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Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey — Reclaiming Emotion, Consent, Pleasure, and Bodily Autonomy Through Music

Writer: Julie Jewels Smoot
Julie Jewels Smoot
6 days ago
16 min read
Golden hues of sunrise paint the sky and reflect on the tranquil waters of the lake, with silhouetted trees lining the horizon.
Golden hues of sunrise paint the sky and reflect on the tranquil waters of the lake, with silhouetted trees lining the horizon.

Featuring original music by Julie Jewels Smoot & JS Worldbridger



My Feelings Belong to Me. My Body Belongs to Me. My Choices Belong to Me.


There is something deeply personal about creating music that explores our relationship with our bodies.


For those of us who have survived sexual violence, Military Sexual Trauma, betrayal, and experiences that violated our bodily autonomy, reconnecting with our emotions and physical sensations can be complicated.


We may spend years learning how to recognize our needs, establish boundaries, trust our decisions, and understand what it means to experience our bodies without pressure or expectations.


As a United States Navy veteran, survivor advocate, author, poet, and woman living with Complex PTSD, I understand that relationship intimately.


My experiences have shaped how I understand consent, bodily autonomy, emotional expression, and personal choice.


They have also shaped my work as a Sound Alchemist.


Through music, poetry, gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, hand pan, and lyrical compositions, I explore the importance of listening to ourselves without demanding that our bodies or emotions become something different.


My album, Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey, created with JS Worldbridger, reflects that philosophy.


This collection of 16 original songs explores emotional freedom, sensation, consent, desire, personal boundaries, pleasure, and reclamation.

But there is something important I want listeners to understand.


This album is not about forcing the sacral chakra to open. It is not about demanding emotional release. It is not about making the body surrender to another person's expectations.


It is about choice.

It is about respecting what we feel.

It is about recognizing that our bodies belong to us.


And it is about understanding that we do not have to turn every experience into another healing assignment.


Listening First. Nothing Is Required.


Understanding the Sacral Chakra Without Creating Another Expectation


In traditional chakra-based practices, the sacral chakra, often called Svadhisthana, is associated with emotions, creativity, pleasure, sensuality, relationships, and the capacity to experience life.


It is commonly represented by the color orange and symbolically connected with the element of water.


Water moves.


It changes direction.

It rises and falls.

It can be calm or turbulent.


And it does not maintain the same shape forever.


These associations offer a meaningful creative foundation for Feeling Is Mine.


However, I do not believe that exploring the sacral chakra should require anyone to experience a particular sensation, emotional response, or spiritual transformation.

Chakras are part of spiritual and contemplative traditions, not medically established anatomical structures. In my music, the sacral chakra provides a symbolic framework for exploring our relationships with emotion, sensation, creativity, and choice.


I do not promise that listening to this album will clear blockages, cure trauma, or heal the nervous system.


I do not believe listeners need to feel warmth, tingling, emotional release, or anything else to have a meaningful experience.


Your experience belongs to you.


You may connect with a particular lyric.

You may notice a memory.

You may enjoy the music.

You may feel nothing unusual.


And you may decide that a particular song is not something you want to hear today.

Every one of those responses deserves respect.


This is why I created an album centered on feeling without force.


Because emotions do not need to be commanded.

Bodies do not need to be pushed.


And consent must remain central to any experience involving personal awareness.


The 16 Songs of Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey


Each song explores a different aspect of the relationship between emotion, sensation, bodily autonomy, and personal sovereignty.


Together, these compositions move through themes of listening, boundaries, desire, self-respect, and reclamation.


1. Sacral — Feeling Without Force


The opening song establishes the foundation of the entire album.


Feeling does not require force.


We live in a world that frequently encourages people to confront their emotions, release their pain, and transform their experiences.


But what happens when we are not ready?

What happens when our bodies respond differently than expected?

What happens when we simply do not want to explore a particular feeling?


Sacral — Feeling Without Force introduces the possibility of experiencing emotions without demanding that they change.


There is no requirement to become vulnerable.


No requirement to release trauma.

No requirement to open yourself emotionally.


And no requirement to experience the music in a particular way.


The invitation is simple.


You are allowed to feel without being forced to feel more.


2. Breathe Like the Ocean


Breathing is often presented as something we must control to become calm.

Take a deep breath.

Slow down.

Relax.

Release.


But for people living with trauma, these instructions may not always feel comfortable or helpful.


Breathe Like the Ocean uses the movement of water as a metaphor for the body's natural rhythms.


The ocean does not apologize for its waves.


It moves according to changing conditions.


