Julie Jewels Smoot

We learn to answer when someone calls. We learn to listen when someone wants to talk. We learn to make ourselves available, even when we are exhausted, overwhelmed, or simply longing for silence. Somewhere along the way, we may begin believing that being a good person means always being accessible.

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.

The space between sounds matters just as much as the sounds themselves. And over the years, I have come to understand that the same can be true in life. There are moments when we are creating.

The pause after a gong. The quiet following a Tibetan singing bowl. The moment before a hand pan melody begins. The natural sounds that may be present in the recording environment. Those spaces create room for the sounds to be heard individually. They also influence the overall rhythm of the recording.

I have spent much of my life navigating expectations. Expectations about who I should be, how I should behave, what I should tolerate, how I should respond, and how quickly I should move forward from difficult experiences.

Listening can mean noticing a sensation in the body. It can mean recognizing an emotion that has been pushed aside. It can mean realizing that nothing needs to happen right now. It can mean turning the music off and choosing quiet. All of those responses are valid.

I know what I have accomplished. I know the hours behind the writing. I know the vulnerability behind the music. I know the effort behind advocacy. I know the quiet discipline behind personal growth. I know the moments when choosing myself required more courage than anyone else could see.

This can be hard to accept, especially for people who learned early that peace depended on pleasing others. If every no once caused tension, disappointment, punishment, or withdrawal, then the body learns to cushion every decision. It learns to manage everyone else’s feelings before stating its own need.

Pause and reflect: What does your body truly need today? Explore options like movement, rest, or simply being, as you immerse yourself in this peaceful setting. Listen first—nothing is required. There are days when my body wants movement. There are days when it wants sound. There are days when it wants quiet. There are days when it wants to walk, stretch, breathe, move slowly, listen to a gong, receive bodywork, or simply curl up underneath a blanket and be left the hell alon

Tranquil healing space adorned with musical instruments and soft lighting, emphasizing silent recovery: "Your pain does not need an audience to be real. You are allowed to heal without explaining, proving, or performing." There is a difference between having pain and performing pain so that someone else will believe you. There is a difference between sharing because you want to and sharing because you feel you have to prove that what happened was bad enough. There is a differ

You don’t have to tell every detail of your story in order to heal. Healing can happen through sound, movement, breath, rest, silence, creativity, boundaries, and simply learning to listen to what your body needs. You can feel without explaining. You can heal without performing your pain. You can share what feels right and keep the rest for yourself. Your story belongs to you. Your body belongs to you. You decide who gets access.

I am allowed to move at my own pace. I listen to my body without judgment. My body is worthy of being heard. I do not have to force myself to relax. I can rest without earning my rest. Nothing is required of me in this moment. I give myself permission to simply be. My breath does not need to be perfect. I can notice without needing to change anything. I trust myself to recognize what I need. My boundaries are worthy of respect. I am allowed to say no. I am allowed to choose w

They witness people at vulnerable moments, hold therapeutic space, pay attention to what is spoken and what remains unsaid, complete documentation, transition between clients, and then somehow return to their own lives at the end of the day.

There is a difference between trying to make the body heal and creating enough space for the body to begin listening to itself again. For many of us, especially those who have lived through prolonged stress, trauma, or PTSD, the instinct can be to do something. Fix it. Push through it.

Before the next task. Before the next session. Before the next phone call or note. Take a moment to return to yourself. There is nowhere you need to hurry. Nothing you need to accomplish during these next few moments. Simply allow yourself to arrive. Take a slow, comfortable breath. Notice the air entering your body.

Take a gentle breath in. And slowly let it go. Again. Breathing in. And breathing out. Notice that your body is here. Notice that this moment is here. Notice the support beneath you.

The Strawberry Moon reminds us that nature never rushes its cycles. Plants grow at their own pace. Seasons arrive in their own time. The moon completes its journey without comparison or urgency. We, too, can allow ourselves to move through life without demanding constant productivity or immediate transformation.

After the sound has faded, give yourself time to transition gently. Stretch if it feels comfortable. Drink a glass of water. Step outside for fresh air or spend a few quiet moments reflecting in a journal. Integration is just as important as the listening itself. This session is not about becoming someone new.

As a Sound Alchemist, Author, Reiki Master, Veteran, and founder of Nothing Is Required Studio, Julie's work is rooted in a simple belief: healing does not need to be forced. Sometimes the most meaningful experiences come from having permission to simply be present.

Restorative Listening is an invitation to pause, listen, and be present with sound in a way that honors your own experience. It is not a performance. It is not guided meditation. It is not about achieving a specific outcome.