ValiAnna Divinee (dev-oh-nay) of Monterey helps people open up to their own hearts and souls and “to the magnificence of being a being” using crystal medicine singing bowls and her own voice.
The first time I went to one of her sound healings at the Salty Soul Sanctuary last year, a woman who drives into Carmel from Gilroy twice a month to attend made sure that I knew that the otherworldly voice I would be hearing came straight from ValiAnna. The voice I heard during the sound shower was so surprising that I would have assumed it was a recording.
“Light language” is the term that ValiAnna calls the frequency that comes from her vocal chords. She describes it as similar to listening to a song that connects with your heart. You may not understand the words, but there’s something in it that’s being transmitted from the artist to the listener that forms a connection.
ValiAnna’s chants just ignited my vision.
On a recent Tuesday evening, I joined one of her Shower of Sacred Sounds events at the Lighthouse Wellness Studio in Carmel-By-The-Sea. ValiAnna introduced herself to each person as they came in with a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. She states that her intention is to set up a safe and loving container where people can feel comfortable to look deep within themselves and for her to “love people up.”
About 9 of us gathered in the intimate space. I laid down, took a deep breath, and as the music of the bowls enveloped me in a warm tunnel of sonic vibration, I could feel energy traveling into my ears and through my head.
My mind started thinking about a recent heartbreak: It’s okay that part of me feels so much grief. It’s okay that another part feels shame about that grief. It’s okay that my fears brought out my worst parts at times when I so wanted to be known and understood.
I took another deep breath and could feel tingles lifting off my body, and I imagined them being swept away from me by the music. ValiAnna later told me that for heartbreak, the bowls help soften the path.
Right behind me, Cathlynn Mena of Salinas was having a very different experience. Cathlynn grew up in various Christian religions and had no previous experience with a sound bath or any other kind of “spiritual healing.” She didn’t know what to expect but kept an open heart and decided to fully lean into the experience, which was a birthday gift from her friend Melissa.
When the sounds started, she started sweating and thought she was going to have an anxiety attack. She told herself that this was a space of non-judgement with kind people, kept her eyes closed, and let go so that she could stay in the moment and allow whatever was going to happen to happen.
Feeling more relaxed, Cathlynn started seeing colors as each sound rose from the bowls that she describes as similar to the Northern Lights, with green, purple and a little bit of blue. When ValiAnna sang, the colors became bigger, and she felt a tingling in her chest.
Suddenly, Cathlynn’s journey was interrupted. She heard a very loud sound of a little boy running, laughing and talking while his father followed behind, calling after him. She tried to tune out the outside noise to concentrate on the sound of the bowls.
After the shower, she told Melissa that she was proud of herself. “I didn’t open my eyes, even when that little boy was running outside.”
Melissa paused. “You heard a little boy outside?”
Melissa didn’t hear the sound but checked with another friend, Kirsten, who was also there. Kirsten didn’t hear anyone. ValiAnna also didn’t hear anyone (and for the record, neither did I). Melissa concluded, “Oh, I think Cathlynn had something special happen to her.”
Thirteen years ago, Cathlynn’s 14-year-old son Chris died of cancer after a 7 year ordeal. 4 years ago, Chris’s father passed away of a heart attack. When he died, Cathlynn told him, “Go get your son.” She now believes that she was hearing the spirits of her son and his father, letting her know that they’re together somewhere in the afterlife.
She remarks, “ValiAnna’s chants just ignited my vision.”
After the sound shower, Cathlynn felt at peace. She felt a release, an acceptance, and a feeling that she was going in the right direction. That night, she had the best sleep she’s had in at least a decade.
At the closing of the group session, ValiAnna told us that we don’t need to know everything that we just cleared or everything that we just experienced, we just need to know that we let go of something we no longer need.
Find ValiAnna at www.sacredsoundsmonterey.com