Our breathing also changes throughout the day.


Sometimes it is slow.

Sometimes it is shallow.

Sometimes stress, movement, excitement, or emotion influences its rhythm.


This song offers a different relationship with breath.


You do not have to force your breathing to become something different.


You can listen.

You can notice.


Or you can simply enjoy the music without paying attention to your breath at all.


Nothing is required.


3. I Am Allowed to Feel


One of the most important messages I want to communicate through my music is that emotions are not moral failures.


Anger does not make someone bad.

Sadness does not make someone weak.

Grief does not mean someone is failing to move forward.


And joy does not mean someone has forgotten what happened.


I Am Allowed to Feel explores emotional autonomy.


For survivors, emotions can become complicated when other people expect us to respond in particular ways.


We may be told to forgive.

Move on.

Stop being angry.

Be grateful.

Focus on the positive.


But our feelings do not exist to make other people comfortable.


I am allowed to feel what I feel without asking permission.


I can acknowledge anger without acting harmfully.

I can experience sadness without apologizing.

I can enjoy moments of happiness without guilt.


And I can decide whether I want to discuss those emotions with anyone else.


My feelings belong to me.


4. Sensation Without Expectation


Our bodies communicate through physical sensations.


Warmth.

Pressure.

Movement.

Tension.

Comfort.

Discomfort.


And countless other experiences.


For people living with trauma or chronic pain, noticing bodily sensations can sometimes be complicated.


Not every sensation feels pleasant.

Not every sensation has an obvious explanation.

And not every sensation needs to become the focus of a healing practice.


Sensation Without Expectation explores the freedom to notice without interpreting.


Not every sensation is a message that needs to be decoded.


Sometimes a sensation is simply something we notice.


We can choose whether to explore it.

We can redirect our attention.

We can change positions.

We can rest.

We can stop.


Our bodies do not need to perform awareness correctly.


And we do not have to search for evidence that healing is happening.


5. My Body Sets the Pace


As someone living with Complex PTSD and chronic pain, I understand the importance of recognizing that physical needs change.


Some days I enjoy walking, cycling, yoga, and movement.


Other days my body needs rest or a different level of activity.


I have learned that pushing through discomfort is not always the most respectful choice.


My Body Sets the Pace explores the difference between listening and demanding.


My body is not something I need to conquer.


I do not have to force myself beyond my limits to prove resilience.

I do not have to measure my worth by how much I accomplish.

And I do not have to apologize when my needs change.


My body deserves consideration.

My body deserves respect.

My body sets the pace.


6. I Don't Have to Open


This song addresses something particularly important in discussions about the sacral chakra.


The expectation that opening is always the goal.


Open your heart.

Open your body.

Open your emotions.

Open yourself to receiving.


But what if someone does not want to open?


What if privacy feels important?


What if a person wants to maintain a boundary?


What if the body is communicating that something is not welcome?


I do not have to open simply because someone believes openness is healing.


I can remain private.

I can choose not to participate.

I can protect my personal space.

I can decide who has access to me.


And I can change my mind.


I Don't Have to Open challenges the idea that vulnerability must be demonstrated to prove trust or progress.


Sometimes choosing not to open is an expression of self-respect.


7. There Is Wisdom in My No


Consent is one of the most important themes throughout this album.


As a survivor of sexual violence and Military Sexual Trauma, I understand how devastating violations of consent can be.


I also understand how frequently people are encouraged to soften their boundaries to avoid disappointing others.


But no is a complete answer.


There Is Wisdom in My No honors the right to refuse.


To decline.

To withdraw participation.

To protect privacy.

To establish distance.

To decide that something is not right for us.


My no does not require an explanation to be valid.


I do not have to prove that I have a good enough reason.


I do not have to make my boundaries comfortable for someone else.


And I do not have to negotiate access to my body or personal experiences.


There is wisdom in recognizing what I do not want.

There is strength in honoring that recognition.


8. My Yes Belongs to Me


Consent is not only about saying no.


It is also about the freedom to say yes.


A meaningful yes must belong to the person giving it.


It cannot be demanded.

It cannot be assumed.

And it cannot be treated as permanent permission.


My Yes Belongs to Me explores the importance of voluntary choice.


I can choose connection.

I can choose movement.

I can choose affection.

I can choose participation.

I can choose to explore something new.


But those decisions must remain mine.


My yes is meaningful because I am free to say no.


I am also allowed to change my mind.


Permission given yesterday does not create entitlement today.


Agreement to one experience does not mean agreement to another.


My yes belongs to me.


