Let's get to know Natalie a little better! Natalie facilitates monthly virtual sound baths on Wilderness & Co. Healing Collective. I asked her some questions about sound baths and how she came into this work.

Natalie Duque is a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), sound practitioner, and founder of Rhythm & Rise. Blending her clinical expertise with her roots as a professional musician, she facilitates sound baths designed to offer a soft landing from the noise of everyday life. Using sound and rhythm as tools for nervous system regulation, her work supports people in slowing down, reconnecting with themselves, and returning to a steadier rhythm.

How did your journey with sound healing begin, and what first drew you to work with sound as a healing modality?

I was first introduced to crystal singing bowls during my music therapy certification, and I felt an instant connection. I started exploring sound healing outside of my coursework, and what began as something I did for myself quickly became something I wanted to share with others. The more I experienced how sound helped me slow down, reconnect with myself, and simply be, the more I wanted to create that kind of space for other people too.

If someone is joining one of your sound baths for the first time, what could they expect to experience? 

The short answer? There's no right or wrong way to experience a sound bath.

Some people feel deeply relaxed. Others notice their mind wandering before eventually settling. Some people feel emotional, energized, or simply enjoy taking time to rest without needing to do anything. Every experience is different, and it can even be different for the same person from one session to the next. My goal is simply to create a space where you feel comfortable enough to let go of expectations. I'll begin by gently guiding you into the experience, then you'll be immersed in the sounds of crystal singing bowls, chimes, drums, and other vibrational instruments. You don't have to meditate perfectly or know what you're doing. You can simply get comfortable, listen, breathe, and let the sound meet you wherever you are that day.

What is your personal favorite instrument or tool to work with, and what kind of energy does it bring to a session?

The crystal singing bowls are what made me fall in love with sound baths in the first place. The first time I sat with those long, sustained tones, I felt both transported somewhere else and completely at home in myself. I have lots of instruments that I love playing, and each one brings something different to a session, but the crystal singing bowls are really the foundation. Everything else gets to dance around them.

Other than sound healing, what are a few of your favorite ways to ground yourself? 

Being in nature, taking a few deep breaths, drumming, and dancing. Basically anything that helps me get out of my head and back into my body.

If you could leave people with just one takeaway or feeling after they experience your work, what would it be? 

I hope people leave just a little more connected to themselves than when they arrived. Life is busy, and it's so easy to get swept up in everything we have to do. If you leave one of my sessions feeling like you had permission to simply be, even for 45 minutes, that's everything to me. Maybe your shoulders soften a little. Maybe your mind gets quiet for the first time all week. Maybe you take a deeper breath than you have in days. Whatever it looks like for you, I just hope you walk away feeling a little more at home in your own body.

SIGN UP FOR SOUND BATHS HERE! Next sound bath AUGUST 9TH 10 AM PST

AND JOIN US FOR ONE OF THESE OTHER CLASSES ALSO :

Gentle Yoga for Chronic Illness & Fatigue

Weekly group class taught by Wilderness

Monday's at 10-10:30 AM PST

SIGN UP HERE

Living with chronic illness or fatigue often means that a traditional yoga class doesn’t always meet your body’s needs. This gentle 30-minute class is designed with slower pacing, plenty of rest, and a compassionate approach to movement.

Each class includes gentle stretching, yoga, mindfulness, and opportunities to reconnect with your body without the pressure to push beyond your limits. Along the way, we’ll take a few moments to reflect and notice what we’re experiencing, creating space for curiosity, self-compassion, and nervous system support.

Whether you’re navigating chronic illness, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, injuries, or simply need a slower, more compassionate approach to movement, you’re warmly welcome here.

Midday Somatic Reset

Tuesday's 12-12:30 PM PST

Jordann's class is a gentle, 30-minute practice designed to serve as a grounding pause, offering a restorative "reset" for both your body and mind during your busy day. This class functions as a gentle cleanse for the nervous system, focusing on supportive, restorative and Yin style poses held for extended periods to encourage deep softening and physical release. Throughout the practice, you will be guided through Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed awareness, providing a structured yet meditative space to turn your attention inward.

Replays will be sent out to everyone who registers for this class even if you can't make it in person.

SIGN UP HERE

Meditative Therapeutic Yoga

Wedneday's 4-5 PM PST

Meditative Therapeutic Yoga is a breath- and alignment-focused practice designed to calm the mind, restore the body, and center your energy. Each class begins with a theme, followed by a guided meditation with mudra and mantra, then moves into therapeutic postures with flowing breath, helping you tune into subtle energy, sensation, and your own inner guidance. Learn more about Rose's class by watching this VIDEO. She walks you through what a typical class is like and what to expect.

Replays available on request.

REGISTER FOR ROSES YOGA CLASS HERE

Sound Baths with Natalie on zoom!

One Sunday a month at 10 AM PST

Facilitated by Board-Certified Music Therapist Natalie Duque, this experience uses live therapeutic sound, including singing bowls, Koshi chimes, tongue drum, rain stick, and other soothing acoustic instruments, to quiet the mind and prepare the body for a deep reset to gently guide your nervous system back toward balance.

CLICK HERE to download a 10-minute free mini sound bath from her to see what its like!

SIGN UP FOR SOUND BATHS HERE!

As always, reach out here with any questions. I will personally reply.

Best,

Wilderness

• Follow along on Instagram!

• Visit the website

• Sign up for a class

• Grab a copy of my book, My Name Is Wilderness

• Did you know we also have a storefront with downloadable meditations, books, and courses? Check out the store and download a free meditation.

• If you are a therapist, ND, or any other healer and want to refer your patients/clients to Wilderness & Co. reply to this email or sign up for a call with me to chat! We are always looking to build our referral network.