Our Story
At Wisdom Women retreat in Costa Rica 2 years ago, Ground In Sound came as a message through a tree mediation. The tree whispered our Earth Mother’s answer in response to my deepest yearning - How to better serve this planet and its people, my brothers and sisters, using voice, sound and music?
During the meditation, I came upon one particular tree and saw gashes made on its body. Resonating with the tree as I too have gashes in my body, though not visible, I asked for permission to connect with the tree, and when granted, wrapped my arms around it. The message flooded my body in flashes of images so powerful, I held onto the tree with tears streaming down my face and sobs rising from deep within. Women and girls with wounds in their bodies were sitting in a circle. They were lifting their voices and playing instruments together in community. As they continue to sing and play, their bodies rooted down to the ground, their energy (spirit) came fully into their bodies, and their expressions of joy lit up their faces. Voice, sound and music have been my medicine, salvation and joy. Having already started my own journey of healing from past traumas using sound and voice, I knew then Ground In Sound will be a space to offer and share what has helped me in my journey as well as providing space for others to share their experiences.
As humans, we carry our wounds inside. Memories of our traumatic experiences (physical pain or pain memories) are embedded in the cells of our bodies. Animals do not store pain memories in their bodies (a cat can fall off a 4 story building, land on its feet, shake of the trauma, and go on its merry way) but we humans do. Sometimes the memories become so uncomfortable, we live our lives not fully present in our physical bodies; rather we float through life not being able to feel, know, express and open fully to ourselves and to each other. Through vibrations and frequencies of voice and sound, we are able to shake off and release pain memories in our bodies so we can feel more at home in them. Through resonating our bodies with our own voice and with the help of vibrations from instruments we play, we heal ourselves and take our power back to create a joyful, peaceful reality for ourselves. Through sharing our voice and sound in community, we connect and co-create in witnessing and in loving support. Through grounding in sound, we are free to live up to our full potential beyond conditions and limitations of the past.
HYEJIN YU is a sound healing practitioner, songstress, composer, and song carrier based in San Francisco. In recent years, HyeJin has been fascinated with vibrational sound therapy, vocal meditation, song circles, mantras, and chants, and how they can be used to balance and heal our bodies which led to her training as a Sound Healing Practitioner under Minna Sivola of Harmoniaalto, and Lauren Waggoner of Soundology as well as becoming a certified teacher of Yoga Of The Voice from Silvia Nakkach’s Vox Mundi School of Sound and Voice. Her intention is to create a safe space for individuals as well as community at large to explore with sound and voice to be in-body and to be fully present here and now to experience life in joy, so we can be healers of our own body, mind and spirit!