Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Vasquez.
Hi Diana , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey into sound healing began in 2019, after more than two decades in the wellness industry. I had spent much of my career as a master esthetician and spa owner when I experienced sound healing for myself and became incredibly curious about it. I traveled to Denver for my first formal training—but what’s funny is that I had absolutely no intention of ever doing this for other people. I went because I wanted to learn more for myself. There was no business plan, no vision of becoming a facilitator, and certainly no idea that sound would eventually become such a huge part of my life.
Somewhere along the way, that changed. I began sharing sound with others, initially in small ways, and what started almost accidentally grew into SoundBath JAX and eventually into something much bigger than I could have imagined.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate sound experiences throughout Jacksonville—in studios, corporate settings, schools, retreats, community organizations, on the beach, aboard the USS ORLECK, and even floating in swimming pools. One of the things I’m most proud of is that the work hasn’t stayed confined to traditional wellness spaces. I’ve always wanted sound to feel approachable and accessible, including to people who might never think to attend a sound bath.
That growth eventually led to The SOMA Collective in Atlantic Beach, a space centered around sound, connection, and complementary wellness practices. More recently, my work has expanded into education through my Sound Healing Facilitator Certification program. Teaching was another evolution I didn’t necessarily see coming, but it has become incredibly meaningful to me. My focus is not simply teaching people how to play instruments, but helping them understand how to facilitate with intention, integrity, safety, and authenticity. The person behind the instruments matters just as much as the instruments themselves.
Today, I’m still facilitating sound baths and gong immersions—which will probably always be the heart of what I do—but I’m also teaching and mentoring emerging facilitators, collaborating with other practitioners, and bringing sound into spaces and communities I never could have predicted when I took that first training in 2019.
I think that’s probably the best way to describe my story: none of this was really the plan. I followed something I was genuinely curious about, kept saying yes as it evolved, and somehow a practice I originally pursued entirely for myself became work that I now get to share with others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. When I started doing this in Jacksonville six or seven years ago, most people had no idea what sound healing was. Even the term “sound bath” was unfamiliar. I spent a lot of those early years simply explaining what I did—sometimes convincing people that, no, there was no actual bath involved!
In some ways, that challenge has completely flipped. Sound healing has grown tremendously, and now you see sound baths everywhere. I’m incredibly grateful for that growth because it means more people are being introduced to something I care deeply about, but growth brings its own challenges.
One thing that has become increasingly important to me is keeping sound healing a neutral and accessible modality. People come into these spaces with different beliefs, backgrounds, experiences, and reasons for being there. I never want someone to feel like they need to subscribe to a particular spiritual belief system in order to experience sound. You don’t have to believe in anything specific for vibration, intentional listening, rest, and stillness to have value.
As the wellness industry has grown around sound healing, I’ve also had to become more intentional about separating the modality itself from some of the claims and language that can get attached to it. I think we can honor the history, beauty, and even the mystery of sound without presenting personal or spiritual beliefs as scientific fact. For me, maintaining that integrity has become a really important part of being a facilitator and educator.
And then, of course, there are the very real challenges of building a small business—learning as you go, taking risks, changing direction when something isn’t working, and continuing to evolve without losing sight of why you started. I’m still figuring some of it out. I think anyone who tells you they have entrepreneurship completely figured out is probably trying to sell you a course
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional life is actually a combination of two worlds. In addition to owning SoundBath JAX and The SOMA Collective, I’ve been an esthetician for more than 25 years—a career I still actively practice and genuinely love. Long before sound healing entered my life, I was already working closely with people in a very personal, hands-on environment, and I think those years shaped the way I facilitate today more than I probably realized at first.
My work with SoundBath JAX centers around sound healing and creating intentional experiences using sound, vibration, and stillness. I facilitate everything from intimate sound baths and gong immersions to large corporate wellness experiences, retreats, community events, floating sound baths, and collaborations with other wellness practitioners.
