Packing Sound Healing Instruments for Travel: The Art of Bringing Sacred Sound on the Road
Travelling with Sound Healing Instruments!
How do you fit an entire sound healing studio into a suitcase?
Carefully. VERY carefully. 😅
🎶 Gongs? Check.
🎶 Singing Bowls? Check.
🎶 Tuning forks? Check.
🎶 A mild fear of what customs might say? Absolutely.
Traveling with sound healing instruments is an art form in itself—a mix of strategy, sacrifice, and sheer determination to get fragile, sacred, and often oversized instruments from one place to another without damage, airline hassles, or a nervous breakdown at baggage claim.
I’ve been a certified Sound Healing Practitioner since 2017, but my love for music, meditation, and energy work started back in the ’80s - since my childhood. Over the years, my collection has grown into a sonic arsenal that includes:
🎶 21 Himalayan singing bowls
🎶 9 crystal singing bowls
🎶 7 gongs
🎶 8 harmonic spectrum tuning forks
🎶 4 weighted tuning forks
🎶 22 frame drums
🎶 Flute, guitar, violin, harmonium, tanpura, shruti box
🎶 A variety of percussion like kochi chimes, bar chimes, rainstick, egg shakers and more!
But when I set out for six-month (+) adventure in Colombia, I had to get ruthlessly selective about what made the cut. This is my behind-the-scenes breakdown of exactly how I packed my sound healing instruments—plus my top travel tips, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.
1️⃣ Choosing What to Bring (and What to Leave Behind)
Bringing sound healing instruments on the road means making tough choices. Here’s what I had to consider:
✅ Size & Portability – Could it physically fit in my luggage?
✅ Weight Limits – Because airlines love their strict baggage rules.
✅ Versatility – Could it work for both private sessions and group sound baths?
✅ Not Looking Like a Vendor – I wasn’t selling instruments, so I needed to avoid the appearance of importing stock.
🎶 What Made the Cut:
✔ 7 favorite Himalayan Singing Bowls – Perfect for on-body work and groups.
✔ 1 Crystal Practitioner Singing Bowl – Small but powerful, and its protective case fit in my suitcase.
✔ 2 Gongs – One Chau Gong (for stationary play) and one Wind Gong (for moving over bodies).
✔ 8-Piece Harmonic Spectrum Tuning Fork Set – Lightweight & great for energy work.
✔ 4 Weighted Tuning Forks – Including head, sacrum, all-body, and the OM fork.
✔ Mallets, Stands & Accessories – (Including a hockey puck for activating tuning forks—because I’m Canadian, eh?🇨🇦 )
✔ My Flute & Flute Stand – But no case (just wrapped in clothes for space-saving).
✔ A custom-made soft leather gong case (crafted by my mom!) to safely store the gongs.
😢 What Stayed Behind (With a Heavy Heart):
❌ All 8 of my regular Crystal Singing Bowls – Too big, too fragile.
❌ 5 of my 7 Gongs – Large ones wouldn’t fit, and even my medium-large one was a nightmare to pack.
❌ Most percussion instruments – I figured I could support local drum makers in Colombia instead.
❌ Tanpura, harmonium, shruti box – For now, I’m using my tanpura app (iTablaPro) for mantra sessions.
❌ Guitar & violin – Maybe I’ll buy ones here! 🎻🎸
2️⃣ Packing Strategies & Lessons Learned
Packing sound healing instruments isn’t just about stuffing things into a suitcase—it’s a full-on engineering project. Here’s what worked (and what I’d tweak next time).
🔹 Packing the Gongs
• My medium-large gong barely fit—I had to tilt it at an angle inside the suitcase, and it still bulged out.
• Wrapped it in layers of clothing to cushion it.
• Had my oversized suitcase wrapped in plastic at the airport—highly recommend for extra protection and security.
🔹 Packing the Singing Bowls
• Himalayan bowls went in my carry-on (since they’re 23 pounds, it saved my checked baggage weight).
• Layered clothing between each bowl to prevent rattling & damage.
• Crystal Practitioner Bowl was stuffed with socks to maximize space.
🔹 Packing the Tuning Forks
• Packed in checked luggage to avoid them being flagged as weapons in security.
• OM tuning fork & 128 Hz tuning fork (which create a pain-relieving resonance together) were stored with extra padding.
🔹 Packing the Gong Stands
• Even disassembled, they were too long for my oversized suitcase.
• My mechanic (shoutout to Wayne McClinchey! 🙌) literally cut them down to fit.
• Laid them at the very bottom of the suitcase, padding around them with socks and small clothing items.
🔹 Maximizing Space
• Overstuffed my suitcases so everything was tightly packed = less shifting, safer transport.
• Used every cavity (inside bowls, around stands) for clothing & accessories.
3️⃣ Navigating Airline Rules & Baggage Fees
🔸 Checked Baggage Strategy
• Flew Air Canada Premium Economy (aka best decision EVER).
• Had first-class-style seats, a flat reclining bed, and higher baggage weight limits for half the price.
• Paid one single $100 fee for an oversized 70-pound bag.
• My second checked bag was exactly 50 pounds—the max for standard luggage (with Premium Economy).
🔸 Carry-On Weight Issues
• My carry-on was 35 pounds (the weight allowance for the Latam Airline Premium Economy leg of the journey) —which I thought I could lift into the overhead bin myself…(the rule for the Air Canada leg of the journey)
• Turns out, I’m too short to reach!
• Kind Colombian strangers helped me on both flights—lesson learned: test lifting it over your head first!
🔸 Extra Protection for Luggage
• Wrapped both checked bags in plastic wrap at the airport.
• Used clothes instead of bubble wrap to protect fragile items—plus, I got to bring more clothing this way!
4️⃣ Final Thoughts & Recommendations
✅ What Worked Well:
✔ Packing singing bowls in carry-on = saved my checked baggage weight.
✔ Stuffing empty spaces with clothing = no wasted space & extra protection.
✔ Airport luggage wrapping = extra security & damage prevention.
✔ Using a mechanic to modify my gong stand = last-minute genius move.
🚫 What I’d Do Differently Next Time:
❌ Invest in a dedicated gong travel case (even though it’s $$$, the peace of mind is worth it).
❌ Plan for a lighter carry-on so I can actually lift it solo.
❌ Find a suitcase that perfectly fits my medium-large gong to avoid sketchy packing angles.
Would I Do It Again? Absolutely.
Traveling with sound healing instruments is a labor of love, but it’s completely worth it to share this practice around the world.
This was my first time bringing sound healing to Colombia, where I’m learning to offer sound & yoga in Spanish and collaborating with local yoga studios and sound healers. If you’re a sound healer in Colombia or South America, let’s connect!
Want to see the full unpacking? Check out my video!
#SoundHealing #TravelWithSound #PackingTips #SacredSound #TuningIn
