There’s nobody who is not influenced by the handpan’s charming sound. It’s impossible to produce a wrong note on this instrument. Thus, most individuals enjoy themselves and express their creativity right from the first notes. Furthermore, the sound of the handpan actually improves our health and wellbeing.
The Hang Drum is a combination of Indian ghatam and Caribbean steelpan. It was created in Switzerland in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabrina Schärer. Its distinctive features make it useful for therapeutic purposes. Handpan music is often used in meditation sessions to enhance focus, deepen relaxation, and create a peaceful atmosphere.
So, how did this unique instrument become known for its incredible health and therapeutic benefits? This article explores the benefits of using handpans in therapy and how it contributes to mental wellness.
The Handpan’s Unique Therapeutical Qualities
The resonant and pleasant sound of the hand pan drum makes it particularly suitable for therapeutic applications. Since the emphasis is on creating music spontaneously, the instrument’s design frequently uses pentatonic and unusual scales. This eliminates the possibility of playing a wrong note and lessens stage anxiety. Therefore, learning and playing this instrument becomes a lot easier for those who have never played one before.
The structure of the handpan also allows for Helmholtz resonance: the sounds produced by the instrument ring inside the handpan’s convex shape may provide sonority that transforms an environment into one that is incredibly calming. In sound therapy, where the ultimate goal is to use sound waves for the person’s physical and emotional renewal, this resonance is crucial.
Benefits of Using Handpans in Therapy
The handpan drum is often used in a structured therapeutic approach to achieve various goals during therapy sessions. These goals include enhancing motor skills, improving emotional well-being, and strengthening cognitive abilities. Its role in music therapy is particularly significant in several key areas, as highlighted below.
Reduction of Stress and Anxiety
The gentle, melodic sounds produced by the Hang Drum can help people relax and relieve excessive muscle tension as well as stress and anxiety. The instrument’s harmonic notes can release endorphins, which are the body’s natural stress-reduction chemicals that lower blood pressure and heart rates. These hormones boost blood vessel activity, elevate mood, and aid in the healing process.
The Tibetan bowl has been the subject of several investigations. Let’s look at studies based on this instrument because it has characteristics similar to the handpan. Research by a group of American doctors and academics was released in 2016. In this study, 62 participants, ranging in age from 21 to 71, engaged in sound meditation sessions with Tibetan bowls. The study confirmed that sound meditation boosts emotions of relaxation and decreases feelings of tension by demonstrating extremely significant benefits for individuals after sound therapy.
Emotional and Psychological Healing
For all those suffering from depression, PTSD, or anxiety disorders, the handpan drum is a helpful tool. Since it plays calm sounds through which one can release emotions - not through words but through sounds - it is very refreshing and a great way to lag on or off emotions. As far as the sounds produced by the instrument are soothing, they encourage people to divulge their blocking emotions, allying with relaxation and healing thereafter.
Cognitive and Motor Skills Development
Playing the hang instrument improves the human brain’s memory, concentration, and problem-solving capacities. Additionally, practice improves hand-eye coordination and the coordination of the hands and fingers. This is beneficial, particularly for learners and those who have had neurological procedures.
Community and Social Interaction
Global group music therapy helps people improve their social interactions using the hang pan instrument. This approach encourages all participants to be inclusive and engage in constructive activities that create balanced pitches to strengthen relationships and sentiments of support and acceptance with others.
Deep Relaxation, Meditation, and Mindfulness
The handpan creates incredibly soothing music whose vibrations seem to envelop the listener, pulling them right into the present. This resonance is very beneficial in creating soft settings that can guide you through stress relief, nervous system control, and clearer thinking.
Handling Pain
Numerous studies indicate that musical stimulation helps stroke patients walk more quickly while also improving their cadence, length, and symmetry.
The soothing tones of the handpan calm down any pain throbbing in the person’s body and mind. Studies show that, in fact, very few patients cared to take drugs such as morphine or anti-inflammatories after playing or listening to a handpan drum. This effect was seen in osteoarthritis, migraines, and back pains, among other conditions.
Sound Sleep
A calming or relaxing sound can help you fall asleep more easily and prevent insomnia by enhancing the quality of your sleep. Additionally, there are fewer nighttime awakenings, which prevents waking up exhausted in the morning. The good news is that this virtue has been noted at all ages, and research has been confirming these phenomena for several decades. So, it is a great idea to play the handpan a few minutes before bedtime to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Real-World Applications of the Handpan in Therapy and Education
Various examples of the handpan drum in real-world settings demonstrate the various beneficial applications of the instrument in music therapy. Oliver Jacobson, a music therapist at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, for instance, utilized the hang drum to help children who were admitted for treatment feel less stressed and tense. People with acquired brain injuries, in particular, use the hang instrument in social settings like support groups. It allows them to unwind and even socialize with other patients, and most importantly, it makes them feel happy and proud to have created that specific piece of music.
In terms of education, the handpan pan drum has been utilized in preschools and elementary schools to enhance learning outcomes and address resilience concerns in the kids. It boosts the children’s self-esteem, and they are inspired to collaborate and use their imaginations with this instrument’s attractive and calming tone, which is easy to learn.
Conclusion
This article shows how the hang instrument can be used in therapy and its many benefits.
It is a powerful tool in music therapy, offering a wide range of benefits. Its calming sounds can help reduce stress, heal emotional wounds, improve focus, and strengthen social connections. With more and more interest in alternative therapies, it is increasingly becoming a versatile therapeutic instrument in most health settings, addressing health challenges through music and sound.
The handpan is easy to use, intuitive, and highly adaptable, making it perfect for anyone—even those with no musical experience. Its relaxing and soothing tones can provide space for relaxation and healing without needing to play through a whole song; every note has its therapeutic effects.
