Meet Jess Pearson | Sala Studio, Auckland, NZ

Sound Therapist, Jess Pearson, recently joined the Sala schedule with her incredible Sound Baths. Deeply devoted to holding space for others, she uses the power of sound to facilitate healing. Get to know Jess and how through her own healing she found sound.

Hey, who are you? What do you do and where do you live?

My name is Jess Pearson. I’m a Sound Therapist and live in Auckland’s North Shore.

Why and how did sound therapy become such a big part of your life?

During the depths of my depression in 2016, I visited an alternative medicine practitioner who introduced me to the power of sound and how it could be used as a therapeutic tool to heal the body and mind.

Then in 2018, I visited a psychic who stressed I needed to do some serious energy work around healing my heart. Soon after that experience, I bought my first crystal singing bowl and from that day forward, I began integrating sound into my life, using it as a form of medicine for myself and my loved ones.

During my studies, I felt called to research my ancestry and discovered that before the Spanish colonised the Philippines, there existed an ancient tradition of female mystics called Babaylans. These women were shamans, bridging the spiritual and material worlds within their communities. Their roles included warrior, healer, priestess and sage.

I also discovered that music was present in every stage of my ancestors' lives — from birth to death, in blissful or tragic times. This phenomenon explains why so many Filipino women I know are doing alternative medicine work, especially within the realm of sound therapy (including myself). It’s in our blood. The deeper I embrace sound therapy, the more connected to my ancestors I feel.

How would you describe your classes?

Powerful! Sound has the ability to disconnect us from undesirable habitual patterns and allow us to delve deep into transcendental states. My classes are for you if you are curious about sound therapy in collaboration with chakra healing, and shamanic practices, and are feeling called to the healing arts. Before I begin, I will go through a few therapeutic tools and techniques that will empower you to actively participate in the experience. Once that's finished, the sound will be applied to your energy field. Specific audible vibrations are created using musical instruments to ease, stimulate and balance your body, mind and chakra centres.

From the ashes of hustle culture, self-care is on the rise. Why is self-care so important? And how does sound therapy facilitate this?

If we want to love ourselves we need to take better care of ourselves. This is why self-care is so important. Sound therapy facilitates self-care by helping us cultivate more inner peace, focus and clarity in our lives. It increases sleep quality, reduces symptoms of depression, liberates emotional traumas, deconstructs negative patterns and increases our sense of calm. Sound therapy also allows us to explore our own vulnerabilities, integrate our emotions, and help us connect deeper to our higher selves and the universal consciousness.

What other practices do you live by that support your mindset and mood?

I love my morning rituals! They support my mindset, mood, as well as my body. Morning rituals can turn mundane tasks into sacred experiences. When practised regularly, we begin to extend our mindfulness to other areas of our lives. Even the act of folding laundry becomes an art form. Below is a list of things I do that I highly recommend trying;

• Apply oil to your face and neck and give yourself a Gua Sha treatment (I use Jojoba oil). Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese practice that relieves muscular tension from the face and neck. It helps lift your brows and cheeks, as well as sculpt the jaw.

• Oil pull (I use coconut oil). Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing oil in your mouth for 20 minutes. It can whiten your teeth, reduce bad breath and eliminate harmful bacteria from entering your body.

• Mindfully dry brush your body. Dry brushing increases blood circulation, exfoliates dead skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite. It also helps drain the lymphatic system and remove unwanted toxins from the body.

• Brush your hair with a wooden bristle brush. This helps distribute your scalp’s natural oils through your hair, leaving it shiny and soft. It also improves blood circulation, which promotes hair growth.

• Scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper. Scraping the tongue each morning before eating or drinking is an ancient Ayurvedic practice. It removes the build-up of toxins and helps reduce harmful bacteria from entering the body.

• Practice Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga is a series of passive floor poses held for up to 5 minutes or more. It calms the mind, releases muscle tension, reduces stress and increases flexibility. It also balances the internal organs and improves the flow of prana.

• Pranayama breathwork. My favourite breathwork practice is called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (also known as Alternate Nostril Breathing). It is a yogic breathing practice that can have a profound impact on your nervous system. It helps calm the mind and balances the subtle energy of the body.

• Meditate while listening to sound healing music. The music I listen to while I meditate ranges from solfeggio frequencies to crystal singing bowls, and songs from my favourite ambient band, Hammock. Music is powerful and can open the doorway to divine transformation.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 

Look for ways you can embrace divine playfulness and thus reconnect with your inner child. Choose joy and find appreciation in the little things. The path to what you desire is paved with bliss and when you lighten up your heart, you lighten up your life.

How do you attain happiness in your life - whether through activity, achievements or mindset? 

Your life is the byproduct of your thoughts. If you want to cultivate more happiness, the answer is to choose enjoyable beliefs. One of the best ways to do this is by focusing on what you are grateful for. Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has and helps us acknowledge the goodness in our lives. Each morning I take out my journal and ask myself the following questions. What am I grateful for? Who makes me feel loved and why? What is an accomplishment I am proud of?

What’s the secret to a happy life? 

Along with practising gratitude daily, I also believe it's important to give yourself permission. When you give yourself permission, you allow yourself to enjoy the fruits of life and all the miraculous things the world has in store for you. Give yourself permission to do whatever feels good for your soul. Below are some examples.

I give myself permission to:

• Take the morning off

• Read for an hour

• Make myself a nourishing meal

• Change my mind

• Not be perfect

If you could give your 20-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Follow your bliss! What we are meant to be “doing” in this life will fall into place when we commit to living life from a state of bliss. Struggle does not lead us to our purpose, following what gives us true happiness does. Our purpose will require some form of struggle, of course. But you will know you are in alignment with it when the hours feel like minutes and when there isn’t anything else you’d rather be doing.