Sound is one of the oldest and most accessible forms of healing we have. That's why sound is the first offering of Sanctuary, a space inside auster for the practices, the sounds, and the traditions that bring you back to yourself.

Our new series with sound healer Azumi Fabienne features sessions using sound and voice to help creatives slow down, focus, and create from a fuller place. We sat down with Azumi to learn what sound actually does for us and why building a healthier relationship with it feels necessary right now.

Hi Azumi! Can you tell us a little about yourself and the work you do?

Hi, I'm Azumi Fabienne. I'm an artist specialized in sound healing. I used to be that kid that always just wanted to be left alone in her room so she could sing and float around in her own dream world. I'm also Pisces rising so if you know you know.

But like a lot of us, I have experienced some pretty heavy trauma in my childhood which led to me completely disconnecting from my creativity and burying it basically. I tried to walk the normal path. I went to school, worked as a secretary for a few years while partying on the weekends to escape a life that didn't fulfill me. Until I fell into a deep depression in 2019. That was the turning point for me. I started to look at my trauma honestly. I started to peel back the layers to get to know my true self.

I started writing and singing again and it helped me to pull myself out of that darkness. From then on, I knew I had to make changes and pursue my purpose in this life which I always knew deep down was music. I've been on this path for five years now and it has completely transformed my reality. Now I'm sharing my self-produced healing frequencies, sound transmissions, and guidance on YouTube but I'm rooting deeper and deeper into this purpose and into my connection to the divine and the creative field of which we are all a part of.

How did you find your way into sound healing?

I started out making RnB-type music but felt the pull to dive into the science of sound and its effects on our bodies and minds. I wanted to know how we can use it as a tool for healing ourselves and the collective. After doing a lot of research and learning by myself, I decided to attend a Sound Healing Training by Shervin Boloorian in Bali at the beginning of 2025. This was the initiation for me, I got to experience the medicinal power of sound and learn so much about myself and the many layers of healing. I just knew this is my path and there’s no going back. The live sound baths I did since then and also the feedback of my YouTube community speak for themselves - sound is medicine, and many ancient cultures knew this. It’s time that we bring this awareness into the world today and start using it as the powerful tool that it is.

For those who are new to this, what does sound actually do to the body and mind?

Sound moves through the body before it even reaches conscious thought. Your cells, tissues, and your nervous system respond to frequency. Certain frequencies and rhythms can shift brainwave states. They can guide your mind from stress and alertness into calmness, focus, or deep rest. Sound can regulate the nervous system through the vagus nerve. It can literally physically slow down the heart rate and ease attention that is held in the body.

Emotionally, sound bypasses the analytical mind and speaks directly to memory, feeling, and subconscious. So sound isn't just something you hear, it's something you are moved by on a cellular level. There are impressive studies that show that you can even dissolve cancer cells by using specific frequencies and vowels.

Sound is literally medicine.

What do you think are the prevalent feelings that creatives are experiencing collectively right now? How can sound healing, and specifically this series, address those feelings?

I feel like there has been this creative identity tension happening in the collective. Where, you know, the pace of AI, the noise of social media algorithms, the pressure to produce constantly, and then mixed with all of this the financial anxiety has created some type of burnout for creatives. It felt kind of existential, like the question, does what I do still matter? But I can tell you, yes, yes, it matters.

And you matter. You carry a creative medicine that is unique to you and you've been given this gift to share it with the world. So don't give up if you ever feel like it. At the same time, I feel that a lot of us, me included, feel this pull to become more bold in our authentic self-expression and actually put our gifts out into the world. Letting the doubts behind, letting the fears behind. We can feel that the world needs our creativity now more than ever.

There's this desire to return to something more embodied, more soulful, more human, real human voices. Analog art, handmade creations, life experiences, we are craving realness.

And this is why we are going to create new systems that are actually built for depth and creative expansion. What we are witnessing right now is a collapse of the old structures. With my creations, I aim to give people a safe space where they can feel held and empowered while connecting to their own unique creativity, while connecting to the realization that we in fact are the creators of our reality.

