd like to try mindfulness with a yoga practice, sign up for a yoga class and then go. Don't worry about how flexible other people are; enjoy what you are experiencing.
What does your daily mindfulness practice consist of?
Nikki: My daily mindfulness practice consists of meditation, and right now, the meditation I'm loving is a repeated mantra, and whatever I'm inspired by that day, I just insert it into the phrase.
"May I be healthy, may I be in awe of life, may I be grateful."
I repeat that mantra over and over for 20 minutes while I'm sitting in meditation. And then I always follow that up with morning pages, inspired by the book, The Artist's Way.
And I take time to write three pages, no matter whatever's on my mind, whatever I'm feeling, whatever I'm thinking, whatever it takes to get to the end of three pages. And I always finish my morning rituals with a walk. And that's when I kind of take time to check in with myself and what's going on with myself before I even turn on my phone for the day.
Frank: My mindfulness practice consists of setting a timer for 20 minutes (twice a day)I use a singing bowl alarm from insight timer.
I set the timer for 20 minutes. I close my eyes, and I focus on my breath for 20 minutes. And then I go for a long walk with my dog.
It's simple now because meditation practices exponentially compound over time. My focus is on creating a practice that I can do every day for the rest of my life.
The best piece of advice you have ever received?
Nikki: The best piece of advice I've ever received is that nothing is personal. When we realize that nothing is personal, we cannot only give ourselves more grace and forgiveness, but we can give everyone in our lives more grace and forgiveness.
Frank: The best piece of advice that I've ever received is to recognize that everybody is doing their best. This takes judgment and righteousness out of the equation and reminds me that everyone really is doing their best. And it lets me feel kindness and compassion and more understanding of people.
The most profound book you have read?
Nikki: The Untethered Soul. It was the first book that opened up my eyes to what is going on in my head as a human all day long.
Frank: Whether a book resonates with someone depends significantly on the set and setting of their life. What's going on in the background. What challenges are they facing now. What are their dreams. It's contextual and always changing. For me, right now -- The most profound book I've ever read is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus Aurelius lived 2000 years ago; he was the leader of ancient Rome. And this is his journal. His advice that he would give to himself.
And I read this repeatedly to remind myself that the external circumstances of the world have changed, but our inner dialogue is essentially unchanged for the last thousands of years.
Your favorite quote that always inspires you?
Nikki: The most powerful way to compel someone to change is to love them.
Frank: My favorite quote is one that occurred to me when walking one day-- Live Your Life As An Undeniable Invitation.
What would we find on your playlist?
Nikki: We would find Londrel, Soul Rising, and I am listening to a song on repeat called, On the Nature of Daylight. I'll double-check the name, but that song is such a reminder of how powerful sound could be. And it's a song that moves me and almost stirs up sadness within.
Frank: Kygo, Andrea Bocelli, and Ed Sheeran. And then tons of Christmas music.
What are you watching?
Nikki: I'm watching a series called One Strange Rock, that brings together astronauts along with Will Smith to talk about really interesting insights and experiences of planet earth.
Frank: Ted Lasso and The Office. My general approach is that I want to laugh any time I turn the TV on.
4 things you can't live without?
Nikki: My dog Figgy, celery juice, meaningful connection, and element chocolate salt.
Frank: 1) My bare feet touching the ground every day 2) spending at least 30 minutes to an hour outside no matter the temperature. 3) My favorite chapstick and 4) book by my side at all times. I keep books everywhere, so that way, anywhere I am, I can pick up a book and read it.
Find out more at theohmstore.co / @theohmstore