9. I Choose What Comes Closer


Not everyone is entitled to closeness.

Not everyone is entitled to personal information.

Not everyone is entitled to physical touch.


And not everyone is entitled to emotional access.


I Choose What Comes Closer explores the relationship between connection and boundaries.


For survivors, rebuilding trust can involve learning that closeness is a choice rather than an obligation.


I can decide who enters my personal space.

I can decide which relationships I want to maintain.

I can decide how much of my story I share.


And I can decide when distance is appropriate.


Connection does not require me to abandon myself.


I am allowed to choose relationships that respect my autonomy.

I am allowed to maintain privacy.


And I am allowed to recognize that solitude can also be meaningful.


10. My Desire Belongs to Me


Desire is often discussed in ways that overlook personal autonomy.


People may assume that desire creates an obligation to act.


That attraction creates entitlement.


Or that someone else's interest must be reciprocated.


I reject those assumptions.


My Desire Belongs to Me explores desire as a personal experience rather than something owed to another person.


Desire may involve creativity, connection, pleasure, curiosity, or physical intimacy.


It may change.

It may be absent.

And it may remain entirely private.


My desire does not create an obligation.


I can want something without acting on it.

I can change what I want.

I can choose not to share my desires.


And I can decide that something I once wanted no longer belongs in my life.


My desire belongs to me.


11. The Body Remembers Pleasure


Trauma can profoundly affect a person's relationship with bodily sensations, trust, intimacy, and pleasure.


But our bodies are not defined solely by painful experiences.


The Body Remembers Pleasure explores the possibility of recognizing enjoyable sensations without turning pleasure into another expectation.


Pleasure does not have to be sexual.


It can be the warmth of sunlight.


The comfort of a soft blanket.

The sensation of moving through water.

The enjoyment of music.

The pleasure of stretching.

The beauty of a quiet morning.


Or the simple experience of doing something because we want to.


I am allowed to experience pleasure without guilt.


I am also allowed not to experience pleasure at a particular moment.


There is no requirement to feel good.

There is no obligation to pursue intimacy.

And there is no timeline for reconnecting with enjoyable sensations.


Pleasure belongs to the individual experiencing it.


12. My Body Is Mine


This song represents one of the strongest declarations in the album.


My body belongs to me.


Not to someone who believes they are entitled to it.

Not to someone who disregards my boundaries.

Not to someone who expects access because of a relationship.


And not to someone who believes my history gives them authority over my present.


As a survivor advocate, I have spent years speaking about sexual violence, consent, and bodily autonomy.


I believe these truths should be unmistakable.


Rape is violence.

Consent is essential.

And no one has the right to violate another person's body.


My Body Is Mine is a declaration of personal sovereignty.


My body is not a debt.

My body is not an obligation.

My body is not the cost of someone else's comfort.


My body is mine. That is not negotiable.


13. I Reclaim My Voice


There are many ways survivors experience silence.


Sometimes silence is imposed through fear.

Sometimes experiences are dismissed or minimized.

Sometimes people are discouraged from speaking because their truth makes others uncomfortable.


And sometimes we choose silence because we want privacy.


I Reclaim My Voice explores the difference between being silenced and choosing when to speak.


I have spent years using poetry, books, advocacy, and music to express parts of my experiences.


But my creative work does not tell everything I have survived.


Nor should it have to.


My voice belongs to me, and so does my silence.


I can speak about sexual violence without disclosing every detail of my personal history.

I can advocate for survivors without making my private experiences public.

I can decide what I want to share.


Reclaiming my voice means reclaiming the right to choose how it is used.


14. I Take It Back


There comes a time when we may recognize how much energy we have spent trying to meet the expectations of others.


Trying to be agreeable.

Trying to avoid conflict.

Trying to explain ourselves.

Trying to make people understand boundaries they repeatedly disregard.


I Take It Back explores the decision to stop surrendering parts of ourselves to those expectations.


I take back my time.

I take back my energy.

I take back my choices.

I take back my right to say no.

I take back the freedom to live without constantly explaining myself.


I am no longer willing to abandon myself to maintain someone else's comfort.


This song is not about erasing the past.


It is about making decisions in the present.


I cannot change what happened.


But I can decide what I allow into my life today.


15. I Came Back for You


There is something deeply personal about acknowledging the different versions of ourselves who have lived through difficult experiences.


The younger person who deserved protection.

The person who learned to survive.

The person who struggled to understand what happened.


And the person who continues living today.


I Came Back for You explores returning to ourselves with compassion rather than judgment.


Not because we were broken.

Not because we must recover a version of ourselves that existed before trauma.


