Meet Victor Arteaga | Yoga/Martial Art Teacher & Sound Alchemist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victor Arteaga and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It’s more than a business to me. It’s a mission, a calling if you will.

And the process really aligned itself. I was attending classes and sound baths in my neighborhood, never had I done this before in my life, but I saw the impact it had on me. I dropped a lot of bad habits and saw life differently through these practices. I was attending a small crystal shop/studio where these gatherings were held once a week. It would fill my cup and suddenly one day, the shop announced that it was closing within 30 days. And back then there were not nearly as many studios or places like this as there are today.

I was bummed out by the news. I had a few singing bowls at home that I had purchased for my wife and I asked her, “why not hold space ourselves? The community needs it.” If I was feeling this way about the sudden closure of this space surely others were too. So we decided to hold space at parks and make it donation based to make these tools and/or modalities available for those who could not afford it. And sure enough, the community was receptive. We started providing sound baths for our community at parks and a hair salon that opened it’s doors to us once a month. Later on, we teamed up with a great Kundalini yoga teacher to provide both yoga meditation and sound alchemy. We realized it was a calling, so we offered donation based events for communities in need.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I worked in an office for 19 years as an insurance broker. I hit a glass ceiling that I knew I did not want to break or pursue. While working here, I had started holding space for the community in my free time, so it was not hard to leave. I knew one thing, I did not want to spend any more days surrounded by the same four walls for 8 hours a day 6 days a week. Though I am grateful to have had that job, it was no good for my spirit and I didn’t feel I was helping people.
So I took a risk and I quit. I felt safe doing so. Oddly enough my wife was supportive in this as she saw there was more to me than just a desk job. And sure enough the universe aligned. Out of nowhere my master at the martial arts studio I attended said I was ready to test for another degree in my black belt and asked if I wanted to teach. I was honored. I didn’t see it coming. One of my hobbies became a source of income. Sure enough, I started teaching children and I learned so much from these kids. I felt full, I felt purpose in the job. Now, I teach martial arts to children and have my own adult class. And of course, I brought my knowledge of Kundalini yoga and sound alchemy to my classes here.
With this new flexible schedule, I dedicate more time to sound baths. I started teaching more kundalini yoga. I found that I learned so much teaching children and adults in martial arts so, I also incorporated that discipline and compassion into my yoga and sound alchemy sessions. We are all children, here to learn and never stop learning. There is a child in each of us and there is wisdom in each higher version of ourselves. We just need that reminder. We just need to make time for ourselves to be present, feel, nurture, heal and sometimes take a risk.

This work is very sacred to us. We have people from all walks of life come to our healing circles, cacao sittings, Kundalini classes and sound baths. From lawyers to psychologists to construction workers. People of all cultures, of all shapes and colors. Sitting together realizing we are not so different. Realizing the importance of nurturing the self and the importance of community. Complete strangers laughing and crying together. Leaving lighter than they felt when they walked into the space. And that is ALCHEMY. An alchemy that each person holds inside. We don’t make magic happen. The people do. We simply hold the space and help them walk back to their own power. Reminding them that they are teachers, that they have the answers, not some guru, not some Instagram shaman or some spiritual influencer. Bringing them back to their awareness.

And sometimes it’s a heavy ship to navigate, to sometimes realize how powerful we are is also to come to realization of how much of a role we have had in our own suffering. I keep it real with my students, and we keep it real with our guests. We encourage them to keep it real with themselves too. A good teacher tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear, this I know. My statement also applies not just to teachers, but to parents, friends, facilitators etc… In a world loaded with toxic positivity and business men and women disguised as wellness facilitators, it’s easier to be nice and say what people want to hear. It will definitely make you more money, but the right thing to do is to be real. To be real but remain gentle and compassionate about it. I think this is what sets us apart from others.
Our page is filled with photos of our classes and community. Not littered with portraits of ourselves and rants about “I this” or “I that.” Because this work is not about blowing up your ego. It’s about empowering those around us, inspiring them to seek within themselves and show them how connected we all truly are. Truth is, we are just like you. We are parents, and grew up in this city. We are hard working people, children of immigrants, and students. We do our laundry at the laundry mat and wait in line at the DMV just like you. We are not perfect, we are real. We go through life’s challenges too and I think that people really resonate with that.

