In the 1990's, Shulamit Elson was a successful, tough and aggressive Wall Street businesswoman. She arrived in the rough and tumble world of mergers and acquisitions after leaving behind her early upbringing in Orthodox Judaism and after several years as a bohemian ex-pat in the café society of Europe, followed by a difficult marriage and eventual divorce. Although her Wall Street career brought her material success and an upscale New York lifestyle, she was deeply unfulfilled and acutely aware that something important was missing in her life. While her early religious upbringing initially provided few answers, it nonetheless gave her an underlying sense that she would not find this missing piece of herself in the purely materialistic world in which she was living.

And then something extraordinary happened. This pragmatic down-to-earth business women began to have what she describes in her new critically acclaimed book Kabbalah of Prayer ~ Sacred Sounds and the Soul's Journey as "amazing visions."

These visions began in the form of pure light, so overwhelming that at first she was quite frightened and simply wished for them to go away. At times, she questioned whether they were simply the result of her own over-active imagination. But in the end they lit a path to a way of life that would nurture her own soul and allow her to nurture others.

As Shulamit accepted the reality of her visions they began to take the form of teachings that left her with a profound sense of peace. She began to meditate in an attempt to gain some control over their comings and goings and she soon became able to be an active participant in the visions themselves. Eventually she was taught a series of vocal sounds to use in her meditations. Once she had mastering the art of producing these sounds with her voice, she was instructed to look into the ancient Jewish mystical texts called the Kabbalah, for an explanation of the power of the sounds as well as the spiritual tradition from which they came.

After extensive reading of ancient Kabbalistic texts, some of which had never been translated into English, Shulamit came to realize that the sounds she had been taught in her visions were not at all new, but rather belong to a highly evolved spiritual system with roots going back well before the first century. Leaving the world of Wall Street completely behind, Shulamit set out to become a serious student of this ancient mystical teaching.

In the ensuing years, Shulamit has become a highly regarded spiritual teacher. Her personal story, her compassion, and her ability to connect to those who are searching for purpose and meaning in their lives has drawn devoted students from around the world. In places as diverse as the US, India, Israel, Mexico, Europe and Asia she instructs others in the use of the vocal sounds that made such a difference in her own life.

Shulamit teaches extensively throughout the United States and individuals from all over the world make their way to SoulSongs, her center in upstate NY.

The mission of SoulSongs is to assist in spiritual growth and physical as well as emotional well being. It is dedicated to the use of the sacred sounds of the Kabbalah and their use in Sound Prayer as it is revealed in the various Kabbalah texts.

In addition to serving as a meeting place for those who are studying with Shulamit, the SoulSongs Center also coordinates Shulamit's private sessions and seminars and workshops worldwide.

Using the wisdom and sacred sounds of the Kabbalah, Shulamit brings to her students the power to connect at the highest spiritual levels and to achieve deep and abiding spiritual joyfulness and healing.

Shulamit herself overcame an illness which was diagnosed as terminal, and her work, in addition to being a powerful tool for spiritual awakening, is also a complementary adjunct to conventional medical and psychological approaches to illness.

Shulamit holds a variety of Kabbalah Sound Prayer retreats each year and is a frequent lecturer. She also works one-on-one with individual students in the US and abroad.

Shulamit's recent public appearances include presentations on Capitol Hill in Washington DC , Tibet House in New York City, Omega Institute, Esalen Institute, the New York University Strang Cancer Prevention Center, Gilda's Club New York City and the Auroville Healing Center in Pondicherry , India , as well as at various other venues in Israel , Holland , England , Mexico & Spain .