But because we deserve to have a relationship with ourselves that is not defined entirely by suffering.


I did not come back to fix myself. I came back to listen to myself.


I can acknowledge my history.


I can respect what I survived.

I can recognize the ways I have changed.

And I can choose how I want to live now.


There is no requirement to become the person I used to be.


16. This Is Reclamation


The final song brings the themes of the album together.


Emotion.

Sensation.

Consent.

Desire.

Pleasure.

Boundaries.

Voice.

Bodily autonomy.

And personal choice.


This Is Reclamation is a declaration that my life belongs to me.


It does not mean everything has healed.

It does not mean painful memories have disappeared.

It does not mean I will never experience grief, anger, fear, or discomfort again.

It means I recognize my right to make decisions about my own life.


Reclamation does not require perfection.


It does not require forgiveness.

It does not require reconciliation.


And it does not require becoming someone else's definition of healed.


Reclamation can be as simple as saying no.


Choosing rest.

Protecting privacy.

Speaking my truth.

Creating music.


Or deciding that I am allowed to live without constantly proving how much I have overcome.


My voice. My body. My choices. My life.


This is reclamation.


Why Consent Is Central to This Album


When people discuss sacral chakra work, they frequently focus on opening, releasing, awakening, or activating.


But I believe those ideas require careful consideration, particularly when working with survivors of sexual violence.


For someone whose bodily autonomy has been violated, being told to open, surrender, or release may feel like another demand.


Even when those words are offered with positive intentions, they can overlook the importance of choice.


I do not believe anyone should be pressured to participate in an experience that feels wrong for them.


I do not believe emotional vulnerability should be treated as proof of healing.


And I do not believe a person needs to tolerate unwanted touch, discomfort, or exposure to demonstrate progress.


Consent is not an obstacle to healing. Consent is a fundamental right.


This is why several songs on Feeling Is Mine focus specifically on boundaries.


I Don't Have to Open.

There Is Wisdom in My No.

My Yes Belongs to Me.

I Choose What Comes Closer.

My Body Is Mine.


These are not secondary themes.


They are central to the album's meaning.


They reflect the understanding that connection, intimacy, emotional expression, and bodily awareness must remain matters of personal choice.


No one should have to surrender autonomy to participate in a spiritual, creative, or therapeutic experience.


Pleasure Does Not Have to Be Earned


Another important theme in this album is pleasure.


For people who have survived trauma, pleasure can sometimes become complicated.


There may be guilt.

There may be difficult memories.

There may be physical discomfort.

There may be uncertainty about what feels enjoyable.


But pleasure is not something we must earn through healing.


We do not have to complete therapy before enjoying music.

We do not have to process every painful memory before experiencing happiness.

We do not have to become comfortable with intimacy to appreciate the pleasures of everyday life.


I find enjoyment in creating music.


In playing my instruments.

In photography.


In walking and cycling.

In nature.

In listening to the birds outside.

In having a cup of tea.


These experiences do not need to become therapeutic exercises.

They can simply be enjoyable.


I am allowed to experience pleasure because I am alive, not because I have completed enough healing work.


And when pleasure is absent, I do not have to force it.


Both experiences deserve respect.


My Relationship With Creativity and Reclamation


Writing and music have become important ways for me to express parts of my life.


I have written books about my experiences.


I have created poetry that addresses sexual violence, betrayal, survival, and personal power.


I have developed lyrical songs that explore boundaries, autonomy, and self-respect.


I have recorded sound experiences that invite listening without demanding a particular response.


Through my creative collaboration with JS Worldbridger, Feeling Is Mine brings these interests together in a collection centered on bodily and emotional sovereignty.


Creativity does not erase what happened to me.


It does not make every painful experience meaningful.


And it does not require me to share more of my story than I choose.


But it gives me a way to express what matters to me.


Sometimes that expression is gentle.

Sometimes it is reflective.

Sometimes it is direct and unapologetic.


All of those expressions belong in my work.


I do not have to make my truth more comfortable for others to create something meaningful.


I can create music about consent.

I can write about bodily autonomy.

I can speak about the importance of listening to survivors.


And I can also create music that simply celebrates the freedom to feel.


That freedom is part of what this album represents.


Listening to Feeling Is Mine Without Expectations


There is no correct way to listen to this album.


You do not need to sit in a particular position.

You do not need to close your eyes.

You do not need to focus on the sacral chakra.


You do not need to practice a breathing technique.

You do not need to visualize orange light.

You do not need to experience an emotional release.


And you do not need to listen to all 16 songs in one sitting.


