Ages ago, I read Shirley MacLaine’s “The Camino.” What most (positively) surprised me about her walk to Santiago was her comfortable level at austere pilgrim accommodations. All because she brought healing sounds with her. Her one luxury was her sound machine. Since I, too, am a believe in sound healing, I have sound machines throughout my home. My favorite settings are the ocean and rain.
Now, a kirtan artist I know, Joss Jaffe, along with Sudama Mark Kennedy, launched an album with authentic water world sounds. Whale Dreaming features the playful calls of whales. Additionally, they incorporate ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) healing sounds like waves, shakers and bubbles.
The single, “Wave Navigation,” blends authentic marine mammal vocalizations with an intimate global ensemble to create a buoyant soundscape for relaxation, yoga, meditation, and gentle focus. A divine assortment of instruments, including a tigerwood shakuhachi bamboo flute, ambient textures and ASMR provide unparalleled chill vibes.
Whale Dreaming is an underwater raga with world instrumentals carefully arranged around the marine mammal recordings rather than playing over them. The result is a gentle, flowing sound world designed to entrain listeners toward stillness, emotional release, and subtle transformation. What makes this album so unique is that real recordings of belugas, humpbacks, blue whales, and orcas are interwoven throughout with sitar, Japanese flute, Aboriginal didgeridoo, African ngoni drum, guitar, bass, North Indian tablas, zither, and subtle sound design. The outcome is ethereal. Ideal for spa environments, energy work, meditative pranayam, and contemplative listening.
Jaffe is a music producer and multi-instrumentalist known for his work in meditation, world, and devotional music. In his latest production, the Billboard Top 10 New Age artist bridges authentic nature recordings with contemporary wellness and world-music aesthetics. He plays tabla and ngoni, and incorporates ASMR sensations. “We wanted “Wave Navigation” to bring a pleasant form of paresthesia, a sensory response to stimuli, yet still soothing enough for a massage room, a slow-flow yoga class, or a long exhale after a busy day.”
Kennedy boasts 12 kirtan, folk jazz, spoken-word, world jazz funk, and meditative soundscape albums. All are unified by a focus on healing-intentioned music. He has pioneered energy medicine and sound healing for 30 years. As a musician, poet, and healer, he uses sound as a vehicle for joy and peace. “On ‘Wave Navigation,’ and truly on the whole Whale Dreaming album, the whales really guide us; the human instruments and sounds are there to follow, support, and celebrate their exuberant songs,” he said.
Listen to “Wave Navigation” and Whale Dreaming on Apple Music, Spotify, or Bandcamp. Better yet, hear the soothing sounds in my Austin area yoga classes at Serasana. Finally, for personal testimonies and science behind healing sounds check out my book. "From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram" is available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.