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Reiki Gaia

Sound Healing in Istanbul

Sound healing is an ancient practice that uses vibration to carry the body and mind into deep relaxation — a way of touching without physical touch. In Istanbul I offer one-to-one sound healing sessions and hold group sound healing circles in my space in Kadıköy Moda, on the Asian side of the city, working with quartz crystal bowls and other instruments. Individual sessions can be held entirely in English, and I guide the circles in Turkish and English at the same time. Very often I also weave sound into my Reiki sessions.

Hande Özerden giving a sound healing session with quartz crystal bowls in her space in Kadıköy, Istanbul.

What Is Sound Healing?

A sound healing session is a gentle journey into the transformative power of sound. It is a wide field in which sound and vibration are used in many different ways. You will often hear the term “sound bath” for the experience of lying down and letting the sounds and vibrations of quartz crystal singing bowls and other instruments wash over you. In sound meditation, sound becomes a tool for quieting the mind and turning attention inward. My own work takes two forms: individual sound healing sessions and group sound healing circles.

At its root lies the belief that vibration carries a healing power beyond physical touch. In this ritual, sound is used as a universal source of healing: with its particular frequencies and melodies it awakens the energy deep within the body, opens what has become blocked and helps restore balance. As it guides a person towards spiritual harmony, it opens body, mind and soul to the healing of vibration.

I trained in sound healing with quartz crystal bowls in Barcelona, and over the years I have developed this work by bringing it together with my own voice, other instruments and Reiki. The bowls also have their place in my Reiki training in Istanbul. I tell the whole story of my path on my About page.

These are some of the instruments and practices I work with:

  • Quartz Crystal Bowls
  • Mother Earth Drum
  • Tibetan Cymbals
  • Ney (Reed Flute)
  • Sansula
  • Our Own Voice
  • Mantras
  • Aura Cleansing
  • Meditation
  • Reiki Healing Energy

The work can be individual or in a group, and everyone is encouraged to express themselves with their own voice.

The Ney, Sufism and the Heart of Istanbul

In Istanbul, the ney feels especially at home. This simple reed flute has held a central place in Mevlevi and Sufi music for centuries, and the sound of the ney is woven deeply into the spiritual history of this city. For me, though, its meaning is also very personal: I experience the ney as the voice of the heart. Its sound begins with breath, fragile and almost human, and there is something in that breath that seems to soften what we hold around the heart and gently invite it to open.

Its place in my sound healing work here feels very different from that of the quartz crystal bowls. I learned to work with the bowls in Barcelona; the ney comes from a spiritual and musical tradition rooted in the country and the city where I was born. The bowls create a clear, sustained field of vibration, while the ney enters through breath, feeling and silence between the notes. I never follow a fixed sequence. I listen to what is happening in the moment and let each instrument come in when it belongs.

Hande Özerden, who offers sound healing in Istanbul, playing the ney with her eyes closed.

Benefits of Sound Healing and Sound Baths

The resonance that sound and vibration create in the body helps the mind step away from its everyday stream of thought and lets the body sink into deep relaxation. The long, sustained vibration of quartz crystal bowls opens a natural space, especially for people who find it hard to quiet the mind or settle into meditation.

  • Supports deep relaxation and mental calm.
  • Helps ease stress and mental fatigue.
  • Strengthens body awareness and the ability to listen inwardly.
  • Makes it easier to enter meditation, and deepens it.
  • Makes room for emotions and energy to flow more freely.
  • Supports you in reconnecting with your inner world and your own essence.

In my work, sound is not only something you listen to; it is a living field of vibration that the body, emotions and energy respond to together.

Hande Özerden and participants sitting together around crystals by candlelight at a sound healing circle in Istanbul.

What Happens in a Sound Healing Session?

An individual session begins with a short conversation, in which we listen together to what you need that day. Then you lie down comfortably. As the vibration of the quartz crystal bowls ripples out through your body, the mind begins to go quiet by itself. Throughout the session, the Mother Earth drum, the Tibetan cymbals, the ney, the sansula and my own voice join this journey as they are needed, and I bring Reiki energy into the work as well. All you need to do is let yourself receive. An individual sound healing session lasts 60 minutes.

Sound Healing Circles

All these instruments, together with our own voices, guide us on our inner journey. In the circle, we create and receive healing through sound together. Staying in the present moment, we explore how music and voice can be used with a healing intention.

We also draw on the ceremonial teachings of the Indigenous peoples of South America, especially the ‘Power of the Word’ circle. These teachings help us feel and share our wisdom and our ability to speak from the heart.

Just as in individual work, during a group circle I attend to each participant one by one, so that everyone leaves deeply relaxed, peaceful and renewed. I guide each circle in Turkish and English together, so you are welcome to join even if you do not speak Turkish.

I usually hold the circles on full moons and at the turning points of the seasons: the solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes. I have written about what these turning points mean to me in my article on the winter solstice ceremony.

Among crystals and candles, Hande Özerden leads the circle of the power of the word at a full moon sound healing circle in Istanbul.

Watch a few minutes from one of my sound healing circles.

Watch the Video

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a sound healing session last?

An individual session usually lasts 60 minutes; the length can change according to what you need.

It is supportive for anyone going through stress, mental fatigue, sleep difficulties or an emotionally intense period. Or you may simply want to reach the deepest spiritual layers of yourself through the power of sound. No musical knowledge or particular belief is needed, and it can be received at any age.

Yes. English was part of my daily life for the many years I lived in England, and I guide sessions in English just as naturally as in Turkish or Spanish. The opening conversation, the session itself and anything you want to share afterwards can all be in English.

There are no known serious side effects. Even so, in the following situations I ask you to speak to your doctor before a session and to mention it to me in our opening conversation: epilepsy, a pacemaker or similar heart device, the first three months of pregnancy, tinnitus or strong sensitivity to sound, and a serious psychological difficulty.

They draw from the same source; “sound bath” usually describes a listening experience held in a group. In my sessions there is also one-to-one attention, aura cleansing, mantras and Reiki energy.

Comfortable clothes are all you need. Avoiding a heavy meal beforehand and drinking plenty of water afterwards will support the experience.

Most people describe a deep relaxation, a sense of the vibration spreading through the body in waves, and a mind that grows calm. Sometimes emotions rise to the surface; this is a natural part of the process too. Every experience is personal.

Yes; in my sessions I weave the two together. The bowls soften the body first, and once it has let go, Reiki can work more deeply in the space the sound has opened. You can read about Reiki healing sessions on my Reiki Session Istanbul page.

I usually hold the group circles on full moons and at the turning of the seasons, in my space in Kadıköy Moda. I guide them in Turkish and English together, so you can join without speaking Turkish. For the upcoming dates, you can reach me through the contact page.

Individual sessions and group circles have different fees; for current prices, you can reach me through the contact page.

An Invitation to the Healing of Vibration in Kadıköy Moda

I give individual sound healing sessions in my space in Kadıköy Moda, and the group circles, usually on full moons and at the turning of the seasons, gather in the same space. It sits on the Asian side of Istanbul, within walking distance of the Kadıköy ferry pier, so it is easy to reach from the European side as well. If you would like to feel the vibration of the quartz bowls one to one, I would be glad to welcome you. My other work in the city is gathered on my Reiki Istanbul page.

Book Your Sound Healing Session in Istanbul

My sound healing sessions and circles take place in my space in Moda, Kadıköy, which you can reach on foot from the ferry pier. The full address and directions are on my contact page.

These services do not replace medical treatment. Please see our Legal Disclaimer page for details.