Growing up in the desert near 29 Palms, just east of Joshua Tree, I spent my teenage years scrambling up rocks and wandering the trails of Indian Cove, a tucked-away gem of Joshua Tree National Park. The desert’s wide-open spaces, adventurous energy, night sky filled with stars, and rocky landscape carved a deep place in my heart. But like many young people, I couldn’t wait to trade the quiet, “boring” desert for the excitement of the city. So, I packed up and moved to Los Angeles right after high school, where my path eventually took an unexpected turn toward sound baths—a practice I’d later help bring into the spotlight.

A bit about Joshua Tree…

Joshua Tree is more than just a small desert town in Southern California’s Hi-Desert (explicitly spelled for this area), also called the Morongo Basin. It’s also the name of the spiky, iconic tree and a large national park that draws tourists from all over the world. While the town itself is distinct, people often use “Joshua Tree” to refer to the whole area, including nearby spots like Yucca Valley and 29 Palms, since it’s the name most people know who aren’t from this area. In this article, I’ll use “Joshua Tree,” “Hi-Desert,” and the names of surrounding towns to describe this area.

Back to sound baths…

My first experience with a gong occurred in a yoga class, where its deep, powerful sounds were used for meditation at the end of the class. This was my introduction to sound healing, a term often used to describe the use of sound for healing, usually mental and emotional, although some practitioners also claim physical benefits. The term “sound bath” entered my world through Kat Lyons, a mentor I studied with in Yucca Valley starting in 2003. A sound bath is different from sound healing. It is a group event, where people lie down and relax while someone plays instruments in a way that supports relaxation and invites an inward journey.  Kat’s events, which she sometimes referred to as sound baths (but also used a variety of other terms), utilized 3-9 gongs to create an immersive sound experience. She did not claim the term “sound bath,” and around the same time, others in Southern California were experimenting with gongs or singing bowl relaxation events, which they also referred to as sound baths. Before this time, the terms “sound journey” or “sound immersion” were more commonly used to describe the same type of experience, which began to emerge in the 1980s. Then there was the Integratron, a unique dome located about 30 minutes from Joshua Tree, which began hosting sound bath events featuring crystal bowls in the early 2000s. They were the first to use that term for in-person events and popularized it. The term “sound bath” originated with Tom Kenyon as the title of an album he created in the 1990s, intended to be listened to in the bathtub or jacuzzi. I found it pretty cool that this practice I’d grown to love was taking root in the very desert I called home during my childhood. The funny thing is, I didn’t even know about The Integratron back then. However, my aunt did, having interviewed its creator, George Van Tassel, for a high school project long before sound baths became a thing.

In Los Angeles, I dove headfirst into the world of sound baths, lugging gongs and crystal bowls all over the city to share this unique experience with others. Back then, hardly anyone knew what a sound bath was, and I was one of just a handful of people offering that type of experience. Watching the practice catch on over the years was exciting. At first, no one knew what it was, and many people asked what kind of bathtubs I would be using and whether they should be naked or wear a bathing suit! By 2016, more people were hosting their own sound bath events, and the demand to learn grew so much that my partner, Robert, and I launched the first Soundbath Practitioner Training in 2017. This crystal bowl and gong training was designed for those who wanted to learn how to facilitate their own sound bath events. Our original format has now become a blueprint, and you’ll see its structure echoed in soundbath trainings worldwide. The content in our soundbath training is unique. It cannot be found in any other soundbath courses, as we have developed a particular playing method for therapeutic-style sound baths over the past twenty-plus years. However, the two-level, two-weekend structure is standard among those offering sound bath or sound healing training courses.

The Hi-Desert kept calling me back. In 2012, I began hosting overnight retreats at the Integratron and continued to do so for a few years, with my parents providing delicious meals for a tight-knit community vibe. In 2017, Robert and I rented the Integratron for our Soulful Summit event, blending sound baths, breathwork, and other modalities with the expansive energy of the desert. The next couple of years, we organized Desert Day Trips in Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree, spotlighting local spots like the Integratron to draw people to the high desert’s charm. We had always wanted to move to the desert and bring our work here, but we were not sure how to do it while also maintaining a business in Los Angeles (The Soundbath Center). 

By 2020, we made the move to Yucca Valley, a city located just west of Joshua Tree. Fun fact – Yucca Valley is filled with Joshua Trees – there are even more here than in the town of Joshua Tree. While The Soundbath Center in Los Angeles continues to thrive and we enjoy running that venue, I’m thrilled to be back in the desert.  Last month, we opened a cozy new sound bath studio in Yucca Valley. It’s a private, high-vibe space dedicated to immersive sound experiences, workshops, and training. We are now active at both studios, and I am excited to be back to my desert roots and offering sound baths and more here. 

So, why Joshua Tree? It’s more than just a town or a place—it’s a feeling. The desert’s energy invites you to pause, breathe, and let go. A sound bath here feels different from the city, amplifying expansion, connection, and sparking creativity in ways that seem almost otherworldly. The Hi-Desert has a way of inviting new perspectives, whether you’re seeking peace and quiet, relaxation, or a burst of creativity, adventure, or inspiration. After years of building a sound bath community in Los Angeles, I’m beyond excited to bring this experience back to where it all began for me—and where the modern sound bath movement first took shape. Join us, and let the desert work its magic on you.