by Bettina Neumann

Have you ever wondered how sound affects you? Or why you move the way you do?

Our body is our home. It carries the stories of our past and tells us exactly where we are at present

With sound, we can awaken to the present moment. Sound can transform multiple dimensions of well-being. Combining different sound frequencies can help brainwave entrainment balance and be healthier. Listening to the rhythms and cycles of the body and nature, mindful movement rituals and body mapping are gateways to authentic artistic expression.

Movement, authentic dance, art, and nature have always informed my life and helped me rejuvenate and heal from the inside. As a result, today, I know better why I react in specific ways, why my body moves the way it moves, and how this affects who I am, how I am seen or heard, and how I present myself.

I trained in Integral Sound Healing and am in the second year of a three-year program in the Life/Art Process after being a physical therapist for many decades. The life/art process of Anna Halprin, her recovery from cancer, and her teaching at the age of 100 inspired me, and I decided on professional training with her approach. Initially, I intended to heal myself, my body, mind, soul, and spirit from past wounds and understand my stuck mythology.

In my work now, I combine all the knowledge I ever learned, including my experience as a Physical Therapist and a CranioSacral Therapist, working with Visceral Manipulation, Pilates and other manual and movement-oriented techniques. The list goes on. I have a wealth of experience working with thousands of patients in orthopedics, pelvic floor dysfunctions, cancer rehab, lymphedema, and digestive disorders. I added the sound healing training because I realized that sound and drumming opened my voice, which had been a lifelong struggle. Beyond physical therapy, I include my life experience as a mother, a cancer survivor, and a deep connection to my ancestral lineage.

The most rewarding part of integrating my experience and working from this awareness has been seeing people come into the present moment and allow healing to arise from the inside, seeing the present moment expressed artfully and creatively in place of rigidity and stress. I am looking forward to a project helping communities unite and create art and dance, instead of pain and suffering.
Stop doing and pause. Take a moment, and feel into yourself. Feel your feet placed on the ground. Sense your breath. Listen to the sounds inside of you. Listen to the rhythms. Find a rhythm and tap it on your body with your fingers, or walk the beat with your feet. Listen, and you will get the answers to what will be next. Journal: What is important to you? What brings you joy?

Please join Bettina for Awakening your Inner Rhythms – A Sound Healing Journey In-person on Sat. April 29 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm PT and be guided by sounds to release old energies that no longer serve you. Please sign up in advance, as space is limited. Om Shanti.

Bettina Neumann is a licensed Physical Therapist, a certified Integral Sound Healer, a practitioner of Health Rhythms, and a student in the Life/Art Process. She founded Aurras Transformation and Rising Sun Physical Therapy. Her life experience as a mother and cancer survivor lead her to her passion for expressive dance, movement, art, and ritual, which she calls her medicine. However, her healing journey and nature’s elements are her most consequential teacher. Thirty-five years as a physical therapist made her firmly believe the body can heal itself. Holistic, intuitive, evidence-based medicine and methods helped thousands of patients recover from cancer, lymphedema, chronic pain, and pelvic floor dysfunctions. She combines her experience, tools, and intuition to guide people through transformative journeys and open up the opportunity to lead a joy-filled life.