Julie Jewels Smoot

For some nervous systems, sustained tones can feel overwhelming, disorienting, or intrusive. This is especially true for people with sound sensitivity, migraines, tinnitus, or certain trauma histories. This does not mean the body is “resistant. "It means the body is communicating. Trauma-informed sound work does not override that communication.

You do not need to sit still. You do not need to breathe differently. You do not need to feel relaxed. You may listen briefly. You may turn the sound off. You may leave the room entirely. The bowl does not follow you.

I am a First-Degree Nia Black Belt and a Sound Alchemist, but that was not always a comfortable truth to live inside of. When I first walked into a Nia class and later into Nia training, I carried something many people could not see: a deep fear of using my voice.

I feel it soothe my weary soul Like a balm on a wounded hole It fills me with a sense of calm And lifts me up like a healing balm Yin energy, so quiet and strong It carries me through my darkest song It wraps me in its loving embrace And fills me with a sense of grace I feel it in the earth below In the trees that gently sway and blow In the birds that sing their sweet tune In the flowers that bloom and bloom