You can listen while resting.


While walking.

While reflecting.

While spending time alone.


Or simply because you enjoy lyrical music.


You can choose the songs that resonate with you.

You can skip songs that do not.

You can return to a particular track whenever you want.


And you can stop listening at any time.


Your listening experience belongs to you.


There is no test at the end.

No emotional outcome to achieve.

No expectation that you will feel different.


The music is an invitation.


Nothing more is required.


Feeling Is Mine: The Meaning Behind the Title


I chose to center this album on the idea that feeling belongs to the individual.


My emotions belong to me.

My sensations belong to me.

My desire belongs to me.

My boundaries belong to me.

My choices belong to me.


No one else gets to decide what I should feel.

No one else gets to determine when I should be vulnerable.

No one else gets to demand that I forgive, open, release, or surrender.


And no one else gets to determine what healing should look like in my life.


Feeling Is Mine is not a statement that emotions are always comfortable or easy to understand.


It is a declaration of ownership.


I can experience anger without shame.

I can experience grief without being told to move on.

I can experience joy without guilt.

I can recognize desire without obligation.

I can notice physical sensations without interpreting them.


And I can decide when I want to engage with those experiences.


For me, that is the heart of this sacral chakra journey.


Not opening through force.

Not releasing on command.

Not becoming someone new.


But recognizing that I have the right to experience my own life.


A Closing Reflection: My Body, My Feelings, My Life


As I reflect on these 16 songs, I recognize how closely they connect with my larger body of creative work.


My books.

My poetry.

My survivor advocacy.

My gong recordings.

My Tibetan singing bowl listening sessions.

My lyrical music.


All of these creative expressions return to themes that have become central to my life.


Consent matters.

Boundaries matter.

Bodily autonomy matters.

Privacy matters.

Listening matters.


And no one should have to prove their worth through suffering.


I do not believe that healing requires us to abandon ourselves.

I do not believe that gentleness is weakness.

I do not believe that rest must be earned.


And I do not believe that a meaningful listening experience requires transformation.


Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey is an expression of these beliefs through music.


It is a collection about reclaiming the right to feel without force.


To experience sensation without expectation.

To recognize the wisdom in no.

To honor the freedom of yes.

To choose what comes closer.

To experience desire without obligation.

To remember that pleasure can belong in our lives.

To reclaim our voices.


And to recognize that our bodies are our own.


I cannot change everything that happened to me.


But I can continue making choices about the life I want to live.


I can create.

I can rest.

I can speak.

I can remain silent.

I can establish boundaries.

I can experience joy.


And I can choose what happens next.


My feelings are mine.

My body is mine.

My desire is mine.

My voice is mine.

My life is mine.


This is reclamation.


Listening First. Nothing Is Required.


Album Information


Album: Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey Artists: Julie Jewels Smoot & JS Worldbridger Genre: Lyrical Music / Reflective Music / Sound Healing-Inspired Music Tracks: 16 Themes: Sacral Chakra, Emotional Autonomy, Consent, Bodily Awareness, Boundaries, Pleasure, Creativity, and Reclamation


Complete Track list


  1. Sacral — Feeling Without Force

  2. Breathe Like the Ocean

  3. I Am Allowed to Feel

  4. Sensation Without Expectation

  5. My Body Sets the Pace

  6. I Don't Have to Open

  7. There Is Wisdom in My No

  8. My Yes Belongs to Me

  9. I Choose What Comes Closer

  10. My Desire Belongs to Me

  11. The Body Remembers Pleasure

  12. My Body Is Mine

  13. I Reclaim My Voice

  14. I Take It Back

  15. I Came Back for You

  16. This Is Reclamation


Listen to Feeling Is Mine: A Sacral Chakra Journey

Explore this album and more original music by Julie Jewels Smoot and JS Worldbridger at:



About the Artist


Julie Jewels Smoot is a United States Navy veteran, survivor advocate, author, poet, and Sound Alchemist whose work explores bodily autonomy, consent, trauma, personal boundaries, emotional expression, and the freedom to heal on one's own terms.

Through her creative collaboration with JS Worldbridger, she develops original music that reflects her experiences, values, and commitment to personal sovereignty.


Her guiding philosophy is:

Listening First. Nothing Is Required.


© 2026 Julie Jewels Smoot. All rights reserved. Original recordings and compositions are subject to their respective rights ownership.

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Julie Jules Smoot 

All audio recordings, guided listening experiences, and sound works on this site are created and voiced by Julie Jewels Smoot, JS Worldbridger and Author Honey Badger. 

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