The resplendent Jaqueline Marie is currently the head sound therapist at the Wheel of Wellbeing in Los Angeles, Ca. She facilitates workshops, and actively promotes the healing properties of sound through speaking engagements, personal consultations, and through her blog on the web. Prior to pursuing a career in sound therapy, Jaqueline attended the Royal Opera Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium, and toured Europe as a leading first soprano.
Jaqueline’s natural gift for singing blossomed early, but she never thought about performing until she was "discovered" in college. Having never learned to read music and without formal training, she would learn the scores by ear… and began singing around the world. We caught up with Jacqueline to learn more about the art of sound healing…
So what are you working on these days? What's your next big project?
It’s funny to hear someone refer to what I do as work. For me, creating music is an intrinsic part of my being. Since childhood, music has been the way I engaged the hearts of others and the process is still a discovery of joy and innocence each and every time. When I sing, I feel connected to the divine, to the universal vibration flowing through us all. And now, I’ve found that through facilitating workshops and giving sound concerts I am able to turn people on to the profound effects of pure sound vibration, which range from stress relief to higher states of awareness. Now I am working on producing a series of meditation CD’s with crystal quartz singing bowls and vocals inspired by Gregorian chant so my music can reach more people.
What are the basic principles of sound healing? How did these principles come to you?
Sound therapy is based on the theory that we are living in a vibratory universe, meaning everything is in constant motion. The vibrations of the molecules create a wave, like a sound wave, which entrain one another. When the body, which is 90% water, and water is a natural transmitter, is exposed to sound waves (music) of a higher nature, the organs and tissues, essentially every cell, raise to match that vibration. What this means is that sound therapy creates a molecular “massage” which stimulates each cell to its proper resonating frequency, aligning the body with optimum health.
As a little girl I would intuitively tone to comfort myself, however, I first became aware of these principles when I was singing classical music in Europe. When bathed in this beautiful sound I could feel my mental, physical, and emotional bodies heal on a deep level. I returned to California to study the workings of the body, combining my passions for music and wellness. I’ve been working with physiotherapists, nuero-linguistic programmers, and medical doctors establishing a concrete scientific basis for what I know to be true.
Do you meditate?
I meditate daily. My meditation practice is a symphony composed of a variety of different elements that blend together magically for me. I feel meditation is highly personal in nature – every person’s experience is unique. I tend to focus on the Chakras, the energy centers, in the body. For me, incorporating light and sound meditation, visualization, breath mediation, and the teachings of Mantak Chia (the inner smile, and the micro cosmic orbit, etc) elevate my consciousness. Now of course, I also hold to the philosophy that life, in and of itself, is a meditation; each moment is an opportunity to see past the veil and transcend, awakening to our true selves.
What book are you reading right now?
I’m an avid reader – you will find at least 2 books with me at all times. Right now I’m reading Courageous Dreaming by Alberto Villoldo and Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death by Daisaku Ikeda.
Tell me something few people know about you!
I don’t talk about it much, but I have a huge soft spot in my heart for the Hawaiian Islands. At two years of age I declared to my parents that I was from the Hawaii, and that I had two brothers there – my parents had never even mentioned Hawaii. I have traveled to Hawaii countless times. For the past 2 years I’ve studied LomiLomi and Hawaiian spirituality on the Islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Kauai.
Have you ever done tantra?
Though I consider myself a novice, I have, and continue to, practice tantra. I regularly participate in tantric dance. Each week I give sound meditations, and I always end with the tantric practice of awakening the sensation of taste – savoring a strawberry after making love to it with your eyes, fully experiencing its aroma, and caressing it’s tantalizing texture is a beautiful tantric mediation practice. Ultimately, I feel tantra is a way of life. To experience the flow of life’s up’s and downs from an orgasmic state of being is an art. Living art – ecstatic breath, movement, sound – is what I aspire to be.
Please leave us with some spiritual advice!
Each of us is a reflection of the divine. To awaken to our divinity is our birthright, our challenge, our joy. Love is the key. Love is the path. Love is the answer. Look within. Look to your brothers and sisters. We are ONE. The spiritual path is never ending – the master is always learning. In the words of Rumi, "Oh my friend, if you are longing to be written upon, become a blank sheet."
You can hear a sample of Jacqueline’s voice at: www.JaquelineMarie.com
Her blog: http://jaquelinemarie.blogspot.com
CD’s will be available for purchase soon!
