Embodied Sound Techniques
Blanca teaching a intro to embodied sound techniques at Good Dirt Farm, Fall of 2025.
Vocal Toning
What is a vocal toning exercise? Vocal toning is an embodied sound exercise in which a person can check in with themselves energetically by using their voice to create resonance (vibrations) in their whole body. Stagnant emotions and energies can get caught up in our bodies and manifest as physical, emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances. Sound is one way in which a person can help these energies flow out and through. To do this one must work with the whole body! We will discuss how our posture affects how we carry and share our energy with others, what colors, elements and sounds correlate to the chakras (or areas of our bodies) and more. You do not need to be a singer, musician or performance artist to do this work. If you have a voice you are able to engage with this practice.
One of many outdoor spaces we will utilize on the farm.
Sunflowers and sunset on the farm.
What to Expect
Movement, meditation, creative expression and plant allies on the farm will supplement this work. Students will have a chance to engage with the natural world and sessions will take place indoors and outdoors as weather permits.
The program requires the capacity to commit to an 12.5 hr program in a co-created space through the course of five consecutive weeks. Sound healing is a practice that asks for consistency and vulnerability and therefore it is the responsibility of each student to take agency in their practice and seek support when needed. This program requires that each student participate and engage to the best of their ability and comfort. Students are welcome to show up as they are, life happens! If you are absent or tardy students must communicate that as soon as possible.
This vocal toning practice is best learned if you are able to commit to every session. Please review your schedule to see if this is something you can carve out for at this time. This exercise may impact you in unexpected ways which is why it is important to communicate with the instructor so they may provide support. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to check in with a fellow student for notes.
In 2018 Blanca Stacey began their studies with sound healing practitioner and musician Almunis Alejandra Ortiz and has since seen incredible growth in their performance work, cantos and advocacy. You can learn more about Almunis here. This exercise is a resource for grounding, centering and healing that your instructor was given permission to teach in 2020 on behalf of their teacher.
Approach
Even though this cohort is open to everyone, meaning that all identities are welcome to apply and participate, your instructor's work centers first and foremost Black, Indigenous and communities of Color and will always do their best to integrate a critical lens in how they facilitate and in what they share. In their role as a practitioner of traditional medicine and healing modalities, Blanca acknowledges the impact of systemic oppression on an individual and collective level. As your instructor, they welcome meaningful feedback and encourage students to consider moving at the speed of trust when engaging with one another.
Embodied Sound Techniques is a series of programs mostly taught in English but it is likely that certain concepts and instructions will be explained in Spanish and Spanglish for students that may need that support.
These programs are often structured as spaces for collaboration, meaning that everyone who joins is bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. There will be space for check-ins, reflections and take aways in each session.
COVID - 19
As this program takes place in an indoor and outdoor space, with a majority of exercises requiring deep breathing and toning with our voices, there will be minimal masking. Your instructor will need to see your mouth and face as you practice, in order to provide corrections and suggestions. It is very important that students commit to a masking practice that be taken seriously outside of the program in order to prevent exposure. While we cannot control the risk of anyone being exposed to an airborne illness, we will do our best to minimize the risk and ask that all participants and instructors communicate any sign of sickness as soon as possible. The indoor space we will be utilizing on the farm will have ventilation, two quality air purifiers and participants are required to test for Covid-19 before the first session.
Almunis Alejandra Ortiz facilitating sound healing practices in Colombia, she is one of Blanca’s teachers and who they have studied with for many years.
Details
When: Saturdays in May & June - May 16, 23, 30 and June 6 and 13. Sessions run from 10:00am-12:30 pm.
Where: Good Dirt Farm, North Valley of Albuquerque (exact address to be shared once accepted into program).
Cost: $500 - A payment plan is available for those that would like one. The full amount is due by the first session.
Meet Your Instructor
Blanca is a queer femme with Indigenous & Spanish roots from Jalisco, México and comes from a lineage of educators, artists and land stewards. They will hold space, facilitate exercises, distribute recordings and prepare herbal teas. Their practice is rooted in an anti-oppression framework and they have been teaching cultural programs since 2016. B has facilitated for youth, adults and elders in homes, community centers, art galleries and national conferences. The reason B now offers this work is due to their firm belief that embodied sound techniques are a source of ancestral connection, healing, accountability and creativity.
Learn more about their work with sounds by watching their film Chac y Yo, listening to A Dwelling Place for You or by attending one of their future performances.
Student Testimonials
