Julie Jewels Smoot

Moments when explanations cannot reach the places where fear, grief, exhaustion, and emotion have been carried for years. Moments when what we need is not another conversation, another solution, or another instruction about how to heal. Sometimes, what we need is to experience being held. Not restrained. Not controlled. Not touched without permission.

A woman laying on her back on a mat on the floor I need to move. Not because I am running from what happened. But because I am learning that my body deserves to experience something beyond survival. I need to move my arms. To feel my feet connecting with the earth. To sway. To stretch. To breathe. To allow the rhythm of my own body to guide me. I need to cry. Not because I am weak. Not because I am falling apart. But because there are tears I have not yet allowed myself to ex

The Sound of a Woman Who Has Had Enough is a deeply personal collection of original spoken-word compositions about reaching the point in life where silence is no longer an option.

Throughout the Healing Happens on Its Own Timeline series, we have explored self-compassion, emotional awareness, personal boundaries, and the importance of honoring our individual experiences.

Someone may believe we should be ready to talk about an experience. Someone may encourage us to participate in an activity. Someone may suggest that we need to move beyond a particular fear.

Listening without absorbing is not a refusal to feel. It is a way of honoring feeling without confusing it for ownership. The space after holding matters because care does not end when the visible exchange ends. The listener also needs to be held by ground, breath, sound, and simple return.

If someone sees us awake, they may assume we are ready to talk. If we are sitting quietly, they may assume we have nothing else to do. If we do not immediately respond, they may wonder whether something is wrong.

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.

We do not owe anyone our stories. We do not owe anyone the details of what happened to us. We do not owe anyone an explanation for our boundaries. We do not owe anyone a description of our pain.

Through my own experiences with military service, trauma, Complex PTSD, chronic pain, grief, and recovery, I have come to understand how important it is to have choices. Choices about my body. Choices about my environment. Choices about what I share. Choices about how I participate. And choices about what I want from a listening experience.

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.

There is something I have come to understand through my experiences with military service, trauma, chronic pain, grief, creativity, and the everyday responsibilities of being human. Rest is not something I have to earn.

Countless meditation playlists .Countless “healing frequencies.” Countless creators asking listeners to transform, ascend, regulate, optimize, manifest, or become something else. Sound Alchemist Julie Jewels Smoot chose a different path. Her work does not ask people to perform healing.

The Chiron Gong creates space for listening to what still exists beneath survival. In astrology, Chiron is often associated with the “wounded healer.” But in trauma-informed sound work, I approach Chiron differently. I do not believe every wound needs to become wisdom immediately. I do not believe pain must become purpose in order to deserve care.

Sound and energy work together in a delicate balance. When I experience this combination, I notice how it shifts my mood and opens my heart. The vibrations from sound can clear away heaviness. Energy work supports this by helping to realign and refresh the body’s natural state.

Sound alchemy is a beautiful art. It uses sound to heal, to balance, and to awaken. The sounds are not just noises. They are tools. Tools that help us connect with ourselves. Tools that help us find harmony in a busy world. When I first discovered this path, I felt a quiet calling. A whisper that said, "Come closer. Listen. Heal."

This series is not about adding another tool to your toolbox. It is not about doing more, guiding more, or facilitating more. It is about something quieter.

Healing through sound is a gentle process. It works on many levels - physical, emotional, and spiritual. When you experience Julie Jewels Smoot sound practices, you may notice a softening of stress and anxiety. Your body may feel lighter, your mind clearer.

Art has a way of touching the soul. It invites us to pause, to breathe, and to feel. My journey as an artist has been a gentle unfolding. It has been about discovering the quiet spaces within and sharing them with others. Through sound, energy work, and poetry, I have found a path to healing and growth. This is a story of that path, a story I hope will bring you calm and inspiration.