Julie Jewels Smoot

Some daysThey sit alongside experience rather than trying to change it. They offer vibration without interpretation. They allow the body to remain as it is. Some days, the sound may feel comforting. Some days, it may feel irrelevant. Some days, it may feel unwelcome., the sound may feel comforting. Some days, it may feel irrelevant. Some days, it may feel unwelcome.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not only a condition of memory or thought. It is a nervous system response shaped by overwhelm, threat, and loss of safety.

People often ask what is supposed to happen during sound healing. They want to know what they should feel. They want to know if they’re doing it right. They want to know how they’ll know it’s working. These questions make sense. Many of us have learned that healing looks a certain way—calm, emotional release, insight, lightness, peace. But trauma-informed sound begins with a quieter truth:

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.

Julie Jewels Smoot continues to expand her sound alchemy practice with a variety of newer albums, single tracks, and immersive sound experiences that build on and diversify her earlier Threads of Trauma work. This evolution in her artistic journey reflects not only her commitment to exploring the depths of sound but also her desire to connect with listeners on a more profound level.