It was not easy to get here. There were many challenges and lessons learned along the way. Some stand out more than others, but one in particular is to work with integrity. It is important when doing this work or when holding space with others to share that common sense of integrity. Truth is, some people are so out of touch with themselves they don’t even recognize the lack of integrity or even how full of themselves they may be. Part of this work requires us to understand that they can’t see that in themselves yet, have compassion for them and wish them wisdom. All while also keeping an eye on ourselves, because we are human too and are not exempt from falling into these circumstances. Stay aware but stay humble.

I suppose if there’s anything I want the world to know about our story is that, these practices, this sense of community and sense of awareness is for EVERYONE. There’s a big misconception that yoga, martial arts, cacao sittings, all this nourishment and practices belong to a specific group of people. And that is just not true. We are here as one race, the human race, and we are here to be better than our predecessors. We are here to live with more love.
We are here to live with more compassion in our hearts, awareness in our minds and fire in our spirits. We must use the tools we have available to nurture ourselves and future generations. To wake up, and find the good in each gift that each culture has brought to the world. But most importantly of all to find the sense of strength within ourselves to nurture and heal as individuals as much as a community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Monday
Would take them for a morning Kundalini Yoga class with one of my mentors Krishna Kaur.
Then we’d grab lunch at Venice Bakery in Culver City.
Afternoon walk at Venice Beach boardwalk and grab some dinner there too.

Tuesday
Tea and a morning Sadhna (Kundalini yoga meditation during sunrise) with West Coast Sadhna. Followed by a Lunch at the coziest little cafe, Vee’s Cafe in Mid-City
Afternoon visit to the Museum of Natural History in Downtown LA
Dinner at Hae Ha Heng Thai restaurant in Korea town

Wednesday
A light breakfast at LA Prime Cafe in Mid city
Followed by an afternoon hike at the CULVER CITY STAIRS to get a beautiful view of the city
Dinner at Bossa Nova in West LA
Karaoke and cocktails at the R Bar In K-Town

Thursday
Breakfast in my apartment. I would cook for my friend a delicious full blown Mexican style breakfast including all natural juices
Then afternoon at LACMA museum and dinner at a Mexican food truck
Catch the sunset in Redondo Beach Pier

Friday
Morning juicing at @phreshjuicebar
Hit the Flea market at Redondo Beach swapmeet
Lunch at Jersey Mikes in Inglewood and take an evening class at Silva Taekwondo in Inglewood
Hit Slurp’n Ramen for supper

Saturday
Tea and a morning run
From Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach
Have Lunch at the OCEAN VIEW CAFE overlooking the ocean
then sun bathe and enjoy the whole day in Manhattan beach sun bathing and swimming

Sunday
Breakfast at Birrieria Gomez a lunch truck in LAX
Then head out for long boarding in Hermosa beach
spend the day swimming and sun bathing in Hermosa beach
Dinner at Korean BBQ in k- town at HAE JANG CHON (Best KBBQ in town)!
and the evening, I would host a sound bath for them at the Zula Den in Mid city to close off their trip.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To My wife Alice Jimenez, the moon in Solarmoon Sanctuary. For always being supportive and being the other half of this project. I love you and honor you my mayan princess.
A big shout out to a @healfromwithin_sb for working alongside us and showing us the ropes. For taking the risk of working with us when no one really knew us, for pointing out the importance of integrity that this work requires and for committing to the calling all these years. Thanks Pete and Nat!

Also, a BIG shout out to Silva Taekwondo in Inglewood and Mariposa Hair Studio in Torrance for opening their doors to us when no one else would. For allowing us to come into your places of business to host your communities and provide a space for people to heal and nurture their mind, body and spirit. Thank you Mr. Silva & Maria Ramirez.

But the biggest shout out goes to the COMMUNITY! THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP for yourselves!
Without your presence we have no reason to do what we do. Thank you for sharing in all our healing circles, for sharing your laughs, your love and your tears. Your effort in bettering yourself is how you can truly change the world. Change starts from within and it starts with YOU! Thank you for showing up! Let’s keep going!

Website: https://www.solarmoonsanctuary.com

Instagram: @solarmoonsoundbaths

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/solarmoon-sanctuary-los-angeles

Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@solarmoonsanctuary

Google Reviews: https://www.google.com/search?q=solarmoon+sanctuary

we will soon be changing the name on IG to @solarmoonsanctuary we are on a 14 da;y waiting period for it :/

Image Credits