Most of us have never stopped to think about our relationship with sound. Are there any simple steps to become more intentional with the sound we let in in our everyday life?

The most important step is to become aware of which types of sounds you allow into your field. Music, lyrics, conversations, environments. All of those are sound and influence us on a subconscious level. Words are especially powerful - they are spells. You literally speak your reality into existence, so get conscious about that (I will speak more about this on my YouTube Channel as well). Also listen to your body and notice how certain sounds make you feel. Surround yourself with the ones that bring peace to your nervous system and intentionally make room for stillness throughout your day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes - sitting in stillness with yourself will help you hear your own truth more clearly.

Walk us through the frequencies you actually work with (432, 528, 639, etc) and what each one is supposed to do.

The frequencies I work with most are part of what's called the Solfeggio scale. These are tones that have been used in various healing and spiritual traditions, and each one is associated with a specific quality of experience and also linked to an energy center in the body.

432 Hz is a tuning frequency rather than a Solfeggio tone - it's the frequency I tune instruments to instead of the standard 440 Hz. It feels warmer, more natural, more in resonance with the body. A lot of people notice they can just settle into it more easily.
528 Hz is often called the love frequency or the DNA repair frequency - it sits in a range that feels heart-opening and restorative, and it's one I use when I want to create a sense of deep renewal or inner peace.
639 Hz is about connection - heart-to-heart, relationships, harmony between people. And then there are others like 396 Hz for releasing guilt and fear, 741 Hz for clarity and expression, 852 Hz for awakening intuition.

What I always say though is: the frequency is the invitation, but the intention and the field you create around it is what actually does the work, healing happens in the experience. Don’t get caught up in the numbers, FEEL how it resonates within you. Your body knows what you need.

If you were to make an offering to the creative community right now, what three things would you place on the altar?

Unshakeable self-belief, patience and calmness.

What is the world you are ultimately trying to help create with your work?

I intend to help create a world that is deeply rooted in peace and harmony. When we heal as individuals we create a ripple effect of healing in the collective - which we can already see playing out on the world stage. So many people are actively choosing love, healing and creativity right now and I am here to support that with my creations.

All your artworks include a dragonfly, can you please elaborate on the meaning behind it?

The dragonfly is a symbol of freedom. I created my logo by combining the dragonfly with the symbol of the philosophers stone - it represents the highest form of alchemy and combines all of the elements. I also have it tattooed on my throat, because freeing my voice, my self-expression and using it to bring healing and help others do the same is a big part of my purpose in this life.

The handpan has exploded everywhere in the last few years. What do you think it's giving people that other instruments aren't right now?

The handpan is special for the nervous system because of the way its sound is built - those long, shimmering and overtone-rich tones create a kind of acoustic bath that the body finds deeply regulating. The frequencies sit in a range that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling to the body that it's safe to soften and release held tension. The rhythm of handpan music is also usually slow and organic, which helps entrain the brainwaves toward alpha and theta states, the zones of relaxed awareness, creativity, and light meditation. Because the handpan produces so many harmonics at once, it also creates a kind of internal resonance that people often feel physically, which can gently stimulate the vagus nerve and deepen the sense of calm. There's also something about the handpan's sound that feels ancient and spacious, it tends to quiet the part of the brain responsible for rumination and overthinking, almost like it gives the mind permission to just be. Especially right now, a lot of us just want to find some peace and calm and the handpan is providing that.

Also it’s super intuitive to play. It allows you to learn with a childlike spirit - to be playful and just have fun with it - without having to learn a lot of theory or technique.

What is the best way to experience these sessions (headphones, quiet space, etc.?)

The best way is to consciously receive the sessions with headphones or on some good quality speakers. The whole point of these creations is to bring calmness to the nervous system and mind while starting the day, being creative or resting deeply.

auster

Our new series with sound healer Azumi Fabienne features sessions using sound and voice to help creatives slow down and create from a fuller place.

auster