What Are Healing Instruments? And Why You Must Experience Them

By Rita Gigliotti | Edited by Danielle Bissonnette

Music for Well-Being Expert Rita Gigliotti with Tuning Forks, Tibetan Bowls, and HAPI drum

If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or weighed down by challenges, healing instruments offer a path to relief, clarity, and renewal through the simple yet profound act of listening. Healing instruments are specifically designed to produce frequencies and vibrations that resonate with the body and mind, in order to help release stress, calm the nervous system, and restore emotional balance.

As the Director of the Healing Arts Ensemble, I not only work with these powerful instruments, but I guide others on how to use them in order to explore their own well-being and deepen their healing journeys.

Over 15-weeks, my students compose original works based on dedicated study in sound healing and music for well-being. These compositions are presented publicly at the Healing Arts Ensemble Recital at Harris Theater (more details below).

So, What Exactly are Healing Instruments?

Healing instruments are known for their unique ability to promote well-being through sound and vibration. Unlike traditional musical instruments, which are primarily used for entertainment, healing instruments are purposefully used to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety

• Soothe physical tension

• Promote emotional release

• Encourage mindfulness and inner balance

  
  

Through intentional playing techniques and careful consideration of frequency, these instruments create soundscapes that touch deep emotional and energetic layers.

How Healing Instruments Address Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout

Stress, anxiety, and burnout have become all too common. Too often the constant demands of work, family, and daily life leave people feeling depleted, overwhelmed, and out of sync with themselves. This is why healing instruments are foundational to building resilience and strengthening well-being. They offer a gentle, yet effective solution to these challenges.

How They Work:

• Relieve Stress: Instruments like quartz crystal singing bowls and gongs emit vibrations that interact with the nervous system, triggering a relaxation response and reducing stress hormones.

• Clear Mental Clutter: The repetitive, soothing sounds of HAPI drums and kalimbas help quiet the mind, promoting clarity and focus.

• Reconnect You to the Present: Rhythmic instruments like the shekere and djembe ground you in the present moment, creating a sense of stability and calm.

• Promote Emotional Healing: The rich, resonant tones of gongs and traditional instruments like the violin can help release stuck emotions, providing a sense of lightness and renewal.

When used intentionally, healing instruments can help you feel more balanced, energized, and connected to yourself—qualities that are often lost in the rush of everyday life.

The Most Common Healing Instruments

There are many, many healing instruments used around the world. From singing bowls to the kalimba, it’s likely you’ve heard one before. For the Healing Arts Ensemble, a wide variety of instruments are used, each chosen for its specific healing properties. Here are some of the most common instruments used and how they impact the body and mind to promote well-being.

1. Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls

Known for their clear, soothing tones, these bowls promote relaxation and balance. They are often used to align energy centers and reduce tension.

2. HAPI (Hand Activated Percussion Instruments)

Compact and melodic, HAPI drums create harmonious tones that are perfect for calming the mind and encouraging mindfulness.

3. Gong

The gong’s powerful vibrations wash over the body, helping to release deep-seated tension and reset the nervous system.

4. Kalimba

This thumb piano produces gentle, meditative sounds that evoke tranquility and emotional grounding.

5. Shekere

A rhythmic instrument made of beads and a gourd, the shekere adds grounding energy to the ensemble’s soundscapes.

6. Djembe Drum

Providing a rhythmic heartbeat, the djembe helps listeners reconnect with their own natural rhythms and find stability in the moment.

7. Traditional Instruments (Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Electric Bass, Violin)

These instruments bring emotional richness and melodic depth, blending seamlessly with healing instruments to create a powerful and moving experience.

The Role of Healing Instruments in the Healing Arts Ensemble

The Healing Arts Ensemble is the centerpiece of George Mason University’s Music for Well-Being programs, giving students the opportunity to apply sound-healing principles they’ve explored over the semester. In 15 weeks, students dive into an immersive study of how music and sound can heal. This rigorous process involves:

• Understanding the science of sound and its impact on the body and mind

• Learning the techniques to play healing instruments intentionally

• Composing original works designed to evoke calm, balance, and restoration
  

The recital showcases the incredible growth these students achieve as they refine their skills and explore their personal healing journeys through music.

Join Us on November 18

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the transformative power of healing instruments. Mark your calendar for Monday, November 18, at 7 PM, and join us for an evening dedicated to sound, connection, and renewal.

See official details here.

Let the music guide you to a place of balance and peace—you deserve it.