But I think what I specialize in most is facilitation. The instruments are obviously a huge part of what I do, and I’ve spent years studying, practicing, and continuing to learn them, but I’ve always believed that being able to play an instrument and being able to hold space for a room full of people are two very different skills. The person behind the instruments matters just as much as the instruments themselves.
Accessibility is also incredibly important to me. I want someone who has never meditated, never stepped into a wellness studio, and has absolutely no idea what a sound bath is to feel just as welcome as someone who has been practicing for years. You don’t need to know the right terminology, believe a certain thing, or be particularly “spiritual” to participate. You can simply come in, get comfortable, and experience it.
I’m especially proud of the places this work has taken me and the people I’ve been able to share it with. Some of my favorite experiences have happened outside of traditional wellness spaces—working with community organizations, adults with disabilities, corporate groups, first-time participants, and people who may not otherwise have access to this type of experience. I’ve also been facilitating donation-based oceanside sound baths in Jacksonville for years, and keeping a community component to my work has always mattered to me.
More recently, I’ve expanded into training and mentoring future sound healing facilitators through my certification program. That has given me an opportunity to pass along not only what I’ve learned about instruments and sound, but the things I believe matter just as much: ethics, accessibility, responsible language, understanding your scope as a facilitator, and creating spaces where people feel safe and welcome.
What sets my work apart is probably that I’m not particularly interested in making sound healing feel mystical or exclusive. I love the beauty and creativity of this work, but I also believe in staying grounded and being honest about what we know, what we don’t know, and what our role is as facilitators. Sound doesn’t need to be overcomplicated to be powerful.
And maybe what I’m most proud of is that something I originally pursued entirely for myself has grown into a body of work that now reaches so many different people—and that after all these years, I’m still curious about it. I’m still learning, experimenting, collaborating, and finding new ways to share it.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are so many people who deserve credit. I’ve never felt like I built any of this entirely on my own.
My family has been an enormous part of every version of this journey. When you own a small business, your family inevitably becomes part of the business too—whether they signed up for that job or not! They’ve carried equipment, helped set up events, listened to countless ideas, and have even shown up to help me paint studios. Those are the things people don’t necessarily see behind a business, but they’re a huge part of how it gets built.
My mom, Fanny, deserves special recognition. She has been beside me through so many chapters of my professional life and continues to be an important part of what we do at The SOMA Collective. And my beautiful partner, Velvet Edwards, is truly my rock. Entrepreneurship comes with a lot of big ideas, long days, pivots, risks, and occasionally me saying, “Okay, hear me out…” and she supports me through all of it.
I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to work alongside other sound facilitators who have become dear friends and collaborators. Adriana Dobbs and Sheri Blanc have both played meaningful roles in my journey. I love that we can share ideas, learn from one another, collaborate on experiences, and genuinely support each other’s growth. Adriana and I, along with other local practitioners, also created the Sound Healers Collective as a way to bring facilitators together and create larger collaborative sound experiences. I strongly believe there is room for all of us, and collaboration has been one of the most rewarding parts of this work.
I also have to give tremendous credit to the Jacksonville community. In the early days of SoundBath JAX, people were showing up for something they often had never experienced—or even heard of—before. They trusted me enough to try it, came back, brought friends, shared events, and allowed this little idea to grow organically. Some of the people who attended my sound baths years ago are still part of this community today, and I don’t take that for granted.
And finally, my clients and students deserve so much credit. Every person who has trusted me to facilitate an experience for them—or trusted me to teach them how to facilitate for others—has helped shape the practitioner and educator I am today. I’m constantly learning from the people in front of me.
My name may be attached to the businesses, but there is an entire community behind what I do. None of this grows without people willing to show up, trust you, support your ideas, paint a wall when necessary, and occasionally help you carry a 32-inch gong. 😂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.soundbathjax.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundbathjax
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundBathJax
- Other: https://www.theSOMACollective.com
