Joseph Rael
The Sacred Vowels and Sound Chambers of Joseph Rael
Joseph Rael — Beautiful Painted Arrow — is a visionary teacher of sound and movement whose life’s work reveals the sacred nature of vibration. Born at Picuris Pueblo and raised in the Tiwa and Ute traditions, Rael dedicated his teachings to the universal language of sound as a bridge between worlds — the inner and outer, the human and divine.
Central to his teachings are the Sacred Vowels¹ — primordial tones that carry the creative energy of the universe. Each vowel corresponds to a distinct vibration of consciousness, awakening aspects of the body, mind, and spirit. When voiced with intention, these sounds harmonize the individual with the greater field of life, returning awareness to its natural resonance of peace and wholeness.
Rael’s vision of sound as living prayer gave rise to an international network of Sound and Peace Chambers — circular spaces built on every inhabited continent, each dedicated to the continual sounding of peace into the world. Within these chambers, people gather to chant, sing, and tone the Sacred Vowels, creating waves of healing vibration that transcend language and culture.
For Rael, sound is not mere expression — it is creation itself. Every breath, every syllable, becomes an act of rebalancing the universe. His teachings remind us that through vibration, we remember our origin: a single sacred sound expanding into infinite forms.
In the Rhythm of Wah-Mah-Chi
The vowels are not merely sounds; they are directions of consciousness.
In Joseph Rael’s way of teaching, each corresponds with a place on the Medicine Wheel, carrying wisdom that restores balance when voiced with intention. To work with them is to walk the wheel through Wah-Mah-Chi — breath, matter, and movement — uniting Spirit and Earth in the living rhythm of creation.
Within their simplicity lies a path: a return to harmony with the body, the cosmos, and the clarity of spirit that guides the way forward. Through chanting, toning, or quiet resonance, the Sacred Vowels become living medicine — a direct means of remembering our belonging to all that is.
Rael’s Sound and Peace Chambers continue this legacy across the world. In these circular sanctuaries, people of every culture gather to breathe, move, and sound together — weaving a global chorus of peace that carries the vibration of unity into the heart of the Earth.
1.) Rael, Joseph. Being and Vibration. Millichap Books, 2012
The Sacred Vowels
Among Rael’s most enduring gifts is the teaching of the Sacred Vowels. He spoke of them not as accidents of language but as primal tones — the building blocks of consciousness itself. Each vowel carries a specific quality of awakening, a resonance that aligns the human being with the larger field of existence.
The Five Sacred Vowels
A
(Ahh)
Purity
Purification, Direction of the East, Mental Body
E
(Ehh)
Placement
Relationship, Direction of the South, Emotional Body
I
(Eee)
Awareness
Direction of the West, Physical Body
O
(Oh)
Innocence
Direction of the North, Spiritual Body
U
(Uu)
Carrying
Center of the Medicine Wheel
